Drogheda

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Drogheda
Droichead Átha

Location

WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates:
54.009° N 6.4049° W

Irish Grid Reference
O088754

Statistics

1 m

Population (2006)

28,894

Website: www.droghedaboro.ie

Drogheda ([drɔ:də]) or [drɒhədə]) (Droichead Átha in Irish, meaning "Bridge of the Ford") is an industrial and port town in County Louth (on the border with County Meath) on the east coast of Ireland, 56 km north of Dublin. The town is increasingly populated by commuters working in Dublin. In 2006 the population stood at 28,894 and is the 7th largest town in the Republic of Ireland.

In recent years Drogheda has been shedding its industrial image, as an increasing number of people employed in the retail, services and technology sectors have been looking to the local economy instead of Dublin for employment.

1 History
2 Arts/Entertainment
3 Drogheda today
4 Local economy
5 Sport
6 Points of interest
7 Noted natives and residents
8 See also
9 External links

[edit] History

Commemoration of Official Charter

The town is located close to the site of Newgrange, a burial mound constructed around 3200 BC. A trading post and settlement existed on the site of the town from Roman times and was known as Inver Colpa. The town itself was founded in 911 by the Danes and officially chartered as a town in 1194. The Irish Parliament moved to the town in 1494 and passed Poyning's Law a year later. The town was besieged twice during the Irish Confederate Wars (see the siege of Drogheda). On the second occasion it was taken by Oliver Cromwell in September 1649, as part of the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. Drogheda was the site of an infamous massacre of the Royalist defenders. The Battle of the Boyne, 1690 occurred near the town at the River Boyne.

Drogheda's coat of arms bears the star and crescent and has its origin with King Richard I (the Lionheart), in whose reign Drogheda was granted its charter in 1194 by Hugh de Lacy (after whom de Lacy bridge in Drogheda is named). Another Norman element on Drogheda's coat of arms is its centrepiece, St. Lawrence's Gate. On the coat of arms the three lions which flank the Norman barbican are also taken from King Richard's coat of arms. On the other side of the barbican is a ship denoting Drogheda's status as an important port. The town's motto "Deus praesidium, mercatura decus" translates "God our strength, merchandise our glory".

The Earldom of Drogheda was created in the Peerage of Ireland in 1661.

Drogheda acquired rail links to Dublin in 1844, Navan in 1850 and Belfast in 1852. Passenger services between Drogheda and Navan were ended in 1958, but for many years afterwards the Navan line remained open for freight traffic, which it still does to this day. In 1966 Drogheda station was renamed McBride.

[edit] Arts/Entertainment

Drogheda has a thriving arts scene, it hosts the annual Samba festival every summer, where Samba bands from around the world converge on the town for a week of drumming, parades and general colourful madness. It is also home to Calipo theatre company which specialises in multi-media productions and has achieved considerable success in Ireland and abroad. The town also supports one of the largest and most successful Youth theatres in Ireland (Droichead Youth Theatre or DYT) which has toured to Belfast, London, Italy, and Sweden. The addition of the Little Duke Theatre company in Duke street, in the old Julian Blinds building, adds to this scene. The Municipal Centre in Stockwell Street acts as a base for most of the town's artists, under the umbrella of the Droichead Arts company featuring a gallery space and a theatre.

The former Garda (Police) station in West Street is now a satellite site of the Droichead Arts company.

The original Drogheda bypass bridge over the river Boyne, known as the "Bridge of Peace", is regionally well-known for its aerosol graffiti murals. Under the bridge, there are two large concrete supports that measure approximately 8 meters high, and 20 meters long. Starting in the 1980's with the Breakdance craze, these supports were painted and sprayed with murals by aerosol artists. This activity at the time was technically illegal and frowned upon by the local authorities.

Drogheda's larger bars feature live music. Notable venues are The Pheasant on Duleek Street, Solas off West Street, McPhails in Laurence Street, and McHughs on Cord Road. For traditional Irish music, Carberry's (in Irish 'Teach Uí Cairbre') pub near the North Quay has regular sessions by amateur and professional musicians alike.

