Drogheda (Droichead Atha, "Bridge of the Ford") lies on the northeastern Irish coast on the River Boyne, at the point where it is crossed by the N1 shortly before its outflow into the Irish Sea.
With its port and its various industries - cement works and steelworks - it is a considerable industrial center.
In 911 the Danes captured the little
town, which occupied the site of an earlier settlement at a ford, and developed it into a well-defended stronghold. Later the Anglo-Normans built a bridge and fortified the settlements on both sides of the river. In the 14th and 15th centuries Drogheda was one of the four principal towns of Ireland, with the right of coining and, from 1465, a university. Thereafter until the 17th C. Parliament met in Drogheda several times. In 1649 the town was taken by Cromwell's forces, and in 1690, after the Battle of the Boyne, it surrendered to William of Orange's troops.
The town of Drogheda has an active arts scene with annual Samba festival every summer, several theatres as well as a municipal art gallery and visual arts centre.
Drogheda has become a popular location for people who work in Dublin to buy a house. This has caused the expansion of the transport infrastructure, addition of two large shopping centres and another pedestrian bridge.