Drogheda facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Drogheda Droichead Átha
Town
Clockwise from top: Drogheda viewed from the south; Millmount Fort; West Street, Drogheda
Flag Coat of arms
Motto(s):  “God our strength, merchandise our glory.”
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Country	Ireland
Province	Leinster
County	County Louth and County Meath
Municipal district	Drogheda Borough District
Founded	911 AD
First Charter	1194
County Status	1412 (Abolished 1898)
Area
• Total	14.8 km2 (5.7 sq mi)
Highest elevation	24 m (79 ft)
Lowest elevation	1 m (3 ft)
Population  (2016)
• Total	40,956
• Rank	11th
• Density	2,776.6/km2 (7,191/sq mi)
• Greater area	83,000
Demonyms	Droghedean, Boynesider
Time zone	UTC±0 (WET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+1 (IST)
Eircode routing key	A92
Telephone area code	+353(0)41

Map of Drogheda

Drogheda ( draw-HƏD-ah; Irish: Droichead Átha meaning "bridge at the ford") is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, 56 km (35 mi) 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, 49 km (30 mi) north of Dublin. Drogheda has a population of approximately 41,000 inhabitants (2016), making it the eleventh largest settlement by population in all of Ireland. 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 8 km (5.0 mi) west of the town.

Drogheda, 1749

Drogheda was founded as two separately administered towns in two different territories: Drogheda-in-Meath (i.e. the Lordship and Liberty of Meath, from which a charter was granted in 1194) and Drogheda-in-Oriel (or '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 Meath. In 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.

The town was selected to host Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann for two years in 2018.

Demographics

Drogheda has a hinterland of 70,000+ within a 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) radius. According to the 2016 census, there were 40,956 people living in Drogheda town at that time.

As of the 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). As of the 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.

History

Commemoration of Official Charter

Hinterland

The town is situated in an area with an abundance of archaeological monuments dating from the Neolithic period onwards, of which the large Passage Tombs of Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth are probably the best known. The remarkable density of archaeological sites of the prehistoric and Early Christian periods uncovered in recent years in the course of development, notably during construction of the Northern Motorway: Gormanston to Monasterboice, or 'Drogheda Bypass', have shown that the hinterland of Drogheda has been a settled landscape for millennia.

Town beginnings

St Mary Magdalene Friary.

Despite local tradition linking 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". The results of the numerous and often large-scale excavations carried out within the area of the medieval town in the past ten years appear to have confirmed this statement.

The earliest monument 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 Norman Lord of Meath, Hugh de Lacy sometime before 1186. The wall on the east side of Rosemary’s Lane is the oldest stone structure in Drogheda. It was completed in 1234 as the west wall of the first castle guarding access to the northern crossing point of the Boyne. The earliest known town charter is that granted to Drogheda-in-Meath by Walter de lacy in 1194. 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.

Drogheda was an important walled town in the English Pale in the medieval period. It frequently hosted meetings of the Irish Parliament at that time. In a spill-over from the War of the Roses, according to R.J.Mitchell in John Tiptoft, Earl of Worcester, the Earl of Desmond and his two youngest sons (still children) were executed there on Valentine's Day, 1468, on orders of the Earl of Worcester, the Lord Deputy of Ireland. It later came to light (see Robert Fabyan, "The New Chronicles of England and France"), that the Queen herself was implicated in the orders given. The parliament was moved to the town in 1494 and passed Poynings' Law, the most significant legislation in Irish history, a year later. This effectively subordinated the Irish Parliament's legislative powers to the King and his English Council.

Later events

St. Laurence's Gate

The town was besieged twice during the Irish Confederate Wars.

On the second occasion 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, as part of the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland and it was the site of a massacre of the Royalist defenders. In his own words after the siege of Drogheda, "When they submitted, their officers were knocked on the head, and every tenth man of the soldiers killed and the rest shipped to Barbados."

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

The Battle of the Boyne, 1690, occurred some 6 km (3.7 mi) west of the town, on the banks of the River Boyne, at Oldbridge.

In 1790 Drogheda Harbour Commissioners established, later Drogheda Port Company

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 of whom 15,138 lived in the town.

Town arms

Drogheda's coat of arms features St. Laurence's Gate with three lions. and a ship emerging from either side of the barbican. The town's motto 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 D'Alton (1844). In 2010, there have been references to the crest in popular media to claims associating the crest either with the Ottoman flag (the Ottomans supposedly sent financial aid and ships laden with food to Drogheda during the Great Famine) or with the seal of King John, who gave the town its charter.

20th century

St Oliver Plunkett's Head

In 1921 the preserved severed head of Saint Oliver Plunkett, who was executed in London in 1681, was put on display in St. Peter's Church, where it remains today. The church is located on West Street, which is the main street in the town.

