View source for Drogheda

{{Short description|Town in County Louth, Ireland, with suburbs in County Meath}}
{{Use Hiberno-English|date=October 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}}
{{Infobox settlement
| settlement_type    = [[List of towns and villages in the Republic of Ireland|Town]]
| name               = Drogheda
| native_name        = {{nativename|ga|Droichead Átha}}
| image_skyline      = DroghedaLouthMeath.jpg
| image_caption      = Clockwise from top: Drogheda viewed from the south; [[Millmount Fort]]; West Street, Drogheda
| image_flag         = Flag of Drogheda.svg
| flag_size          = 125px
| image_shield       = Arms of Drogheda.svg
| motto = {{force singular}} "God Our Strength, Merchandise Our Glory."
| mapsize            = 230px
| map_caption        = Location of Drogheda in Ireland
| pushpin_map        = Ireland#Europe
| pushpin_relief     = 1
| pushpin_label_position = right
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Ireland
| coordinates        = {{coord|53.7150|N|6.3525|W|type:city_region:IE|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]]
| subdivision_type1  = [[Provinces of Ireland|Province]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Leinster]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[Counties of Ireland|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[County Louth]] and [[County Meath]]
| subdivision_type3  = [[Municipal district (Ireland)|Municipal district]]
| subdivision_name3  = Drogheda Borough District
| leader_title2      = [[Dáil constituency]]
| leader_name2       = [[Louth (Dáil constituency)|Louth]]
| leader_title3      = [[EU Parliament]]
| leader_name3       = [[Midlands–North-West (European Parliament constituency)|Midlands–North-West]]
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="cso2016">{{Cite web |title=Population Density and Area Size 2016 by Towns |url=http://www.cso.ie/px/pxeirestat/Statire/SelectVarVal/Define.asp?MainTable=E2014&PLanguage=0&PXSId=0 |access-date=13 December 2017 |publisher=[[Central Statistics Office (Ireland)]] |archive-date=24 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190324025223/https://www.cso.ie/px/pxeirestat/Statire/SelectVarVal/Define.asp?MainTable=E2014&PLanguage=0&PXSId=0 |url-status=live}}</ref>
| area_total_km2     = 14.8
| population_as_of   = [[2022 census of Ireland|2022 census]]
| population_total   = 44,135
| population_footnotes = <ref name="tableF1015census2022">{{cite web|url = https://data.cso.ie/table/F1015 | publisher = Central Statistics Office | work = Census 2022 | title = F1015: Population and Average Age by Sex and List of Towns (number and percentages), 2022 | date = April 2022 | access-date = 29 June 2023 }}</ref>
| population_density_km2 = 2,776.6
| population_urban   = 
| population_rural   = 
| population_blank1_title = Total
| population_blank1  = 
| population_blank2_title = Greater area
| population_blank2  = 83,000<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cromwell back at gates of Drogheda – demanding a city |date=2 December 2017 |url=https://www.independent.ie/regionals/droghedaindependent/news/cromwell-back-at-gates-of-drogheda-demanding-a-city-36358320.html |access-date=2 December 2017 |publisher=Independent.ie |archive-date=2 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171202041236/https://www.independent.ie/regionals/droghedaindependent/news/cromwell-back-at-gates-of-drogheda-demanding-a-city-36358320.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
| population_rank    = [[List of urban areas in the Republic of Ireland|6th]]
| population_demonyms = Droghedean, Boynesider
| established_title  = Founded
| established_date   = 911 AD
| established_title2 = First Charter
| established_date2  = 1194
| established_title3 = County Status
| established_date3  = 1412<ref name="Johnston 1826 37">{{Cite book |last=Johnston |first=L. C. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y9s9AAAAcAAJ&pg=PA37 |title=History of Drogheda: from the earliest period to the present time |year=1826 |location=Drogheda |page=37 |access-date=16 October 2015 |archive-date=9 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160509034307/https://books.google.com/books?id=y9s9AAAAcAAJ&pg=PA37 |url-status=live}}</ref> (Abolished 1898)
| elevation_min_m    = 1
| elevation_max_m    = 27
| website            = 
| area_code_type     = [[Telephone numbers in the Republic of Ireland|Telephone area code]]
| area_code          = +353(0)41
| postal_code_type   = [[Eircode]] routing key
| postal_code        = A92
| timezone           = [[Western European Time|WET]]
| utc_offset         = ±0
| timezone_DST       = [[Irish Standard Time|IST]]
| utc_offset_DST     = +1
}}
[[File:Map of Drogheda.png|thumb|Map of Drogheda]]

'''Drogheda''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|d|r|ɒ|h|ə|d|ə|,_|ˈ|d|r|ɔː|d|ə}} {{respell|DRO|həd|ə}}, {{respell|DRAW|də}}; {{Irish place name|Droichead Átha}} {{IPA|ga|ˈd̪ˠɾˠɛhəd̪ˠ ˈaːhə||audio=Droichead_Átha.ogg}}, meaning "bridge at the ford") is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, {{cvt|43|km}} north of [[Dublin]]. It is located on the [[Dublin–Belfast corridor]] on the east coast of Ireland, mostly in [[County Louth]] but with the south fringes of the town in [[County Meath]], {{cvt|40|km}} north of Dublin city centre. Drogheda had a population of 44,135 inhabitants in 2022, making it the [[List of settlements on the island of Ireland by population|eleventh largest settlement]] by population in all of [[Ireland]], and the largest [[town]] in the [[Republic of Ireland]],{{efn|[[Tallaght]], which also does not have [[City status in Ireland|city status]], has about 20,000 more inhabitants than Drogheda although whether or not it can be considered a town is up for debate.}} by both population and area.<ref name="tableF1015census2022"/> It is the second largest in County Louth with 35,990 and sixth largest in County Meath with 8,145. It is the last bridging point on the [[River Boyne]] before it enters the [[Irish Sea]]. The [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]] of [[Newgrange]] is located {{cvt|8|km}} west of the town.

==Area==
[[File:123 of 'Cromwell in Ireland, a history of Cromwell's Irish Campaign ... with map, plans and illustrations' (11162537876).jpg|thumb|upright|Drogheda, 1749]]
Drogheda was founded as two separately administered towns in two different territories: Drogheda-in-[[Kingdom of Meath|Meath]] (i.e. the [[Lordship of Meath|Lordship and Liberty of Meath]], from which a charter was granted in 1194) and Drogheda-in-Oriel (or '[[Airgíalla|Uriel]]', as County Louth was then known). The division came from the twelfth-century boundary between two Irish kingdoms, colonised by different Norman interests, just as the River Boyne continues to divide the town between the dioceses of Armagh and [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Meath|Meath]]. In [[1412 in Ireland|1412]], these two towns were united, and Drogheda became a [[county corporate]], styled as "the County of the Town of Drogheda". Drogheda continued as a county borough until the establishment of county councils under the [[Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898]], which saw all of Drogheda, including a large area south of the Boyne, become part of an extended County Louth. With the passing of the County of Louth and Borough of Drogheda (Boundaries) Provisional Order 1976, County Louth again grew larger at the expense of County Meath. The boundary was further altered in 1994 by the Local Government (Boundaries) (Town Elections) Regulations 1994. The 2007–2013 Meath County Development Plan recognises the Meath environs of Drogheda as a primary growth centre on a par with [[Navan]].

