Drogheda Tourist Attractions
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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.
St Lawrence's Gate
The town of Drogheda had originally 10 gates, of which only one, St Lawrence's Gate (National Monument) in St Lawrence's Street, survives. It has two massive round towers with a loopholed connecting wall, a vaulted arch on the upper level and a barrel vault on street level, all crenellated, enclosing the low entrance passage.
Tholsel
At the end opposite to St Lawrence's Gate on St Lawrence's Street, on the left, is the old Tholsel (Town Hall), a domed building which is now occupied by a bank.
St Peter's Church
At the corner of St Peter's Street and William Street in Drogheda, stands the handsome St Peter's Church (by Francis Johnston, 1748; Church of Ireland), which has fine Roccoco plasterwork in the interior.On the right hand side of West Street, the continuation of St Lawrence's Street, the neo-Gothic St Peter's Church (RC) was built in memory of Sir Oliver Plunkett, Archbishop of Armagh, who was executed at Tyburn in London in 1681. His embalmed head is in a reliquary in the church.
Millmount Museum
On the south side of the Boyne river, in Drogheda, beyond the bridge at the end of Shop Street, Millmount Fort (National Monument) was built over a passage grave like Newgrange in the Boyne Valley. Fortified in the 12th C., it continued in use as a fort until 1800.Lower downstream the river is spanned by the Boyne Viaduct, a fine example of railroad engineering (1932), built virtually inside its 1851-55 predecessor.
Surroundings
The surroundings of Drogheda have much of interest for the visitor.
Baltray
4mi/6km northeast of Drogheda, at Baltray, is a championship golf course. There is also good bathing from a sandy beach 3mi/5km long.
Termonfeckin
2mi/3km north of Baltray, Termonfeckin boasts a three-story tower house (15th C: National Monument) which has a fine spiral staircase and an unusual vaulted roof, constructed in exactly the same fashion as the vault of Newgrange, 4,000 years older. Beside St Feckin's Church is a richly decorated high cross (10th C: National Monument): on the east side a Crucifixion, on the west side Christ in Glory, on the other sides geometric designs and interlace.
Clogherhead
1.25mi/2km beyond Termonfeckin we come to Clogherhead. On the north side of the promontory which ends in Clogher Head lies the little harbor of Port Oriel, with lovely sandy beaches.
Dunleer
In Dunleer, 5mi/8km northwest of Clogherhead, is the Rathgory Transport Museum, with a fine collection of veteran and vintage cars.
Maiden Tower
To the east of Drogheda, at Mornington on the Boyne Estuary, stands a lighthouse of the Elizabethan period known as the Maiden Tower (a reference to the Virgin Queen).
Bettystown
Southeast of Drogheda, in Meath county, are the seaside resorts of Bettystown and Laytown. Both have beaches 6mi/10km long.
Laytown
Southeast of Drogheda, in Meath county, are the seaside resorts of Bettystown and Laytown. Both have beaches 6mi/10km long.
Gormanston
South of Laytown, on the N1, Gormanston, a mansion of 1786, is now occupied by Franciscans. In the park, on the east side of the house, are an extensive system of walks and a "tea-house" of clipped yew hedges.
Fourknocks
Inland from Gormanston, between the R108 and R152, can be seen the important prehistoric site of Fourknocks (1800-1500 B.C.: National Monument), consisting of a large passage grave and two smaller burial mounds. The large grave has a number of scribed stones, including one which depicts a face, drawn in a few simple strokes - the clearest representation of a human face in prehistoric Ireland.
Duleek
5mi/8km southwest of Drogheda, on the River Nanny (good fishing), lies Duleek, with the ruins of a priory church and a high cross (National Monuments). The church contains a number of fine monuments and a tomb carved with figures of saints, a Crucifixion, angels and coats of arms. The rather squat cross has a Crucifixion, various figures, ornaments and the symbols of the Evangelists. The Dowdall Cross (1601: National Monument) by the roadside shows continental influence; it has figures of saints and a coat of arms - Bridge of 1587.
Athcarne Castle
3mi/5km south of Duleek stands Athcarne Castle, a fortified Elizabethan mansion of 1587.
Old Mellifont Abbey
2.5mi/4km northwest of Drogheda on the R168 (signposted to Collon) at Tullyallen, a side road on the left leads to Mellifont. Here, on the River Mattoch, are the ruins of Mellifont Abbey (National Monument), once an important Cistercian house founded in 1142 and built with the help of French monks. By 1271 it had become the mother house of 24 other monasteries. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries (1539) it was converted into a fortified manor house. Only a few remains of the original building have been preserved - a castle-like gatehouse with a massive tower, the fine crypt of the church, part of the two-story lavabo in the cloister (arches reconstructed) and the finely vaulted chapter-house (14th C.) in which a variety of architectural fragments are now kept. Part of the floor of the chapter-house has been laid with attractively patterned glazed tiles from the church. Stumps of walls and marks on the ground indicate that the abbey was laid out on the Clairvaux model.
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