Drogheda is, and always has been, an important town in the north-east of Ireland. And Drogheda is the gateway to the historic Boyne Valley…
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Intro
From sites thousands of years old to Norman castles and the Irish Wars of Independence, the north-east of the country is bursting with historical events and their monuments.
This is an important part of Ireland’s Ancient East, which stretches all the way to the south-east. And some of the island’s most important sights can be found here.
Reason enough to pay a visit to the north-east? I think so!
The informal capital of the Ancient East is in Drogheda, at the mouth of the River Boyne into the Celtic Sea.
Here you’ll find miles of sandy beaches and can take in the sights of Drogheda. From here you can also visit prehistoric Newgrange, the Celtic Hill of Tara, Monasterboice Abbey, the prehistoric sites at Kells, the Norman Trim Castle and many other great places.
Another highlight is certainly the Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre, where the armies of two kings fought for the English throne and supremacy in Ireland and Scotland in 1690.
So there is a lot to see in and around Drogheda – let’s take a closer look…
Sightseeing
St Laurence’s Gate: An impressive medieval city gate from the 13th century. See: https://www.drogheda.ie/explore-and-do/explore/castles-and-conquests/drogheda-walls.html.
Millmount Museum and Martello Tower: A museum of Drogheda’s history with panoramic views. See: https://www.drogheda.ie/explore-and-do/explore/castles-and-conquests/millmount.html.
St Peter’s Church: An imposing Catholic church, famous for the shrine of St Oliver Plunkett. See: https://drogheda.armagh.anglican.org/drogheda/.
Magdalene Tower: The ruins of a 14th century bell tower. See: https://www.drogheda.ie/explore-and-do/explore/sacred/magdalene-tower.html.
Beaulieu House and Gardens: A beautiful 17th century country house with gardens. http://www.beaulieuhouse.ie/.
Music and Culture
Highlanes Gallery: A modern art gallery in a converted Franciscan church. https://www.highlanes.ie/.
Droichead Arts Centre: A cultural centre with music, theatre, cinema and exhibitions. https://www.droichead.com/.
TLT Theatre: A modern theatre with a varied programme including music. https://www.thetlt.ie/.
Boyne Tradfest: An annual festival of traditional Irish music. See: https://www.boynetradfest.ie/.
Irish live music in pubs and clubs, for example at Odd Mollies or Barney Macs.
Eat and Drink
Scholars Townhouse Hotel Restaurant: Upscale cuisine in a historic setting. See: https://www.scholarshotel.com/.
The Pheasant Pub: A traditional Irish pub with good food. See: http://www.pheasantpub.com/.
The Bare Food Company: New cafe with healthy food. See: https://thebarefoodcompany.ie/.
Five Good Things: Very nice cafe with good food. See: https://fivegoodthings.ie/.
Guided Tours
Boyne Valley Tours: Guided tours to the historic sites of the Boyne Valley. https://boynevalleytours.com/.
Drogheda Museum Walks: Guided walks through the history of the town. See: https://www.drogheda.ie/explore-and-do/do/tours-and-trails/medieval-drogheda-town-walk.html.
Boyne Valley Trails: Guided walks on many themes in different parts of the Boyne Valley. See: https://boynevalleytrails.ie/.
Boyne Valley Garden Trails: Beautiful manor houses and beautiful gardens. See: https://boynevalleygardentrail.com/.
Self-guided Tours and Outdorr-Activities
Boyne Valley Activities: Kayaking and other water activities on the River Boyne. See: https://boynevalleyactivities.ie/plan-your-adventure/individuals/.
Golf Clubs: Play a round of golf overlooking the sea. See: http://www.seapointgolflinks.com/, or http://countylouthgolfclub.com/, or https://landbgolfclub.ie/.
Long walks on the beach: you can take a walk on Bettystown Beach, for example. This is a very long sandy beach on the coast, just a few kilometres from Drogheda. To the south is Laytown Beach and to the north is Baltray Beach.
The Boyne Greenway is a 4.5 km long footpath that takes you from the town centre along the river to the Battle of the Boyne centre. See: https://www.drogheda.ie/explore-and-do/do/tours-and-trails/boyne-greenway.html.
More Activities
Newgrange: A prehistoric burial site, UNESCO World Heritage Site (near Drogheda). See: https://www.newgrange.com/.
Monasterboice: Historic monastic ruins with famous Celtic high crosses (near Drogheda). See: https://www.visitlouth.ie/explore-and-do/explore-louth/sacred-sites-louth/monasterboice-high-cross-and-round-tower.html.
Battle of the Boyne Site: A historic site with visitor centre near Drogheda. https://battleoftheboyne.ie/.
Mellifont Abbey: The ruins of the first Cistercian abbey in Ireland (near Drogheda). See: https://heritageireland.ie/places-to-visit/old-mellifont-abbey-monastic-site/.
Slane Castle: A magnificent castle on the River Boyne. See: https://www.slanecastle.ie/.
Conclusion
Drogheda is the gateway to the historic Boyne Valley and an important part of Ireland’s Ancient East.
In this article I have given you an overview of the sights and activities you can experience in Drogheda and the Boyne Valley.
I hope I’ve been able to give you some great ideas for planning your trip and wish you lots of fun in Drogheda!
More interesting articles for you
Monasterboice – celtic crosses and a roundtower
Trim Castle – the biggest Norman castle in Ireland
Skerries – one harbour and two windmills
Carlingford – small but special
Cover photo credit: Drogheda and Dominican Church (photo by K P Brady on Google Maps)