==History==
[[File:Looking down Peter Street Drogheda - geograph.org.uk - 4796214 (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|upright|[[The Tholsel, Drogheda|The Tholsel]]]]
[[File:Drogheda Commemorates.jpg|thumb|left|Commemoration of Official Charter]]

===Hinterland===
{{Historical populations|state=collapsed
|1811|15590
|1813|16123
|1821|18118
|1831|17365
|1841|17300
|1851|16810
|1861|14722
|1871|13510
|1881|12297
|1891|11873
|1901|12760
|1911|12501
|1926|12716
|1936|14494
|1946|15715
|1951|16779
|1956|17008
|1961|17085
|1966|17908
|1971|20095
|1981|23615
|1986|24681
|1991|24656
|1996|25282
|2002|31020
|2006|35090
|2011|38578
|2016|40956
|2022|44135
||footnote=<ref>See http://www.cso.ie/census {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050309005718/http://www.cso.ie/census/ |date=9 March 2005 }} and http://www.histpop.org {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160507023856/http://www.histpop.org/ |date=7 May 2016 }} for post 1821 figures, 1813 estimate from Mason's Statistical Survey. For a discussion on the accuracy of pre-famine census returns see J.J. Lee "On the accuracy of the Pre-famine Irish censuses", ''Irish Population, Economy and Society,'' eds. J.M. Goldstrom and L.A. Clarkson (1981) p.54, and also "New Developments in Irish Population History, 1700–1850" by Joel Mokyr and Cormac Ó Gráda in ''The Economic History Review,'' New Series, Vol. 37, No. 4 (Nov. 1984), pp. 473–488.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = https://citypopulation.de/en/ireland/towns/louth_meath/10009__drogheda/ | website = City Population | title = Drogheda (Ireland) Agglomeration | access-date = 12 July 2023 }}</ref><ref name="tableF1015census2022"/>}}

The town is situated in an area which contains a number of archaeological monuments dating from the Neolithic period onwards, of which the large [[passage tomb]]s of [[Newgrange]], [[Knowth]], and [[Dowth]] are probably the best known.<ref>Stout, G. 2002 ''Newgrange and the Bend of the Boyne''. Cork University Press.</ref> The density of archaeological sites of the prehistoric and early Christian periods uncovered in the course of ongoing developments, (including during construction of the Northern Motorway or 'Drogheda Bypass'), has shown that the hinterland of Drogheda has been a settled landscape for millennia.<ref>Bennett, I. (ed) 1987–2004 ''Excavations : Summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland''. Bray.</ref><ref>The Hidden Places of Ireland 190443410X David Gerrard – 2004 -"Two minutes from the centre of Drogheda. in the old townland of Mell."</ref>

===Town beginnings===
[[File:Drogheda StMaryMagdaleneFriary.JPG|thumb|right|[[Magdalene Tower, Drogheda|St Mary Magdalene Friary]].]]
Despite local tradition linking [[Millmount Fort|Millmount]] to [[Amergin Glúingel]], in his 1978 study of the history and archaeology of the town, John Bradley stated that "neither the documentary nor the archaeological evidence indicates that there was any settlement at the town prior to the coming of the Normans".<ref>Bradley, J. 1978 'The Topography and Layout of Medieval Drogheda', ''Co. Louth Archaeological and Historical Journal'', '''19''', 2, 98–127.</ref> The results of a number of often large-scale excavations carried out within the area of the medieval town appear to confirm this statement.<ref>Bennett op cit.</ref>

One of the earliest structures in the town is the [[motte-and-bailey castle]], now known as [[Millmount Fort]], which overlooks the town from a bluff on the south bank of the Boyne and which was probably erected by the [[Normans in Ireland|Norman]] Lord of Meath, [[Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath|Hugh de Lacy]], sometime before 1186. The wall on the east side of Rosemary Lane, a back-lane which runs from St. Laurence Street towards the Augustinian Church, is the oldest stone structure in Drogheda.<ref>Archaeology No. 5257: The medieval walls of Drogheda</ref> It was completed in 1234 as the west wall of the first castle guarding access to the northern crossing point of the Boyne. A later castle, circa 1600, called ''Laundy's Castle'' stood at the junction of West Street and Peter's Street. On Meathside, the ''Castle of Drogheda'' or ''The Castle of Comfort'' was a tower house castle on the south side of the Bull Ring. It served as a prison, and as a sitting of the Irish parliament in 1494.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://droghedalife.com/news/the-bullring-from-the-normans-to-poynings-law-and-ollies-pub|title=The Bullring - from the Normans to Poyning's Law and Ollie's Pub|date=18 August 2023|newspaper=Drogheda Life|access-date=21 October 2023}}</ref> The earliest known town charter is that granted to Drogheda-in-Meath by Walter de Lacy in 1194.<ref>Bradley ''op cit'' 105</ref> In the 1600s, the name of the town was also spelled "Tredagh" in keeping with the common pronunciation, as documented by [[Gerard Boate]] in his work ''Irelands' Natural History''. In ''c.'' 1655 it was spelled "Droghedagh" on a map by William Farriland.<ref>NLI. MS. 716, copy of map by Daniel O'Brien, ''c. 1780''</ref>

Drogheda was an important walled town in the [[The Pale|English Pale]] in the medieval period. It frequently hosted meetings of the [[Parliament of Ireland|Irish Parliament]] at that time. According to [[Rosamond Joscelyne Mitchell|R.J. Mitchell]] in ''John Tiptoft, Earl of Worcester'', in a spill-over from the [[War of the Roses]] the [[Thomas FitzGerald, 7th Earl of Desmond|Earl of Desmond]] and his two youngest sons (still children) were executed there on Valentine's Day 1468 on orders of the [[John Tiptoft, 1st Earl of Worcester|Earl of Worcester]], the [[Lord Deputy of Ireland]]. It later came to light (for example in Robert Fabyan's ''The New Chronicles of England and France''), that [[Elizabeth Woodville|Elizabeth Woodville, the queen consort]], was implicated in the orders given.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Fabyan |first1=Robert |url=http://archive.org/details/newchroniclesofe00fabyuoft |title=The new chronicles of England and France, in two parts: by Robert Fabyan. Named by himself The concordance of histories. Reprinted from Pynson's edition of 1516. The first part collated with the editions of 1533, 1542, and 1559; and the second with a manuscript of the author's own time, as well as the subsequent editions: including the different continuations. To which are added a biographical and literary preface, and an index |last2=Ellis |first2=Henry |date=1811 |publisher=London : Printed for F.C. & J. Rivington [etc.] |others=Robarts – University of Toronto}}</ref> The parliament was moved to the town in 1494 and passed [[Poynings' Law (on certification of acts)|Poynings' Law]], the most significant legislation in Irish history, a year later. This effectively subordinated the Irish Parliament's [[legislature|legislative powers]] to the King and his [[Privy Council of England|English Council]].

===Later events===
[[File:Drogheda - St. Laurences Gate (5638818100).jpg|thumb|St. Laurence's Gate]]
{{Further|Siege of Drogheda (1641)|Siege of Drogheda}}
The town was [[siege of Drogheda|besieged]] twice during the [[Irish Confederate Wars]].

In the second [[siege of Drogheda]], an assault was made on the town from the south, the tall walls breached, and the town was taken by [[Oliver Cromwell]] on 11 September 1649,<ref>Antonia Fraser, Cromwell, our chief of men (London, 1973)</ref> as part of the [[Cromwellian conquest of Ireland]] and it was the site of a [[Siege of Drogheda#Massacre|massacre]] of the [[Cavalier|Royalist]] defenders. In Cromwell's own words after the siege of Drogheda, "When they submitted, their officers were knocked on the head, and [[Decimation (Roman army)|every tenth man of the soldiers killed]] and the rest shipped to [[Barbados]]."<ref>[[s:Cromwell letter to William Lenthall|Cromwell letter to William Lenthall (1649)]]</ref>

In 1661, [[Henry Moore, 1st Earl of Drogheda|Henry Moore, 3rd Viscount Moore]] was created the [[Earl of Drogheda]] in the [[Peerage of Ireland]].

The [[Battle of the Boyne]], 1690, occurred some {{cvt|6|km|mi}} west of the town, on the banks of the [[River Boyne]], at Oldbridge. [[The Tholsel, Drogheda|The Tholsel]] in West Street was completed in 1770.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/13622030/the-tholsel-west-street-shop-lane-moneymore-drogheda-co-louth|title=The Tholsel, West Street, Shop Lane, Moneymore, Drogheda, Louth|publisher=[[National Inventory of Architectural Heritage]]|access-date=21 October 2023}}</ref>

In 1790, Drogheda Harbour Commissioners were established by the [[Port of Drogheda Act 1790]].<ref>(30 Geo. 3. c. 39 (I))</ref> They remained in place until 1997 when a commercial enterprise, the Drogheda Port Company, replaced them.

In 1825, the [[Drogheda Steam Packet Company]] was formed in the town, providing shipping services to [[Liverpool]].

In 1837, the population of Drogheda area was 17,365 people, of whom 15,138 lived in the town.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Entry for Drogheda in Lewis Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837) |url=http://www.libraryireland.com/topog/d3.php |access-date=20 November 2014 |publisher=Libraryireland.com |archive-date=6 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006144408/http://www.libraryireland.com/topog/d3.php |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Town arms===
Drogheda's coat of arms features [[Laurence's Gate|St. Laurence's Gate]] with three lions, and a ship emerging from either side of the [[barbican]]. It is [[blazoned]] as ''[[Azure (heraldry)|Azure]] [[per pale]] [[dimidiated]], on the dexter side three lions [[passant guardant]] [[in pale]] [[or (heraldry)|or]], on the sinister as many hulls of ships in pale of the last, surmounted by a castle with two towers triple-towered [[argent]]''.<ref>''The Book of Public Arms: A Cyclopædia of the Armorial Bearings, Heraldic Devices, and Seals, as Authorized and as Used, of the Counties, Cities, Towns, and Universities of the United Kingdom''. Derived from the Official Records. (1894:3). United Kingdom: T.C. & E.C. Jack.</ref> The town's motto {{lang|la|Deus praesidium, mercatura decus}} translates as "God our strength, merchandise our glory".

