[2] The village sits on the crossroad of the R122 and R108 regional roads, the latter being the traditional route between Dublin and the port of Drogheda, while the R122 travels from Finglas in the south to Balbriggan.

[3]: 2 The River Delvin passes through Naul at the north, through a deep valley known as 'The Roche' which is hemmed in by steep banks and rocky cliffs which rise to 20 metres at one point.

Further downstream the river has been dammed, forming an artificial pond and cascade with a small private hydroelectric plant.

[16] The area is thought to have been occupied since the Stone Age – archaeological finds include numerous prehistoric earthworks, and the nearby megalithic passage tomb and chambered cairns at Fourknocks, around 2.5 km north into Meath from the village, discovered in 1949 on the lands of Thomas Connell.

[17] Less than a hundred metres north of the graveyard, now completely shrouded under the tight grip of ancient ivy, stands the ruins of the Black Castle.

[20] It was protected on its north and east sides by a sheer cliff and on the west by mighty walls, with a spacious bawn to shelter its cattle herd.

[21] Around the year 1200 the castle passed, through marriage, to Stephen De Crues of the Cruise family, who were amongst the first Norman settlers in Ireland.

In a deed of John, Lord of Ireland from 1200 the church of Stephen de Crues is mentioned, which is thought to have replaced the ruins of an earlier Celtic shrine on the site of the present graveyard.

[22] In the year 1641 Christopher Cruise is recorded as owning "one old castle with an old hall covered in straw, one orchard, one garden plot, ten tenements and the walls of ye parish church" as his inheritance.

Later Oliver Plunkett is reputed to have been a frequent visitor to the Black Castle and according to legend is supposed to have been captured here for preaching during penal times.

When visiting Naul on 10 August 1781, Austin Cooper wrote; "... On the Hill over the Glen, is an oblong Castle in ruins with gable ends.

"[26] The Caddells were evicted by Oliver Cromwell's general De Fyne in 1649, the lands were later released to Arthur Mervyn who built the three mills in Naul.

A remaining portion of the east face of the castle was later incorporated into Naul Park House c. 1800 when the Ennis family acquired the lands.

It promotes and develops the traditional arts, and it organises and hosts regular recitals, music sessions, workshops and classes.