Slane Castle Slane Castle is located in the town of Slane , within the Boyne Valley of County Meath , Ireland . The castle has been the family home of the Conyngham family since the 18th century . It holds the Slane Concert event within its grounds , with the " Irish Independent " claiming in 2004 that " Slane today is the kind of internationally - recognised venue that can claim even Madonna ' s attention " . Its sloping lawns form a natural amphitheatre . History . Overlooking the River Boyne , just a few kilometres upstream from Newgrange and the site of the famous Battle of the Boyne , Slane Castle in its existing form was constructed under the direction of William Burton Conyngham , together with his nephew The 1st Marquess Conyngham . The reconstruction dates back to 1785 and is principally the work of James Gandon , James Wyatt and Francis Johnston . Francis Johnston was also the architect responsible for the gothic gates on the Mill Hill , located to the east of the castle . The Conynghams are originally a Scottish Protestant family , who first settled in Ireland in 1611 , during the Plantation of Ulster in County Donegal . At that time ( and during the rest of both the 17th century and 18th century ) , the family gained extensive lands around the village of Mountcharles , near Donegal Town in the south of County Donegal . The family also gained an extensive estate in West Donegal , especially in The Rosses district . There has been an active association between the Conynghams and the Slane Estate in County Meath dating back over 300 years , ever since the property was purchased by the family following the Williamite Confiscations in 1701 . Around that time , the family moved their main ancestral seat south from County Donegal in west Ulster to Slane . Prior to this , Slane Castle had been in the possession of the Flemings , Anglo - Norman Catholics who had aligned themselves with the Jacobites in the War of the Grand Alliance , and thus after the Williamite victory , their property was eligible for confiscation . Christopher Fleming , 22nd of Slane , 17th Lord , Viscount Longford ( 1669 – 14 July 1726 ) , was the last Fleming Lord of Slane . The present owner of the castle is Henry Conyngham who styles himself , as the 8th Marquess Conyngham . In 1991 , a fire in the castle caused extensive damage to the building and completely gutted the eastern section facing the River Boyne . The castle reopened in 2001 after the completion of a ten - year restoration programme . In 2003 , a cannon associated with the castle was found in the nearby River Boyne On the eastward side of the castle demesne , directly between the river Boyne and the villages Church of Ireland chapel in Slane , lay the ruins of St . Erc ' s Hermitage a 15th - century multi - storey chapel , and with some 500 metres westward of St . Erc ' s Hermitage an ancient well can also be found . In one of the central texts of Irish mythology , the Cath Maige Tuireadh , this well is said to have been blessed by the God Dian Cecht so that the Tuatha Dé Danann could bathe in it and be healed , allegedly healing all mortal wounds except decapitation . However with the arrival of Christianity in Ireland , and the policy of Christian reinterpretation for traditionally pagan sites , the well is now more commonly referred to as " Our lady ' s well . " Concerts at Slane . Since 1981 , the grounds of Slane Castle have been used to host rock concerts . The natural amphitheatre has an 80 , 000 person capacity . The concerts were launched by the then Earl of Mount Charles ( popularly known for several decades as Henry Mount Charles and known since March 2009 as The 8th Marquess Conyngham ) , the owner of the castle . Performers who have headlined Slane concerts since 1981 include The Rolling Stones , U2 , Red Hot Chili Peppers , Queen , David Bowie , Neil Young , Bryan Adams , Bob Dylan , Bruce Springsteen , Guns N ' Roses , Madonna , R . E . M . , Foo Fighters , Celtic Woman and Oasis . On 28 May 2011 , Kings Of Leon headlined the 30th anniversary event at Slane Castle . Five support acts played , including Thin Lizzy , who in an earlier line - up headlined the first Slane Concert in 1982 . Celtic Woman filmed their second DVD at Slane Castle , called in August 2006 , and U2 filmed the DVD " " in 2001 but the DVD was released in 2003 . They also recorded their 1984 album , " The Unforgettable Fire " , there while taking up residence for a time . The Red Hot Chili Peppers filmed the DVD " Live at Slane Castle " in 2003 . Parts of Madonna ' s documentary - film I ' m Going to Tell You a Secret were filmed at Slane Castle in 2004 . Bon Jovi performed at Slane Castle in June 2013 .