The [[star and crescent]] emblem in the crest of the coat of arms is mentioned as part of the mayor's seal by [[John D'Alton|D'Alton]] (1844).<ref>John D'Alton, The History of Drogheda: With Its Environs, and an Introductory Memoir of the Dublin and Drogheda Railway (1844), [https://archive.org/details/historydrogheda00dalgoog/page/n308 p. 138].</ref> In 2010, Irish president [[Mary McAleese]], in a speech delivered during an official visit to [[Turkey]], stated that the star and crescent had been added in the aftermath of the [[Great Famine (Ireland)|Great Famine]] as gratitude for food supplies donated by the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] Sultan [[Abdülmecid I]], which had arrived at Drogheda by ship. Irish press quickly pointed out the story was a myth, with a local historian calling it 'nothing short of sheer nonsense,' and the star and crescent dating back to [[John of England|King John]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Comyn |first=Alison |date=March 31, 2010 |title=PRESIDENT SPARKS STAR AND CRESCENT DEBATE |url=https://www.independent.ie/regionals/droghedaindependent/news/president-sparks-star-and-crescent-debate-27144260.html |website=[[Irish Independent]] |access-date=21 October 2018 |archive-date=21 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181021112933/https://www.independent.ie/regionals/droghedaindependent/news/president-sparks-star-and-crescent-debate-27144260.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Arms">{{cite news |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0325/1224267012277.html |title=President tells Turks an anecdote of myth not fact |last=Murray |first=Ken |date=25 March 2010 |newspaper=The Irish Times |access-date=25 March 2010 |archive-date=20 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020142250/http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0325/1224267012277.html |url-status=live}} "Liam Reilly, an administrator with the Old Drogheda Society based in the town's Millmount Museum, said last night the comments were incorrect. 'There are no records with the Drogheda Port Authority of this ever happening. Drogheda historians can trace the star and crescent back to 1210 when the British governor of Ireland, King John Lackland, granted the town its first charter,' he said"{{unreliable source?|date=December 2016}}

{{Cite web |title=Ottoman aid to the Irish to hit the big screen |url=http://www.todayszaman.com/news-269871-ottoman-aid-to-the-irish-to-hit-the-big-screen.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006144345/http://www.todayszaman.com/news-269871-ottoman-aid-to-the-irish-to-hit-the-big-screen.html |archive-date=6 October 2014 |access-date=20 November 2014 |website=TodaysZaman}}{{cite web |url=http://www.irishcentral.com/news/New-evidence-shows-Turkey-delivered-food--to-Ireland-during-the-famine-156681255.html |title=New evidence shows Turkey delivered food to Ireland during the famine |work=IrishCentral.com |date=2 June 2012 |access-date=20 November 2014 |archive-date=17 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017112248/http://www.irishcentral.com/news/New-evidence-shows-Turkey-delivered-food--to-Ireland-during-the-famine-156681255.html |url-status=live}}</ref><!-- In addition, a letter found in Ottoman archives, written by Irish notables, explicitly thanks [[Sultan]] [[Abdülmecid I]] for his help.{{cn}}--> Later evidence, including a letter displayed at the office of the European Commission, showed that the Sultan did send aid during the 1845–1852 famine.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Murray |first=Ken |date=June 1, 2010 |title=Role of Turkey during Famine clarified |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/role-of-turkey-during-famine-clarified-1.672383 |newspaper=[[The Irish Times]] |access-date=10 April 2019 |archive-date=12 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112035418/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/role-of-turkey-during-famine-clarified-1.672383 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.dailysabah.com/article/153809 |title=Ireland remembers how 19th century aid from Ottoman sultan changed fate of thousands &#124; Daily Sabah |date=16 February 2020 |website=Ireland remembers how 19th century aid from Ottoman sultan changed fate of thousands |access-date=7 September 2020 |archive-date=1 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220701121310/https://www.dailysabah.com/history/2020/02/16/ireland-remembers-how-19th-century-aid-from-ottoman-sultan-changed-fate-of-thousands |url-status=live }}</ref>

===20th century===
[[File:St Oliver Plunkett's head 2007-10-5.jpg|thumb|St Oliver Plunkett's Head]]
In 1921, the preserved severed head of [[Oliver Plunkett|Saint Oliver Plunkett]], who was executed in London in 1681, was put on display in [[St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church, Drogheda|St. Peter's (Catholic) Church]], where it remains today. The church is located on West Street, which is the main street in the town.

In 1979, [[Pope John Paul II]] visited Drogheda as part of his [[Pope John Paul II's visit to Ireland|five-stop tour of Ireland]]. He arrived less than a month after the IRA assassination of [[Lord Mountbatten]], [[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth]]'s cousin, in [[Mullaghmore, County Sligo|Mullaghmore]]. On 29 September 1979, he arrived in Dublin, where he gave his first mass. He then addressed 300,000 people in Drogheda, where he appealed "on his knees" to paramilitaries to end the [[The Troubles|violence in Ireland]]:<ref>{{Cite news |date=29 September 2016 |title=Remembering Pope John Paul II's 1979 visit to Ireland (PHOTOS) |language=en |work=IrishCentral.com |url=https://www.irishcentral.com/news/remembering-pope-john-paul-ii-1979-visit-to-ireland-62563642-237662091 |access-date=17 June 2017 |archive-date=2 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170402163609/http://www.irishcentral.com/news/remembering-pope-john-paul-ii-1979-visit-to-ireland-62563642-237662091 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Doherty |first=Christine |date=6 January 2010 |title=Drogheda was safe place for Pope to visit |language=en |work=The Independent |url=http://www.independent.ie/regionals/droghedaindependent/news/drogheda-was-safe-place-for-pope-to-visit-27141584.html |access-date=17 June 2017 |archive-date=16 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116053459/https://www.independent.ie/regionals/droghedaindependent/news/drogheda-was-safe-place-for-pope-to-visit-27141584.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=McGarry |first=Patsy |date=29 November 2016 |title=Pope's visit to Ireland will not draw the 1979 crowds of 2.7m |newspaper=The Irish Times |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/religion-and-beliefs/pope-s-visit-to-ireland-will-not-draw-the-1979-crowds-of-2-7m-1.2885724 |access-date=17 June 2017 |archive-date=30 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161130155950/http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/religion-and-beliefs/pope-s-visit-to-ireland-will-not-draw-the-1979-crowds-of-2-7m-1.2885724 |url-status=live}}</ref>
<blockquote>"Now I wish to speak to all men and women engaged in violence. I appeal to you, in language of passionate pleading. On my knees I beg you to turn away from the paths of violence and to return to the ways of peace. You may claim to seek justice. I too believe in justice and seek justice. But violence only delays the day of justice. Violence destroys the work of justice. Further violence in Ireland will only drag down to ruin the land you claim to love and the values you claim to cherish."<ref>{{Cite news |title=29 September 1979: Mass in Drogheda – Dublin {{!}} John Paul II |work=Libreria Editrice Vaticana |publisher=Vatican |url=https://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/homilies/1979/documents/hf_jp-ii_hom_19790929_irlanda-dublino-drogheda.html |access-date=17 June 2017 |archive-date=9 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161209141246/https://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/homilies/1979/documents/hf_jp-ii_hom_19790929_irlanda-dublino-drogheda.html |url-status=live }}</ref></blockquote>