Arts and entertainment

Theatre and performing arts

The town, up until recently, hosted an annual summer Samba festival, where Samba bands from around the world converged on the town for three days of drumming and parades.

It is also home to the Calipo theatre company which specialises in multi-media productions and has achieved considerable success in Ireland and abroad.

The town also has the Droichead Youth Theatre.

The addition of the Little Duke Theatre company (Drogheda School of Performing Arts) in Duke Street, in the old Julian Blinds building.

The Calipo Theatre was founded in 1994 in Drogheda by Darren and Colin Thornton, former members of Droichead Youth Theatre.

Upstate Theatre Project is a performing arts organisation located in Drogheda. The organisation was founded in 1997, by Declan Mallon, also co-founder of Droichead Youth Theatre.

The Municipal Centre in Stockwell Street acts as a base for most of the town's artists, under the umbrella of the Droichead Arts Centre, and featuring a gallery space and a theatre. Barlow House,one of the great Georgian buildings of Drogheda and the former Garda station in West Street is now a satellite site of the Droichead Arts Centre. Drogheda also has a long tradition of its very own pantomime, which is usually held in January/February of each year. These productions have been going for roughly 60 years. Many locations have been used for staging productions, most notably the Barbican Theatre on the site of the old Parochial Centre.

Music

Contemporary music

St Peter's Church of Ireland, Drogheda has been the venue for some of the most important recent contemporary music events in Ireland. Louth Contemporary Music Society invited the US composer Terry Riley to perform in Drogheda in 2007. Arvo Pärt's first Irish commission 'The Deer's Cry' and visit to the country was in Drogheda in February 2008. Michael Nyman performed in Drogheda in May 2008. John Tavener's Temenos festival was held in October 2008, and the Russian composer Alexander Knaifel was the focus of a portrait concert as part of the Drogheda Arts Festival on 1 May 2009.[20] The composer, writer and Aosdána member, Michael Holohan, has lived in Drogheda since 1983. His compositions have been performed and broadcast both at home and abroad. Career highlights in Drogheda include 'Cromwell' 1994 (RTECO), 'The Mass of Fire' 1995 (RTÉ live broadcast) and 'No Sanctuary' 1997 (in the Augustinian Church with Nobel Laureate and poet Seamus Heaney), 'Remembrance Service' 2012 (RTE live broadcast, St Peter's Church of Ireland. Drogheda Unification 1412-2012). Fields of Blue and White, a CD of his piano music ( pianist Therese Fahy) was launched in the National Concert Hall, Dublin in 2009. From Gallipoli to the GPO, his musical meditation on the First World War and 1916 was premiered in Drogheda and in The National Concert Hall in 2016.

Brass Bands

Drogheda is home to two famous brass bands; the Drogheda Brass Band and the Lourdes Brass Band. Recently, both bands have been National Brass Band Champions of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Visual arts

October 2006 saw the opening of the town's first dedicated Municipal Art Gallery and visual arts centre, the Highlanes Gallery, housed in the former Franciscan Friary on St. Laurence Street. The Highlanes Gallery houses 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.[citation needed] Drogheda's most famous visual artist was the abstract expressionist painter Nano Reid (1900–1981). There are many highly regarded visual artists working in Drogheda at the present time. Too many to list they include; Richard Moore, Raphael Hynes, Mary Mc Donnell, Vivienne Byrne, John Moloney, Maureen Finn, Jackie Hudson Lalor, Patrick Dillon, Nuala Early, Roger Hudson and Ronan Halpin.

Literature

Drogheda and its hinterland has always had a very strong literary tradition. Oisín McGann is an award-winning writer of children's literature. Angela Greene (deceased) was the first Drogheda poet to win The Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award in 1988 for her collection Silence and the Blue Night. The poet Susan Connolly has been widely published and broadcast. She was awarded The Patrick and Katherine Kavanagh Fellowship in Poetry in 2001 for her life's work.Shearsman UK, published her groundbreaking collection of visual poetry The Bridge at the Ford in 2016. The poet, writer and occasional broadcaster Marie MacSweeney has received the Francis MacManus Short Story Award for her short story "Dipping into the Darkness". Roger Hudson is a performance poet and has published collections of poetry and a CD with the composer Breifne Holohan ' San Francisco Dreaming' in 2016.

Screen appearances

• Drogheda served as the stand-in location for many scenes in the 1984 film Cal. A drama set during The Troubles in Northern Ireland, it starred John Lynch and Helen Mirren. For her role in the film Mirren was voted Best Actress at both the 1984 Cannes Film Festival and the 1985 Evening Standard British Film Awards. • It served as the setting for the five-part drama series Love Is the Drug filmed and broadcast in 2004. It was directed by Drogheda local Darren Thornton. • In 2011 Feargal Quinn fronted RTÉ's Local Heroes campaign in Drogheda, which assembled a team of experts to kick-start the local economy. It aired as RTÉ 1's six-part television series, Local Heroes – A Town Fights Back.

