Drogheda is a town located in the north-east of Ireland on the banks of the River Boyne. The town has an interesting history dating back to two separate towns named Drogheda-in-Meath and Drogheda-in-Oriel. This was because the River Boyne formed a boundary between two Norman kingdoms, and the towns were merged into Drogheda in 1412. The old boundary continues today as the diocesan boundary between Meath in the south and Armagh in the north.

Over the centuries Drogheda became an important town under English rule and city walls were built around it. Over the past centuries, Drogheda has been developed as an industrial town, and in the 1800s, railways came to Drogheda, and shipping to England prospered.

Today, Drogheda is a cozy town with several attractions. There are some lovely walks along the banks of the Boyne and in the streets north and south of the river. In the St Laurence Street, you can see one of the city’s landmarks, Saint Laurence’s Gate, which is a fortified outer city gate from the city’s historic 14th-century walls. The gate was erected at a considerable height, giving a view of the Boyne and a possible invasion from the sea.

South of the river, you can see another fortification, Millmount Fort, whose history started with the Normans in the 12th century. Over time, there have been many buildings here, and the current martello tower dates from the early 1800s. Millmount Fort is today a museum.

In the city you can also see several preserved parts of the old city walls and city gates. South of the river was Butter Gate, where you can see part of the old wall today. The city wall was north of the city as well, and here stands the ruined Magdalene Tower, which was once a bell tower in a Dominican monastery that no longer exists.

The monastery was founded, and the tower was built in the 14th century. You can experience more of Drogheda’s history in the building The Tholsel, which was built in 1770 and was the seat of the city’s government for many years. Sessions of the Irish Parliament were also held in the building, and today the fine house is open as a historical museum. Close to this is the Highlanes Gallery, which is Drogheda’s art museum.

There are also some churches worth seeing in Drogheda, and both the Catholic and Anglican main churches are called St Peter’s Church. The Catholic St Peter’s was built in beautiful French Neo-Gothic style in 1884, and the church is an impressive building on the outside and inside, where you can notice the altar and almshouse of Oliver Plunkett who is an Irish saint and martyr. Plunkett died in 1681 and his head is kept as part of the altar.

The Anglican St. Peter’s was consecrated in 1753 and is in the Georgian style. In the center you can also see St Augustine’s Church, and you can choose to walk along the banks of the Boyne to the Boyne Viaduct bridge, which is a 30-meter-high railway bridge over the river. It was the engineer John Benjamin Macneill who built the bridge as a technical masterpiece in the years 1853-1855, and it is still used on the line between Dublin and Belfast.

When you are in Drogheda, it is convenient to visit the city’s surroundings, where the UNESCO World Heritage site Newgrange is located a few kilometers west of the city. It is a facility located in the open countryside, which was established as a burial mound with a central mound of earth surrounded by two rows of stone blocks around the year 3200 BC. There is an interesting visitor center at Newgrange, from where you can board an interesting tour to the 5,000-year-old monument.

Close by, you can visit the site of the historic Battle of the Boyne, where William of Orange’s Protestant army defeated James II’s Catholics. The battle took place on July 12, 1690, and you can learn about the battle and its history at the site’s visitor center. A little northwest of here you can see the beautiful ruins of Mellifont Abbey, which was an abbey that was founded as Ireland’s first in 1142. The abbey was William of Orange’s headquarters during the Battle of the Boyne.