===21st century===
Two decades into the 21st century some of the historic core of Drogheda town has suffered urban decline. Some of the buildings have been derelict for some years and are in danger of collapse.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2017-02-25 |title=Dangerous structure notice is served on two Narrow West Street properties |url=https://www.independent.ie/regionals/droghedaindependent/news/dangerous-structure-notice-is-served-on-two-narrow-west-street-properties-35472175.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170518105300/http://www.independent.ie/regionals/droghedaindependent/news/dangerous-structure-notice-is-served-on-two-narrow-west-street-properties-35472175.html |archive-date=18 May 2017 |access-date=2020-05-18 |work=[[Drogheda Independent]]}}</ref> There was a 2006 traffic plan for pedestrianisation of West Street. It was rejected at a vote of the elected councillors. They had come under pressure from traders in the area concerned about a potential further decline in customer footfall. But the issue has come up for debate again.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2020-05-13 |title=Councillors in favour of closing West Street to traffic |url=https://droghedalife.com/news/councillors-in-favour-of-closing-west-street-to-traffic |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200530132654/https://droghedalife.com/news/councillors-in-favour-of-closing-west-street-to-traffic |archive-date=30 May 2020 |access-date=2020-05-18 |work=Drogheda Life |language=en-IE}}</ref> When asked, Drogheda residents point out that a combination of expensive car-parking and high commercial rates had a push-pull effect on the town's centre. Shops were forced to close and at the same time shoppers brought their business to retail parks such as the Boyne Shopping Centre on Bolton Street.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2016-02-18 |title=Planning 'neglect' has made Drogheda a town that has lost its 'heart' |work=[[TheJournal.ie]] |url=https://www.thejournal.ie/drogheda-town-election-2580191-Feb2016/ |first=Cliodhna |last=Russell |access-date=2020-05-18 |archive-date=24 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924175419/https://www.thejournal.ie/drogheda-town-election-2580191-Feb2016/ |url-status=live }}</ref> A substantial root-and-branch approach to renewal of the locality was proposed in "Westgate Vision: A Townscape Recovery Guide". The Westgate area of Drogheda is to be subject to a 10-year regeneration by Louth County Council.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Louth Forward Planning Office |url=https://www.louthcoco.ie/en/services/planning/westgate-vision-/ |title=Westgate Vision: A Townscape Recovery Guide |date=June 2018 |publisher=Louth County Council |location=Dundalk |access-date=18 May 2020 |archive-date=16 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200416150705/https://www.louthcoco.ie/en/services/planning/westgate-vision-/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Demographics==
Drogheda has a hinterland of 70,000+ within a {{cvt|15|km|mi}} radius. According to the [[2022 census of Ireland|2022 census]], there were 44,135 people living in Drogheda town at that time.<ref name="tableF1015census2022"/>

As of the [[2011 census of Ireland|2011 census]], non-Irish nationals accounted for 16.1% of the population, compared with a national average of 12%. Polish nationals (1,127) were the largest group, followed by Lithuanian nationals (1,044 people).<ref name="profile2011">{{Cite web |date=2011 |title=Area Profile For Town – Drogheda Legal Town and its environs |url=http://census.cso.ie/areaprofiles/PDF/ST/droghedalegaltownanditsenvirons.pdf |access-date=7 February 2020 |publisher=Central Statistics Office |archive-date=28 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171128175914/http://census.cso.ie/areaprofiles/PDF/ST/droghedalegaltownanditsenvirons.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> As of the [[2016 census of Ireland|2016 census]], 17.4% of the population were non-Irish nationals, with 676 people from the UK, 1,324 Polish nationals, 1,014 Lithuanians, 1,798 people from elsewhere in the EU, and 1,400 with other (non-EU) nationalities.<ref name="census2016">{{Cite web |date=April 2016 |title=Sapmap Area – Settlements – Drogheda |url=https://census.cso.ie/sapmap2016/Results.aspx?Geog_Type=ST2016&Geog_Code=3322F7F8-96A1-450C-9703-23C4EDADFD3A |access-date=7 February 2020 |website=Census 2016 |publisher=Central Statistics Office |archive-date=30 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170730014620/http://census.cso.ie/sapmap2016/Results.aspx?Geog_Type=ST2016&Geog_Code=3322F7F8-96A1-450C-9703-23C4EDADFD3A |url-status=live}}</ref>

As of the 2022 census,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Interactive Data Visualisations {{!}} CSO Ireland |url=https://visual.cso.ie/?body=entity/ima/cop/2022&boundary=C04160V04929&guid=27fd9c8d-0c9c-46ac-8cc1-fb3c742bd4a6&theme=1 |access-date=2024-02-26 |website=visual.cso.ie}}</ref> the ethnic makeup of the town was 80.65% [[White people|white]] total, including 67.81% white Irish and 12.57% other white people, 7.48% not stated,  5.7% Asian, 2.44% other and 3.73% [[Black people in Ireland|black]].

==Arts and entertainment==
===Music===
The town was selected to host [[Fleadh Cheoil|Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann]] for two years in 2018 and 2019.<ref>{{Cite news |date=18 March 2017 |title=Drogheda to host Fleadh Cheoil |work=[[Irish Independent]] |url=http://www.independent.ie/regionals/argus/localnotes/drogheda-to-host-fleadh-cheoil-35529952.html |access-date=11 July 2017 |archive-date=17 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170517132918/http://www.independent.ie/regionals/argus/localnotes/drogheda-to-host-fleadh-cheoil-35529952.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

Drogheda is home to two brass bands: Drogheda Brass Band and Lourdes Brass Band. In 2014, the town hosted the international summer [[Samba]] festival in which samba bands from around the world came to the town for three days of drumming and parades.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Noel Cosgrave |title=Drogheda Samba Festival |url=http://droghedasamba.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141217035210/http://droghedasamba.com/ |archive-date=17 December 2014 |access-date=20 November 2014 |publisher=Droghedasamba.com |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

The composer and member of [[Aosdána]], [[Michael Holohan]], has lived in Drogheda since 1983. His compositions have been performed and broadcast both at home and internationally. Career highlights in Drogheda include ''Cromwell'' 1994, 'Drogheda 800' (RTECO, Lourdes Church); ''The Mass of Fire'' 1995, 'Augustinian 700' (RTÉ TV live broadcast); ''No Sanctuary'' 1997 with [[Nobel Laureate]] and poet [[Seamus Heaney]] (Augustinian Church); ''Remembrance Sunday Service'' and ''Drogheda Unification'' 600 (RTE TV live broadcast, St Peter's Church of Ireland) and two major concerts with The Boyne Valley Chamber Orchestra at [[Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann]] in 2018 and 2019.

Drogheda regularly hosts "Music at the Gate", a community-run event led by [[uilleann pipes|uilleann piper]] Darragh Ó Heiligh, next to Saint Laurence's Gate in the centre of Drogheda.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Music at the Gate – Drogheda {{!}} Music at Laurence's gate in Drogheda |url=https://www.musicatthegate.ie/ |access-date=2021-03-20 |language=en-GB |archive-date=22 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122104738/https://www.musicatthegate.ie/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

Drogheda Arts Festival, a mix of music, live performance and street entertainment, is held over the May Bank Holiday weekend.{{citation needed|date=May 2024}}

===Visual arts===
October 2006 saw the opening of the [[Highlanes Gallery]], the town's first dedicated municipal art gallery. It is located in the former Franciscan Church and Friary on St. Laurence Street. The gallery houses Drogheda's municipal art collection, which dates from the 17th century.

==Places of interest==
[[File:Millmount Fort in Drogheda.jpg|thumb|Millmount Monument]]
Drogheda is an ancient town that has a growing tourism industry.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Spearman |first=Andy |title=Drogheda Life {{!}} Drogheda allocated funding to become a tourist 'Destination Town' |url=https://droghedalife.com/news/drogheda-allocated-funding-to-become-a-tourist-destination-town |access-date=2020-06-03 |website=Drogheda Life |archive-date=3 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603165838/https://droghedalife.com/news/drogheda-allocated-funding-to-become-a-tourist-destination-town |url-status=live }}</ref> It has a [[UNESCO]] World Heritage site, [[Newgrange]], located {{cvt|8|km|mi}} to the west of the town centre. Other tourist sites in the area include:
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
*[[Millmount Fort]] and museum
*[[Saint Laurence Gate]] barbican gate {{circa}} 1300s
*[[John Philip Holland]] memorial (sculpture commemorating submarine inventor)
*[[Boyne Viaduct]]
*[[Jameson Irish Whiskey|John Jameson]]'s residential home (not open to the public), and a Jameson distillery trail of malthouses in the town.
*[[Battle Of The Boyne]] Site, visitors centre 
*[[Éamonn Ceannt]]'s school (formerly St Joseph's CBS now operates as Scholars Hotel)
*[[Beaulieu House and Gardens]]
*[[Mellifont Abbey]]
*[[Townley Hall]] nature trail and woods
*[[Princess Grace]] Rose Garden at St. Dominic's Park
*[[St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church, Drogheda|St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church]], which houses a shrine of [[Oliver Plunkett]]
*[[St. Peter's Church of Ireland, Drogheda|St Peter's Church of Ireland church]], on Peter's Hill
*[[Highlanes Gallery]]
*[[Augustinians|Augustinian Church]] 'The Passion Window' [[Harry Clarke]] Studio<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g186624-d7688559-Reviews-Augustinian_Church-Drogheda_County_Louth.html |title=Augustinian Church, Drogheda |website=Tripadvisor |access-date=7 September 2020 |archive-date=14 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200114140934/https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g186624-d7688559-Reviews-Augustinian_Church-Drogheda_County_Louth.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
{{div col end}}
[[File:View of Drogheda from Millmount.jpg|thumb|View of Drogheda from Millmount]]

