Slane Castle, Castle and music venue in Slane, Ireland

Slane Castle is a Neo-Gothic stone building overlooking the River Boyne about a mile west of Slane village. Its long grey facade has a crenellated central block with three round turrets behind it, a three-light bay window above a rounded ground-floor projection, a lower left wing with a pointed-arch entrance and a square corner tower on the right. It was rebuilt from 1785 to designs by James Gandon, James Wyatt and Francis Johnston, with Thomas Hopper responsible for the Gothic ballroom.

The original Fleming family estate was lost in 1688, after which the Conyngham family constructed the current structure in 1785. The property went through several changes in use before becoming a major event venue in the 20th century.

The castle's Irish name, Cáisleán Bhaile Shláine, ties it to the village of Slane. Since 1981 the grounds have hosted the Slane concerts, launched by Henry Mount Charles, 8th Marquess Conyngham; the sloping lawns form a natural amphitheatre holding up to 80,000 people. Headliners have ranged from Thin Lizzy and Queen to U2, Madonna and Harry Styles, who played in June 2023.

The castle stands about a mile west of Slane village, overlooking the River Boyne a few kilometres upstream from Newgrange and the Battle of the Boyne site. The grounds, a natural amphitheatre holding up to 80,000 people, host concerts and events, so check what is scheduled before travelling. The castle reopened in 2001 after a ten-year restoration following the 1991 fire.

The grounds form a natural amphitheatre with room for 80,000 concertgoers, and since 1981 they have hosted Slane concerts launched by the then Earl of Mount Charles. U2 stayed at the castle in 1984 to write and record The Unforgettable Fire, and filmed U2 Go Home there in 2001.