Places of interest

Drogheda is an ancient town that enjoys a growing tourism industry. It has a UNESCO World Heritage site, Newgrange, located 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) to the west of the town centre.

• Millmount Fort and museum
• Saint Laurence Gate barbican gate c. 1300s
• Memorial to John Philip Holland, submarine inventor
• Boyne Viaduct,
• John Jameson Whiskey Founder John Jameson's residential home (Distillery House,Dyer Street - not open to the public) )and Jameson distillery trail of malthouses in the town.
• Battle Of The Boyne Site,visitors centre
• Eamonn Ceannt's school (formerly St Joseph's CBS now operates as Scholars Hotel.
• Clogherhead fishing village,
• St Patrick's Well Located at the Old Abbey
• Beaulieu House and gardens
• Mellifont Abbey,
• Townley Hall nature trail and woods,
• Slane Castle and village

Drogheda today

Aerial view of Drogheda

De Lacey Bridge, Drogheda

With the expansion of the Irish economy in the 1990s, during the "Celtic Tiger" years, Drogheda became one of the main secondary locations for people who work in Dublin to buy a house, as property prices in the capital became prohibitive for many first-time home buyers. This was aided by the expansion of transport infrastructure in the direction of Drogheda i.e. the Swords and Balbriggan bypasses, the Boyne River Bridge and the increased number of commuter trains serving the town. Partly as a result, the downtown area of Drogheda has redeveloped, and two large shopping centres have opened, while several national and international retailers have opened stores. In 2007 the partial pedestrianisation of the town's main street, West Street, was completed. On the south quay in the space of the former Lakeland Dairies premises (an old industrial area), the Scotch Hall Shopping Centre and the D Hotel was completed in November 2005. A new pedestrian bridge extends from the north quay, at Mayoralty Street, into the complex. Phase Two of the development, which will shortly commence construction, will extend further down along the river front, on the site of the former Irish Oil Cake works. It will have an extension to the shopping centre and hotel, new apartments, cinema, and a riverside plaza.

Transport, communications and amenities

De lacey Bridge

M1 traffic crossing Mary McAleese Boyne Valley Bridge

Railway bridge over 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, 3 km (1.9 mi) 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 25 May 1844.

The station has direct trains on the Enterprise northbound to Dundalk, Newry, Portadown, Lisburn and Belfast 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 Balbriggan, Malahide, Howth Junction, Dublin Connolly, Tara Street, Dublin Pearse, Dún Laoghaire, Bray, Greystones, Wicklow, and Wexford.

Bus transport

Drogheda's bus station is located on Donore Road. Past Bus Éireann routes included the 184 to Garristown and 185 to Bellewstown.

Town twinning

•  – Bronte, Catania, Italy
• – Salinas, California, United States
• - Eastwood, Nottingham, United Kingdom

People

Drogheda has a long list of famous citizens. It also has several famous residents who were born in the town but raised elsewhere, and other noted residents that were born elsewhere but came to live in Drogheda.

General

• Yasmine Akram, comedian and actress in Sherlock (TV series)
• Pierce Brosnan, actor, film producer and environmentalist. Born in Drogheda, Grew up in Navan.
• Geraldine Byrne Nason diplomat, Irish Ambassador to France
• Tommy Byrne, former racing driver, raced briefly in Formula 1 in 1982
• Tony Byrne, bronze medal winner for Ireland 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne in the lightweight division.
• Eamonn Campbell, member of The Dubliners
• Alan Thomas Cairnes Governor Bank of Ireland
• Eamonn Ceannt 1916 Rising Leader - secondary school student in St Joseph CBS Drogheda.
• James Cullen, mathematician who discovered what are now known as the Cullen numbers.
• Sir Oscar Bedford Daly, Lord Chief Justice of the Bahamas.
• Frank Thornton, Commanding Officer in Liberty Hall and Imperial Hotel during 1916 Rising in Dublin.
• Deirdre Gogarty, 1997 Women's International Boxing Federation (WIBF) Featherweight Title Champion.
• Angela Greene, poet, Patrick Kavanagh Award 1988, Salmon Press.
• John Philip Holland, inventor of the modern day submarine.
• Michael Holohan, composer and member of Aosdána
• William Hughes, Irish-born US senator from New Jersey.
• Sir William Scarlett Jameson, Rear Admiral HMS Royal Ark (chief engineer).
• John Jameson Founder of Jameson whiskey lived in Distillery House, Dyer Street.
• Alison Kelly (diplomat), Irish ambassador to Israel.
• Jonathan Kelly, singer-songwriter.
• Courtney Love singer actress and wife of Kurt Cobain
• William Kenny, recipient of the Victoria Cross
• Thomas Lancaster, bishop, buried at St. Peter's Church.
• Tony Martin, Canadian social democratic legislator.
• Jill Meagher, crime victim.
• John Neary Diplomat. Ambassador to Netherlands
• Colin O'Donoghue, actor known for his role of Captain Hook/Killian Jones in the American TV Show Once Upon a Time.
• Eliza O'Neill, actress.
• Sir Patrick Branigan, Human rights lawyer that drafted the constitution of Malta and Ghana. Ghana's first Justice Minister
• 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.
• Michael Scott, architect who designed Busáras and the Abbey Theatre
• Henry Singleton, judge and friend of Jonathan Swift, was a lifelong resident of Drogheda.
• Des Smyth, professional golfer, vice-captain on the winning Ryder Cup team in 2006.
• Fiachra Trench, Composer. Penned the string arrangement for fairytale of New York wrote music for many Hollywood movies.
• T. K. Whitaker, former Irish economist who wrote the Programme for Economic Expansion
• Sir John Lumsden, founder of St John Ambulance Ireland
• Thomas McLaughlin ESB founder and first CEO. Built the Shannon Hydro Electric Plant.
• Thomas Wright Officer in Simon Bolivar's army and Commander of the Ecuadorian Navy.