==Industry and economy==

There are several international companies based in the Drogheda area. Local employers include [[Coca-Cola]] International Services, [[State Street Corporation|State Street]] International Services, Natures Best, Yapstone Inc,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Contact Us – YapStone, Payment Service Provider |url=http://www.yapstone.com/contact/ |access-date=17 June 2017 |archive-date=29 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160829190457/http://www.yapstone.com/contact/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=YapStone Names Daniel Issen as Chief Technology Officer |url=http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150413005192/en/YapStone-Names-Daniel-Issen-Chief-Technology-Officer |access-date=17 June 2017 |website=www.businesswire.com |date=13 April 2015 |archive-date=1 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170201194306/http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150413005192/en/YapStone-Names-Daniel-Issen-Chief-Technology-Officer |url-status=live}}</ref> the Drogheda Port Company, [[Glanbia]] and Flogas (only Flogas Terminals since 2025)

Drogheda also has a history of brewing and distilling, with companies [[Jameson Whiskey]], [[Coca-Cola]], [[Guinness]], [[Jack Daniel's]] all having previously produced (or still producing) their products in or near the town. These include the Boann distillery and brewery, Slane Whiskey (a Jack Daniel's-owned company), Listoke House, Dan Kellys (cider), and Jack Codys. The town formerly distilled Prestons whiskey, a Jameson Whiskey brand; Cairnes Beer,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://breweryhistory.com/wiki/index.php?title=Cairnes_Ltd |title=Cairnes Ltd – Brewery History Society Wiki |access-date=16 July 2021 |archive-date=16 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210716052448/http://breweryhistory.com/wiki/index.php?title=Cairnes_Ltd |url-status=live}}</ref> founded locally and sold to Guinness; and Coca-Cola concentrate.

Drogheda in recent years has seen growth in the construction of apartments, commercial property and houses. Drogheda in 2024 is expected to receive over 1000 newly constructed homes varying between housing types and prices.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}

==Transport, communications and amenities==
[[File:De lacey Bridge 001.jpg|thumb|De Lacey Bridge]]
[[File:Boyne River Bridge, M1 motorway 353105.jpg|thumb|M1 traffic crossing Mary McAleese Boyne Valley Bridge]]
[[File:Boyne and Railway Bridge.JPG|thumb|Railway viaduct over River Boyne]]

===Road links and infrastructure===
Drogheda is located close to the M1 (E1 Euro Route 1) (main [[Dublin]] – [[Belfast]] motorway). The [[Mary McAleese Boyne Valley Bridge]] carries traffic from the M1, across the [[River Boyne]], {{cvt|3|km|spell=in}} west of the town. It was opened on 9 June 2003 and is the longest [[cable-stayed bridge]] in Ireland. The town's postcode, or [[eircode]], is A92.

===Railway===
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, however the line remains open for freight (Tara Mines/Platin Cement) traffic. In 1966 Drogheda station was renamed "MacBride". [[Drogheda railway station]] opened on 26 May 1844.<ref>{{cite book| first=R.V.J.| last=Butt| title=The Directory of Railway Stations| publisher=Patrick Stephens Ltd| year=1995| isbn=1-85260-508-1|pages =82}}</ref>

The station has direct trains on the [[Enterprise (train service)|Enterprise]] northbound to [[Dundalk railway station|Dundalk]], {{stnlnk|Newry}}, {{stnlnk|Portadown}} and [[Belfast Grand Central station|Belfast Grand Central]], and southbound to [[Dublin Connolly]]. 1 Train a day to Belfast skips Drogheda.

A wide variety of [[Iarnród Éireann]] commuter services connect southbound to {{stnlnk|Balbriggan}}, {{stnlnk|Malahide}}, {{stnlnk|Howth Junction}}, [[Dublin Connolly]], {{stnlnk|Tara Street}}, [[Dublin Pearse railway station|Dublin Pearse]], [[Dún Laoghaire railway station|Dún Laoghaire]], {{stnlnk|Bray}}, {{stnlnk|Greystones}}, {{stnlnk|Wicklow}}, and [[Wexford]]. The [[Dublin Area Rapid Transit|DART]] is planned to be extended to Drogheda in the late 2020s or 30s as part of the [[Dublin Area Rapid Transit#DART+|DART+]] program.

===Bus transport===
Drogheda's bus station is located on Donore Road. Past [[Bus Éireann]] routes included the 184 to [[Garristown]] and 185 to [[Bellewstown]]. Currently there are buses to [[Monaghan]] and [[Dublin]].

==Administration==
[[File:Scotch Hall Shopping Centre Drogheda.jpg|thumb|right|Scotch Hall Shopping Centre]]
[[File:Hebble Sand.jpg|thumb|Hebble Sand moored on the Boyne.]]
Drogheda was one of ten boroughs retained under the [[Municipal Corporations (Ireland) Act 1840]]. Under the [[Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898]], the area became an [[urban and rural districts (Ireland)|urban district]],<ref>{{cite book |last=Clancy |first=John Joseph|author-link=J. J. Clancy (North Dublin MP)|title=A handbook of local government in Ireland: containing an explanatory introduction to the Local Government (Ireland) Act, 1898: together with the text of the act, the orders in Council, and the rules made thereunder relating to county council, rural district council, and guardian's elections: with an index|url=https://archive.org/details/handbookoflocalg00clan/page/426/mode/2up |page=426 |year=1899|publisher=Sealy, Bryers and Walker|location=Dublin }}</ref> while retaining the style of a borough corporation.<ref>{{cite ISB|name=[[Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898]]|section=22|stitle=County districts and district councils|year=1898|number=37|regy=61 & 62 Vict.|parl=uk|date=12 August 1898|access-date=3 November 2022}}</ref>

Drogheda Borough Corporation became a borough council in 2002.<ref>{{cite ISB|year=2001|number=37|name=[[Local Government Act 2001]]|schedno=6|stitle=Local Government Areas (Towns)|date=21 July 2001|access-date=3 August 2022}}</ref> On 1 June 2014, the borough council was dissolved and the administration of the town was amalgamated with [[Louth County Council]].<ref>{{cite ISB|name=[[Local Government Reform Act 2014]]|year=2014|section=24|stitle=Dissolution of town councils and transfer date|number=1|date=27 January 2014|access-date=21 May 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite ISB|name=Local Government Reform Act 2014 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) (No. 3) Order 2014|type=si|year=2014|number=214|signedby=[[Phil Hogan]], [[Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government]]|date=22 May 2014|access-date=3 November 2022}}</ref> It retains the right to be described as a borough.<ref>{{cite ISB|year=2014|number=1|section=19|name=[[Local Government Reform Act 2014]]|stitle=Municipal districts|date=27 January 2014|access-date=5 September 2020|archive-date=15 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200215171029/http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2014/act/1/section/19/enacted/en/html}}</ref> The chair of the borough district uses the title of mayor, rather than Cathaoirleach.<ref>{{cite ISB|year=2014|number=1|section=37|name=[[Local Government Reform Act 2014]]|stitle=Alternative titles to Cathaoirleach and Leas-Chathaoirleach, etc.|date=27 January 2014|access-date=3 November 2022}}</ref>

As of the [[2019 Louth County Council election]], the borough district of Drogheda contains the [[local electoral area]]s of Drogheda Urban (6 seats) and Drogheda Rural (4 seats), electing 10 seats to the council.<ref>{{cite ISB|year=2018|type=si|number=632|name=County of Sligo Local Electoral Areas and Municipal Districts Order 2018|date=19 December 2018|access-date=31 October 2022|archive-date=2 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190202212421/http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2018/si/632/made/en/print}}</ref>

The [[Drogheda (Parliament of Ireland constituency)|parliamentary borough of Drogheda]] returned two MPs to the [[Irish House of Commons]] until 1801. Under the [[Acts of Union 1800|Act of Union]], the [[Drogheda (UK Parliament constituency)|parliamentary borough]] returned one MP to the [[United Kingdom House of Commons]], until its abolition under the [[Redistribution of Seats Act 1885]]. It was thereafter represented by the [[South Louth (UK Parliament constituency)|South Louth]] from 1885 to 1918, by [[County Louth (UK Parliament constituency)|County Louth]] from 1918 to 1922, by [[Louth–Meath (Dáil constituency)|Louth–Meath]] from 1921 to 1923, and by the [[Dáil constituency]] of [[Louth (Dáil constituency)|Louth]] from 1923 to the present.

