28-05-2025
Bread making, Druid knowledge and more in Ireland's Ancient East
Under the din of ringing church bells, in a graveyard dotted with purple herb robert flowers, Cynthia Simonet was telling us that yew trees never die.
She had just walked us through half of Trim in Co Meath, painting a picture of medieval life in the town, peppered with her own memories of growing up exploring its streets.
In one breath, she'd point out the ancient well where locals would draw their water and gossip; in another, she'd point out Church Street, which led to St. Patrick's Cathedral and was, ironically, the place to go for a smooch as teenagers in her day.
Coming to stop at the cathedral, Simonet - a tour guide with Trim Tourism - explained why yew trees are often planted in graveyards.
"The Druids always made their laws within a grove of yew trees", she said. "The Druids believed in reincarnation, and then the Christian church believed in resurrection. It's said that a yew tree can't die, its roots grow out. The roots will incorporate the corpse as it decomposes, it will feed on that, and it's a way of coming back."
Regeneration would turn out to be a theme of this trip to Ireland's Ancient East, which I'd been invited on as part of Fáilte Ireland's Keep Discovering campaign.
Over the course of the two days, my boyfriend and I explored Meath and Louth, where numerous producers, makers and destinations are celebrating a return to their roots. We had luck on our side with the weather, but even nicer was the relative peace and quiet before the summer season kicks off in earnest.
We began our trip by meeting Simonet at the cannon outside Trim Castle, which she wasted no time in telling us the history of. Dating back to the Crimean War, the 2,200kg cannon was gifted to the town in thanks for its support during the war.
From there, we visited the Sheep Gate, one of the five gates in the wall into medieval Trim that kept the Irish out and the French-speaking townspeople in. Simonet brought us on a brusque walking tour of the town, doling out facts about Boann, the goddess of the Boyne, alongside modern-day updates to the town like the new protective enclosures for the sand martins that fly across the river.
Filled up with mythology and local gossip, we set off for our next destination in Carlingford, Co. Louth, where we met Garrett Mallon, a goldsmith with over 30 years of experience who has created a country-spanning network of makers and producers in his studio.
Located up one of the town's winding streets, Mallon's shop is a treasure trove of artisanal designs. The Tyrone native opened the space in 2014 with 40 makers represented on the shelves. Ten years later and that number has soared to 105, with creators from all across the island.
Every nook and cranny is filled with handmade pieces, from knitwear by Edmund McNulty based in Termonfeckin and Donal Sweeney in Kilcar, Donegal, to pottery by Alison Hanvey in Co Down. Each display features a label noting the name and location of the creator, hammering home the sense of the studio being a pan-Ireland celebration of craft.
"It's all about the maker", Mallon said. "Me being a maker myself, it's all about your hands and what you make."
Tucked into the heart of the shop is Mallon's own workshop: long benches filled with glittering pendants, rings and more, lined up with their order papers. The team used to host hen parties and workshops in this space, but these have been paused while they gear up for a renovation.
Mallon's commissions, meanwhile, haven't slowed. He said his favourite part of the job is being trusted to create something timeless and sentimental, especially when there's a special meaning attached to a piece.
He told us about a recent wedding band commission for a man whose father had passed away. Inspired by the power of jewellery to connect people, Mallon offered to create the band from the man's father's own wedding band, and even made his mother a pendant from the leftover gold.
With a few additions to my Christmas wishlist made, we set off for our next stop: picking up bikes and hitting the Carlingford to Omeath greenway.
Carlingford Greenway Bikes supplied us with not only sleek and comfortable peddle assist bikes, but excellent sandwiches from their onsite food truck, Wildwood - a crispy chicken sambo with cheese, pickles and a cup of ranch for dunking.
A section of "The Great Eastern Greenway" currently being developed along the east of Ireland coastline, the Carlingford to Omeath greenway is built on the old Dundalk Newry and Greenore Railway, and is a handy 7km long. The trail is entered down by the marina and hugs the coastline beautifully for the rest of the way, offering breathtaking views of the Mourne Mountains and Carlingford Lough.
Sunkissed, windswept and happily tired, we dropped off our bikes and made the short trek to our accommodation for the night.
Located down a turn-off from the main road into Carlingford, down a hedge-hemmed drive and in view of the sea, Ghan House is a distinctly different kind of hotel.
Built in 1727, this Georgian manor was converted into a guesthouse 31 years ago and is now run by Paul Carroll, who took over the business from his mother Joyce (who still handmakes many of the delicious treats you'll find served at breakfast).
This isn't your usual reimagined manor house hotel, however. With just 11 bedrooms, a surprisingly understated breakfast room, lived-in but ornate furniture and a stately restaurant complete with a piano, spending the night there felt like stepping back in time to visit a wealthy friend.
Our room had an enormous bed, a crystal chandelier, long windows, opulent wallpaper and a view of the mountains and a graveyard, which some might find morbid, but I found extremely cinematic.
One of the many joys of being in Carlingford is how walkable it is, so our dinner at The Bay Tree restaurant was only a short walk away. We both opted for the natural Carlingford oysters, which were sweet and briny and came with a classic mignonette sauce, Tabasco and an excellent soy and ponzu sauce.
For mains, we had the pan-fried salmon and steak, and for dessert, we went with the white chocolate and raspberry tiramisu and the lemon pot with summer berries.
The next morning, we visited Skypark, an impressive series of aerial obstacle courses located outside of the town (€30 per person, for children aged 9+).
We were swiftly trained on how to safely navigate the courses and got stuck into tackling the yellow course, the easiest of the three. With zip lines, balancing challenges and plenty of opportunities to tease your boyfriend, a thrilling day out for kids and big kids alike.
An appetite firmly worked up, we headed back toward Navan for a bread-making workshop - with a difference.
Founded by Chris Brownlow, Bread with Benefits is a new venture striving to teach people about the connection between food and wellbeing, using sourdough as a way in.
Originally a potato farmer, Brownlow was bitten by the sourdough bug like many of us and became fascinated by the power of fermented foods.
He and his wife, Sarah, a local GP, decided to create a space in their home for immersive, hands-on workshops, celebrating the "soil to slice" journey of sourdough bread. A full-day bread-making course starts at €154.
Leavened bread, he explained, likely existed in ancient Ireland, and noted that there was even an ancient Irish word for sourdough: descaid, mentioned in A Social History of Ancient Ireland by P W Joyce, a book published in 1907 and proudly displayed in Brownlow's workshop.
Rather than a faddish pastime, a hangover from pandemic times, Brownlow's classes show how ancient ways of baking are coming back into fashion thanks to our renewed appreciation for food and wellness.
With Groove Armada playing in the background and some fruity kombucha to sip on, we got stuck into making our own loaves while Brownlow finished off some bread he'd made earlier. The result of our work, a crisp and golden loaf topped with seeds and an incredibly bouncy structure, was one of the best loaves of bread I've ever tasted, especially when slathered with the cultured butter Brownlow showed us how to make in less than five minutes.
As with any memorable trip, it's the unexpected conversations, tidbits and stories that stay with you, and this part of the country is overflowing with places to find them. Whether that's stopping into the Moorland Cafe in Drogheda for pastries after a walking tour of the historic town, or taking part in an art class, such as the one by Lucia Errity, who holds needle felt painting courses at her countryside gallery that are inspired by the ancient beauty of the Boyne Valley landscape.
Details
We were invited by Fáilte Ireland to visit Meath and Louth for the purpose of review.
Prices for one night accommodation at Ghan House start at €210 for B&B for two people sharing from June. Dinner and breakfast was provided by Fáilte Ireland.