October 2006 saw the opening of the town's first dedicated municipal art gallery and visual arts centre, the Highlanes Gallery, which is housed in the former Franciscan Friary on St. Laurence Street. The Highlanes Gallery holds Drogheda's important municipal art collection which dates from the 17th Century as well as visiting exhibitions in a venue which meets key international museum and gallery standards.

[edit] Drogheda today

View of Drogheda in 2001

With the expansion of the Irish economy in the 1990s, during the "Celtic Tiger" years, Drogheda has become one of the primary locations for people who work in Dublin to buy a house. Property prices in the capital are prohibitive for first time home buyers. With the expansion of transport infrastructure in the area around Drogheda i.e. the Swords and Balbriggan bypasses, the Boyne River Bridge and the increased number of commuter trains serving the town, Drogheda is now an attractive location for Dubliners to buy their first house and commute to work. The Boyne River Bridge in particular has dramatically increased the profile of the region as a location for out-of-town shopping centres.

Within the town there are currently major construction projects underway. The renovation of the former Grammar School in Laurence Street as a shopping centre is unusual as the original fascia of the building has been restored to its former Georgian architectural specifications. This centre extends to Palace Street, all along William Street, and down Peter Street on the site of the former Parochial Hall. A massive underground carpark is also present.

On the south quay in the space of the former Lakeland Daries premises, the Scotch Hall centre was completed in November 2005. A new pedestrian bridge extends from the north quay, at Mayoralty Street, into the complex.

[edit] Local economy

The local economy of Drogheda, like that of many other towns in Ireland, is changing rapidly. The old industrial industries based around linen and textiles, brewing, shipping, and manufacturing have now disappeared or are in decline.

There are still a number of large employers in the town including Boyne Valley Foods, Irish Cement (Ireland's largest cement works), Drogheda Concentrates (Coca Cola), International Flavours & Fragrances (IFF) and Becton Dickenson.

Drogheda offers many advantages over other towns in the region including:

Location close to M1 (main Dublin - Belfast motorway) necessary for international trading
Road and Rail Infrastructure
Availability of broadband and telecommunications services
Access to key markets of Dublin & Belfast
Fast growing young, skilled population
Services offered by Ireland's largest town with excellent selection of banking, retail, restaurant, hotel, sporting, conference and entertainment
High quality of living with access to beaches and countryside

Recently additions to the local ecomony include:

IDA Business & Technology Park: a 25 hectare (63 acre) with direct access onto the Dublin / Belfast motorway developed and landscaped for the needs of both the IT & Financial and Internationally Traded Services Sectors.
International Fund Services (IFS), a leading provider of fund accounting and administration services to the Hedge Fund industry globally, is to establish a Hedge Fund administration operation in Drogheda, Co. Louth with the creation of up to 235 jobs.
8 Enterprise Incubation units for high tech startup companies are now provided in the Milmount complex.

[edit] Sport

In December 2005 the town's soccer team, Drogheda United, won the national FAI Carlsberg Cup for the first time in its history by beating Cork City F.C. 2-0 in the final at Lansdowne Road. On Saturday 22 April 2006 Drogheda United won the Setanta Cup at Tolka Park becoming the champions of all Ireland.

[edit] Points of interest

Boyne Viaduct
Millmount Fort
St Peter's Roman Catholic Church - houses the head of St. Oliver Plunkett. This is what many tourists remember Drogheda for.
Laurence's Gate

[edit] Noted natives and residents

Nick Colgan, Goalkeeper for Republic of Ireland football team
James Cullen, mathematician who discovered what are now known as the Cullen numbers
Ian Harte, Levante UD and Republic of Ireland full-back. Nephew of Gary Kelly
Gary Kelly, footballer and charity campaigner
Michael Scott, architect who designed Busaras and the Abbey Theatre
Sean Thornton, Doncaster midfielder and former Republic Of Ireland under 21 football player
T.K. Whitaker, former Irish economist who wrote the Programme for Economic Expansion