==Media==
The local newspapers are the ''[[Drogheda Leader]]'' and the ''[[Drogheda Independent]]'' and known locally as ''The Leader'' and ''D.I.''. Both newspapers are published weekly. The office of '' The Drogheda Independent'' is at 9 Shop Street and ''The Drogheda Leader'''s offices are at 13/14 West Street.

The local radio station is [[LMFM]], broadcasting on 95.8 FM. The headquarters of LMFM is on Marley's Lane on the south side of the town.

==Hospitals and health care==
Drogheda is a regional centre for medical care. Its main hospital is [[Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda|Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital]], a public hospital located in the town. and is part of the [[Louth Meath Hospital Group]]. Facilities include a 24-hour emergency department for the populations of County Louth, County Meath and the North-East of Ireland. The hospital provides 340 beds, of which 30 are reserved for acute day cases.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda |url=http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/3/acutehospitals/hospitals/Lourdes/ |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170606150946/http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/3/acutehospitals/hospitals/Lourdes |archive-date=2017-06-06 |access-date=2017-06-17 |website=www.hse.ie |language=en-IE}}</ref>

==Education==
There are seven secondary schools situated in Drogheda. St. Joseph's secondary school in Newfoundwell is an all-boys school, as is St. Marys Diocesan School on Beamore Rd. The Sacred Heart School,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sacred Heart Secondary School – Principal's Welcome |url=http://www.sacredheart.ie |access-date=17 June 2017 |website=www.sacredheart.ie |archive-date=26 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170626104017/http://sacredheart.ie/ |url-status=live}}</ref> situated in Sunnyside Drogheda, is an all-girls school. The Drogheda Grammar school, located on Mornington Road, [[St Oliver’s Community College, Drogheda|St. Oliver's Community College]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home Page |url=http://www.socc.ie |access-date=17 June 2017 |website=www.socc.ie |archive-date=18 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170618112855/http://socc.ie/ |url-status=live}}</ref> on Rathmullen Road, and Ballymakenny College, on the Ballymakenny Road, are [[Mixed-sex education|mixed]] schools. Our Lady's College,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home |url=http://www.ourladys.ie/index.php/en/ |access-date=17 June 2017 |website=www.ourladys.ie |archive-date=26 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170626031211/http://www.ourladys.ie/index.php/en |url-status=live}}</ref> in Greenhills is an all-girls school. There is also Drogheda Institute for Further Education (DIFE), a third-level college situated in [[Moneymore, Drogheda|Moneymore]] townland.

==Climate==
Drogheda has an [[oceanic climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Cfb'').

{{Weather box
| width = auto
| location = Drogheda

| metric first = yes
| single line = yes
| Jan mean C = 6.1
| Feb mean C = 6.3
| Mar mean C = 7.2
| Apr mean C = 9.0
| May mean C = 11.8
| Jun mean C = 14.5
| Jul mean C = 15.9
| Aug mean C = 15.7
| Sep mean C = 14.0
| Oct mean C = 11.4
| Nov mean C = 8.4
| Dec mean C = 6.6
| year mean C = 
| Jan high C = 8.1
| Feb high C = 8.6
| Mar high C = 9.9
| Apr high C = 12.0
| May high C = 14.9
| Jun high C = 17.5
| Jul high C = 18.9
| Aug high C = 18.6
| Sep high C = 16.9
| Oct high C = 13.8
| Nov high C = 10.5
| Dec high C = 8.6
| year high C = 
| Jan low C = 4.0
| Feb low C = 4.0
| Mar low C = 4.5
| Apr low C = 6.0
| May low C = 8.6
| Jun low C = 11.3
| Jul low C = 13.0
| Aug low C = 12.9
| Sep low C = 11.3
| Oct low C = 9.0
| Nov low C = 6.2
| Dec low C = 4.6
| year low C = 
| Jan precipitation mm = 62.3
| Feb precipitation mm = 54.2
| Mar precipitation mm = 55.6
| Apr precipitation mm = 53.6
| May precipitation mm = 65.4
| Jun precipitation mm = 68.1
| Jul precipitation mm = 73.3
| Aug precipitation mm = 77.1
| Sep precipitation mm = 68.2
| Oct precipitation mm = 83.8
| Nov precipitation mm = 80.9
| Dec precipitation mm = 74.4
| year precipitation mm = 
| source 1 = Weather.Directory<ref name="Weather.Directory">
{{cite web|url=https://weather.directory/ie/drogheda
|title= Drogheda Weather & Climate Guide
|access-date= 26 Jul 2025
|website= Weather.Directory}}</ref>
}}

==Sport==
The town's [[association football]] team, [[Drogheda United F.C.|Drogheda United]], was formed in 1919, and their home matches are played at [[United Park|Head In The Game Park]]. Nicknamed "The Drogs", they currently compete in the [[League of Ireland Premier Division]], which they won for the first time in [[2007 League of Ireland Premier Division|2007]]. The club achieved success by winning the [[FAI Cup]] in [[2005 FAI Cup|2005]] and [[2024 FAI Cup|2024]], and back to back [[Setanta Sports Cup]] successes in [[2006 Setanta Sports Cup|2006]] and [[2007 Setanta Sports Cup|2007]], along with the [[2012 League of Ireland Cup|2012 EA Sports Cup]]. The Drogs came close to [[UEFA Champions League]] qualification on 2 occasions, in [[2008–09 UEFA Champions League|2008]] and [[2013–14 UEFA Champions League|2013]]. They also narrowly missed out on a [[UEFA Europa League|UEFA Cup]] place twice, in [[2006–07 UEFA Cup|2006]] and [[2007–08 UEFA Cup|2007]]. Since their formation, the club have won 12 major honours. In 2011, Drogheda became the sister club of Turkish club [[Trabzonspor]] due to their matching colours, and the town's history of Ottoman assistance during the [[Great Famine (Ireland)|Great Famine]]. They are also the sister club of English club [[Walsall F.C.|Walsall]] and Danish club Silkeborg through their shared ownership through Trivela Group. As cup winners, the Drogs will compete in the preliminary rounds of the [[UEFA Conference League]] in July 2025.

In [[rugby union]], the local [[Boyne RFC]] team was formed in 1997 from the amalgamation of Delvin RFC and Drogheda RFC. {{As of|2010}}, the men's 1st XV team were playing in the Leinster J1 1st division.

==Town twinning==
*[[Bronte, Sicily|Bronte]], Italy<ref>{{cite web |title=SEI GRADI DI SEPARAZIONE – Gli incroci del destino: Bronte, l'ammiraglio Nelson e… |url=https://www.lalampadina.net/magazine/2018/04/sei-gradi-di-separazione-gli-incroci-del-destino-bronte-lammiraglio-nelson-e/ |website=lalampadina.net |publisher=La Lampadina |language=it |date=2018-04-02 |access-date=2021-01-01 |archive-date=23 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201123185537/https://www.lalampadina.net/magazine/2018/04/sei-gradi-di-separazione-gli-incroci-del-destino-bronte-lammiraglio-nelson-e/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
*[[Saint-Mandé]], France<ref>{{cite web |title=Standing tall with St Mande |url=https://www.independent.ie/regionals/droghedaindependent/news/standing-tall-with-st-mande-30902993.html |website=independent.ie |publisher=Drogheda Independent |date=2015-01-13 |access-date=2021-01-01 |archive-date=5 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160105102451/http://www.independent.ie/regionals/droghedaindependent/news/standing-tall-with-st-mande-30902993.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
*[[Salinas, California]], United States<ref>{{cite web |title=Sister Cities |url=https://www.cityofsalinas.org/visitors/sister-cities |website=cityofsalinas.org |date=15 July 2016 |publisher=City of Salinas |access-date=2021-01-01 |archive-date=21 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210221000033/https://www.cityofsalinas.org/visitors/sister-cities |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Notable people==
{{more citations needed section|date=February 2020}}

