Navan is the county town and largest settlement of County Meath in Ireland's Leinster region, located approximately 50 kilometers northwest of Dublin at the confluence of the River Boyne and Blackwater. With a population of 33,886 at the 2022 census, it is the fourteenth largest settlement in Ireland. The town's name is notable as the only palindromic place name in the Republic of Ireland, possibly deriving from the Irish words "An Uaimh" (the cave) or "Nuachongbhail" (new habitation).
Navan has a long history beginning with Dún Dubchomair, an ancient burial site near the river confluence where a Viking fleet reportedly landed. The Anglo-Norman Joselyn de Angulo built a motte and bailey castle around 1185, and the town developed as a walled medieval outpost of The Pale. Athlumney Castle, located across the Boyne, dates to the fifteenth century and was burned by the Maguires in 1649 to prevent its use by Cromwell. During the nineteenth century, the town became an industrial hub with five corn mills, two paper mills, two distilleries, and various other manufacturing facilities. In the twentieth century, it became known for furniture and carpet manufacturing.
Navan has produced several notable figures, including Sir Francis Beaufort (1774–1857), who developed the Beaufort Wind Force Scale adopted by the Royal Navy in 1838, and actor Pierce Brosnan, who spent his childhood there and was made a Freeman of the Town in 1999. The town offers visitors attractions including the Solstice Arts Centre, walking routes along the Boyne River and canal at the Ramparts, and medieval sites. The town received Purple Flag status in 2015 for its vibrant evening economy and entertainment offerings.