===Arts and media===
*[[Yasmine Akram]], comedian and actress in [[Sherlock (TV series)|Sherlock]]
*[[Pierce Brosnan]], actor, film producer and environmentalist was born in Drogheda<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-11-02 |title=The Official Pierce Brosnan site |url=http://www.piercebrosnan.com/menu.php?mm=5&sm=2&pn=1 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102180843/http://www.piercebrosnan.com/menu.php?mm=5&sm=2&pn=1 |archive-date=2013-11-02 |access-date=2022-03-06}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sanwari |first=Ahad |date=2023-09-12 |title=Pierce Brosnan - Biography |url=https://www.hellomagazine.com/profiles/20091008219/pierce-brosnan/ |access-date=2025-05-17 |website=Hello! |language=en-GB}}</ref>
*[[Eamonn Campbell]], member of [[The Dubliners]]
*[[Alison Comyn]], journalist and broadcaster 
*[[Susan Connolly (poet)|Susan Connolly]], poet, Patrick and Katherine Kavanagh Fellowship 2001
*[[Daniele Formica]], actor, stage director and playwright was born in Drogheda
*[[Angela Greene]], poet, Patrick Kavanagh Award 1988, Salmon Press
*[[Michael Holohan]], composer, member and former chair of [[Aosdána]]
*[[Jonathan Kelly]], singer-songwriter
*[[Evanna Lynch]], actress known for her role as Luna Lovegood in the [[Harry Potter]] films
*[[Colin O'Donoghue]], actor known for his role of Captain Hook/Killian Jones in the American TV Show ''[[Once Upon a Time (TV series)|Once Upon a Time]]''
*[[Hector Ó hEochagáin]], broadcaster and podcaster
*[[Offica (rapper)|Offica]], drill rapper
*[[Deirdre O'Kane]], actress and casting director
*[[Eliza O'Neill]], actress.
*[[Paddy McCabe]], singer.
*[[John Boyle O'Reilly]], poet and novelist, member of the [[Irish Republican Brotherhood]]
*[[Nano Reid]], painter of landscapes, particularly Drogheda, the Boyne Valley and surrounding areas
*[[Fiachra Trench]], composer. Penned the string arrangement for [[fairytale of New York]], and wrote music for many Hollywood films

===Politics and diplomacy===
*[[Éamonn Ceannt]] 1916 Rising Leader – secondary school student in St Joseph CBS Drogheda
*[[Damien English]], Minister of State at the [[Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment|Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment]] and TD for [[Meath West (Dáil constituency)|Meath West]]
*[[William Hughes (senator)|William Hughes]], Irish-born US senator from New Jersey
*[[Alison Kelly (diplomat)|Alison Kelly]], Irish ambassador to Israel
*[[Tony Martin (politician)|Tony Martin]], Canadian social democratic legislator
*[[Dominic McGlinchey]], [[Irish National Liberation Army|INLA]] leader, assassinated 10 February 1994
*[[Mairead McGuinness]], European Finance Commissioner and Fine Gael MEP
*[[Ged Nash]], Irish Politician, Labour Party. Former Mayor of Drogheda 2004–2005. Served as Minister of State for Business and Employment from 2014 to 2016. He was a Senator for the Labour Panel from 2016 to 2020. Currently TD 2020–present (Previously 2011–2016)
*[[Geraldine Byrne Nason]] diplomat, Irish Ambassador to the United Nations
*[[John Neary]] Diplomat. Ambassador to the Netherlands
*[[Paddy O'Hanlon]], a former Nationalist MP for [[South Armagh (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)|South Armagh]]
*[[Henry Singleton (judge)|Henry Singleton]], judge and friend of [[Jonathan Swift]], was a lifelong resident of Drogheda
*[[Peadar Toibin]], TD for [[Meath West (Dáil constituency)|Meath West]] and leader of [[Aontú]]
*[[T. K. Whitaker]], former Irish economist who wrote the Programme for Economic Expansion<ref>{{Cite web |title=TK Whitaker recalls his childhood in Paradise – Independent.ie |date=28 February 2003 |url=http://www.independent.ie/regionals/droghedaindependent/localnotes/tk-whitaker-recalls-his-childhood-in-paradise-27109582.html |access-date=17 June 2017 |archive-date=12 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612184421/https://www.independent.ie/regionals/droghedaindependent/localnotes/tk-whitaker-recalls-his-childhood-in-paradise-27109582.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Military===
*[[John Barrett (Royal Navy officer)|John Barrett]] Captain of [[HMS Minotaur (1793)]] and [[HMS Africa (1781)]]
*[[George Forbes, 3rd Earl of Granard]] Naval Officer
*[[William Kenny (VC)|William Kenny]], recipient of the [[Victoria Cross]]
*[[Thomas Charles Wright]] Admiral and Genera A founder of the Ecuadorian Navy/

===Academia and science===
*[[James Cullen (mathematician)|James Cullen]], mathematician who discovered what are now known as the [[Cullen number]]s.
*[[John Philip Holland]], inventor of the modern-day submarine.
*[[Thomas McLaughlin (engineer)|Thomas McLaughlin]] ESB founder and first CEO. Built the Shannon Hydro Electric Plant.
*[[Michael Scott (architect)|Michael Scott]], architect who designed [[Busáras]] and the [[Abbey Theatre]]

===Religion===
*[[James Chadwick (bishop)|James Chadwick]], theologian, lyricist and Archbishop of Newcastle and Hexham
*[[Patrick Curtis (bishop)|Patrick Curtis]] Archbishop of Armagh, Spymaster for the Duke of Wellington in the Peninsular War. No 1 on Napoleon's most wanted list. 
*[[Thomas Lancaster]], bishop, buried at St. Peter's Church

===Sport===
*[[Keane Barry]], professional [[Professional Darts Corporation|PDC]] darts player<ref>{{Cite web |title=Keane Barry |url=https://www.pdc.tv/players/keane-barry |access-date=2022-03-06 |website=PDC |language=en |archive-date=6 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220306193118/https://www.pdc.tv/players/keane-barry |url-status=live }}</ref>
*[[Tommy Breen]], Manchester United goalkeeper
*[[Gavin Brennan]], midfielder for [[Warrenpoint Town F.C.|Warrenpoint Town]], [[Drogheda United F.C.|Drogheda United]] and [[Shamrock Rovers F.C.|Shamrock Rovers]]. Brother of footballer [[Killian Brennan]].
*[[Killian Brennan]], midfielder with several League of Ireland clubs, and winner of 3 [[League of Ireland Premier Division|League of Ireland]] titles, 3 [[FAI Cup]]s and 5 [[League of Ireland Cup|League Cup]]s
*[[Lukas Browning Lagerfeldt]], footballer
*[[Tommy Byrne (racing driver)|Tommy Byrne]], former racing driver, raced briefly in [[Formula 1]] in 1982<ref>{{Cite web |last=O'Rourke |first=Steve |title='Better than Senna' – Tommy Byrne was the greatest racing driver you've probably never heard of |date=6 June 2016 |url=http://www.the42.ie/crash-and-byrne-documentary-tommy-byrne-2802607-Jun2016/ |access-date=7 July 2017 |archive-date=1 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201232654/http://www.the42.ie/crash-and-byrne-documentary-tommy-byrne-2802607-Jun2016/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/crash-and-burn-review-tommy-byrne-far-beyond-driven-1.2886381 |title=Crash and Burn review: Tommy Byrne – Far beyond driven |first=Donald |last=Clarke |newspaper=The Irish Times |access-date=7 July 2017 |archive-date=3 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170403195350/http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/crash-and-burn-review-tommy-byrne-far-beyond-driven-1.2886381 |url-status=live}}</ref>
*[[Tony Byrne (boxer)|Tony Byrne]], bronze medal winner for Ireland [[1956 Summer Olympics]] in [[Melbourne]] in the lightweight division.
*[[Megan Campbell]], [[Liverpool F.C. Women|Liverpool]] association footballer
*[[Jerome Clarke]], former [[Drogheda United F.C.|Drogheda United]] forward, earned one cap for the [[Republic of Ireland national football team|Republic of Ireland]].
*[[Nick Colgan]], goalkeeper for [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]], [[Hibernian F.C.|Hibernian]] and the [[Republic of Ireland national football team|Republic of Ireland]].
*[[Barry Conlon]], former [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]] Striker
*[[Daryl DeLeon]], Filipino-British racing driver
*[[Mick Fairclough]], Former Irish International (English Premier League of that era)
*[[Evan Ferguson]], professional footballer for [[A.S. Roma]]  in the [[Seria A]]
*[[Bernard Flynn]], member of the Meath football team during the 1980s and 1990s
*[[Paddy Gavin]], former full-back for [[Dundalk F.C.|Dundalk]], [[Doncaster Rovers F.C.|Doncaster Rovers]] and [[Republic of Ireland national football B team|Republic of Ireland B]]
*[[Deirdre Gogarty]], 1997 [[Women's International Boxing Federation]] (WIBF) featherweight world champion.
*[[James Hand (footballer)|James Hand]], footballer for [[Huddersfield Town]]
*[[Ian Harte]], former footballer with several English clubs and the [[Republic of Ireland national football team]]
*[[Gary Kelly (footballer, born 1974)|Gary Kelly]], football player and charity campaigner.
*[[Colin Lowth]], an Olympic swimmer who represented Ireland at the [[2000 Summer Olympics]] in [[Sydney]].
*[[David McAllister (footballer)|David McAllister]], midfielder for [[Sheffield United F.C.|Sheffield United]], [[Shrewsbury Town F.C.|Shrewsbury Town]] and [[Stevenage F.C.|Stevenage]].
*[[Shane Monahan (rugby union)|Shane Monahan]], Professional rugby player, Gloucester, Leinster, Munster, Connaught, Ireland U-21s International. 
*[[Des Smyth]], professional golfer, vice-captain on the winning [[Ryder Cup]] team in 2006
*[[Steve Staunton]], former [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] and [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]] defender and [[Republic of Ireland national football team|Republic of Ireland]] captain and manager was born there
*[[Gary Tallon]], midfielder for [[Mansfield Town F.C.|Mansfield Town]]
*[[Kevin Thornton (footballer)|Kevin Thornton]], former footballer with several English clubs and the [[Republic of Ireland national under-21 football team|Republic of Ireland under 21s]]
*[[Sean Thornton]], former footballer with several English clubs and the [[Republic of Ireland national under-21 football team|Republic of Ireland under 21 national team]], former [[Sunderland A.F.C.|Sunderland]] Player of the Year

===Other===
*[[George Drumgoole Coleman]], architect who played an instrumental role in the design and construction of much of the civil infrastructure in early Singapore
*Sir [[John Lumsden]], founder of [[St John Ambulance Ireland]]
*[[Death of Jill Meagher|Jill Meagher]], crime victim

==Freedom of the Town==
The following people have received the [[Freedom of the City|Freedom of the Town]] of Drogheda.
*[[Charles Stewart Parnell]]: 1884.<ref>{{cite web |title=Parnell Silver Caskett 1884 |url=http://100objects.ie/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/15-Lesson-Plan_Post-Primary_Parnell-Silver-Casket-1.pdf |website=100 Objects |access-date=21 August 2021 |language=en |archive-date=15 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171115023733/http://100objects.ie/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/15-Lesson-Plan_Post-Primary_Parnell-Silver-Casket-1.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref>
*[[Éamon de Valera]]: July 1933.<ref>{{cite web |title=President de Valera to be honoured with town freedom |url=https://todayuknews.com/world-news/president-de-valera-to-be-honoured-with-town-freedom/ |website=Today UK News |date=23 August 2020 |access-date=21 August 2021 |language=en |archive-date=1 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220701121316/https://todayuknews.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
*[[Pope]] [[John Paul II]]: 29 September 1979.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.irishidentity.com/extras/saints/stories/pope.htm |title=When love came to town |website=www.irishidentity.com |access-date=26 May 2020 |archive-date=27 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110427135227/http://irishidentity.com/extras/saints/stories/pope.htm |url-status=live}}</ref>
*[[John Hume]]: 14 May 2001.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/drogheda-honour-for-john-hume-1.307694 |title=Drogheda honour for John Hume |newspaper=The Irish Times |access-date=26 May 2020 |archive-date=1 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220701121309/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/drogheda-honour-for-john-hume-1.307694 |url-status=live }}</ref>
*[[Priesthood in the Catholic Church|Father]] Iggy O’Donovan: 23 October 2013.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/religion-and-beliefs/fr-iggy-o-donovan-to-be-awarded-freedom-of-drogheda-1.1569638 |title=Fr Iggy O'Donovan to be awarded Freedom of Drogheda |first=Patsy |last=McGarry |newspaper=The Irish Times |access-date=26 May 2020 |archive-date=25 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225135821/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/religion-and-beliefs/fr-iggy-o-donovan-to-be-awarded-freedom-of-drogheda-1.1569638 |url-status=live}}</ref>
*[[Michael D. Higgins]]: 22 May 2015.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://president.ie/index.php/en/diary/details/president-is-conferred-with-the-freedom-of-drogheda |title=Diary President Is Conferred With The Freedom Of Drogheda |first=Office of the President of |last=Ireland |website=president.ie |access-date=7 September 2020 |archive-date=1 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220701121311/https://president.ie/en/diary/details/president-is-conferred-with-the-freedom-of-drogheda |url-status=live }}</ref>
*[[Seamus Mallon]]: 8 June 2018.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/s%C3%A9amus-mallon-awarded-freedom-of-drogheda-despite-sinn-f%C3%A9in-objections-1.3524451 |title=Séamus Mallon awarded freedom of Drogheda despite Sinn Féin objections |first=Aine |last=McMahon |newspaper=The Irish Times |access-date=26 May 2020 |archive-date=9 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109032145/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/s%C3%A9amus-mallon-awarded-freedom-of-drogheda-despite-sinn-f%C3%A9in-objections-1.3524451 |url-status=live}}</ref>
*[[Geraldine Byrne Nason]]: 10 January 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |date=4 January 2020 |title=Geraldine to gain Freedom of Drogheda in January event |url=https://www.independent.ie/regionals/droghedaindependent/news/geraldine-to-gain-freedom-of-drogheda-in-january-event-38822457.html |access-date=8 February 2020 |publisher=Drogheda Independent |archive-date=9 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200109144119/https://www.independent.ie/regionals/droghedaindependent/news/geraldine-to-gain-freedom-of-drogheda-in-january-event-38822457.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
*Brother Edmund Garvey, the former Head of the Christian Brothers Order, was awarded the Freedom of Drogheda in 1997. Following outrage over the fact that when he was Head of the Order he enacted a legal strategy as head of the Congregation making it more difficult for survivors of those who were sexually abused as Children to pursue Civil cases against the Order, a campaign commenced on [[LMFM]] on the show of the late [[Michael Reade]] supported by some elected members of [[Louth County Council]] and Drogheda Borough Council who voted by 5 votes to 4 with 1 abstention to rescind Garvey's name in September 2023. Legal advice provided from the then CE Joan Martin was than the elected members could be sued if they voted as allowed under the local government act and ignored her advice. They were not sued. However, Garvey's name remains on the list of the Freedom of Drogheda on the Louth County Council website with a codicil that elected members voted to remove the name but that the Staff opposed its removal.<ref>{{Cite web |access-date=26 October 2024 |title=Cllr's vote to remove freedom of Drogheda from Brother Garvey |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/social-affairs/2023/09/04/freedom-of-drogheda-withdrawn-from-ex-head-of-christian-brothers-in-council-vote/ |publisher=IrishTimes|date=4 September 2023}}</ref>
<ref>{{Cite web |title=Garvey decides not to sue Council|url=https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2023/1129/1419104-edmund-garvey/ |publisher=RTE|date=29 November 2023}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of abbeys and priories in the Republic of Ireland#County Louth|List of abbeys and priories in Ireland (County Louth)]]
*[[List of towns and villages in the Republic of Ireland|List of towns and villages in Ireland]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==Further reading==
*{{Cite journal |last=Quane |first=Michael |year=1963 |title=Drogheda Grammar School |journal=Journal of the County Louth Archaeological Society |volume=15 |issue=3 |pages=207–248 |doi=10.2307/27729054 |jstor=27729054}}

==External links==
{{Wikivoyage|Drogheda}}
{{Commons category|Drogheda}}
*{{cite EB1911|wstitle=Drogheda |volume=8 |short=x}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050308115051/http://www.droghedaboro.ie/ Drogheda Borough Council]
*[http://www.drogheda.ie Drogheda on the Boyne – Official Tourism Website]
*[http://www.droghedachamber.com Drogheda & District Chamber of Commerce]

{{County Louth}}
{{Largest urban areas in the Republic of Ireland by population|state=collapsed}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Drogheda| ]]
[[Category:911 establishments]]
[[Category:Port cities and towns in the Republic of Ireland]]
[[Category:Port cities and towns of the Irish Sea]]
[[Category:Towns and villages in County Louth]]
[[Category:Boroughs in the Republic of Ireland]]
[[Category:10th-century establishments in Ireland]]