International Soccer players

• Tommy Breen, Manchester United goalkeeper
• Megan Campbell, Manchester City Left Back
• Jerome Clarke, former Drogheda United forward, earned one cap for the Republic of Ireland.
• Nick Colgan, goalkeeper for Chelsea, Hibernian and the Republic of Ireland.
• Barry Conlon, former Manchester City Striker
• James Hand, footballer for Sheffield United
• Ian Harte, full-back for Reading former Blackpool, Leeds United, Levante (Spain) & Sunderland player and the Republic of Ireland.
• Gary Kelly, football player and charity campaigner.
• David McAllister, midfielder for Sheffield United, Shrewsbury Town and Stevenage.
• Steve Staunton, former Liverpool and Aston Villa player was born there.
• Kevin Thornton, midfielder Coventry and former Republic of Ireland under 21.
• Sean Thornton, midfielder Drogheda United and Republic of Ireland under 21 national team, former Sunderland Player of the Year.
• Gary Tallon, midfielder for Mansfield Town.

Prominent but non-international Players

• Gavin Brennan, midfielder for Drogheda United and Shamrock Rovers. Brother of fellow footballers Killian Brennan, Sean Brennan and Ryan Brennan.
• Killian Brennan, midfielder for Dublin City, Derry City, Bohemians, Shamrock Rovers, St Patrick's Athletic and Drogheda United. Winner of 3 League of Ireland's, 3 FAI Cup's and 5 League Cup's. Brother of fellow footballers Gavin Brennan, Sean Brennan and Ryan Brennan.

Industry and economy

Drogheda has several international companies based in the town. Local employers include Coca-Cola International Services, State Street International Services, Natures Best, Yapstone Inc, the Drogheda Port Company, Glanbia and Flogas.

Drogheda also has a history of brewing and distilling, with companies Jameson Whiskey, Coca-Cola, Guinness, Jack Daniel's all having previously produced (or are 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, founded locally and sold to Guinness; and Coca-Cola concentrate.

Sport

The town's association football (soccer) team, Drogheda United FC, won the FAI Cup for the first time in 2005. The club also won the Setanta Cup in 2006, and the League of Ireland for the first time in 2007.

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

Education

There are six 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, situated in Sunnyside Drogheda, is an all-girls school. The Drogheda Grammar school, located on Mornington Road, St. Oliver's Community College, on Rathmullen Road, and Ballymakenny College, on the Ballymakenny Road, are co-ed schools. Our Lady's College, in Greenhills is an all-girls school. There is also Drogheda Institute for Further Education (DIFE), a third-level college situated in Moneymore townland.

Notable people

Arts and media

• Yasmine Akram, comedian and actress in Sherlock
• Pierce Brosnan, actor, film producer and environmentalist was born in Drogheda
• Eamonn Campbell, member of The Dubliners
• James Chadwick, theologian, lyricist and Archbishop of Newcastle and Hexham
• Alison Comyn, journalist and broadcaster
• 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
• Courtney Love, singer actress and wife of Kurt Cobain
• Colin O'Donoghue, actor known for his role of Captain Hook/Killian Jones in the American TV Show Once Upon a Time
• Hector Ó hEochagáin, broadcaster and podcaster
• Deirdre O'Kane, actress and casting director
• Eliza O'Neill, actress.
• 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 wrote music for many Hollywood movies
• Offica, drill rapper

Military

• John Barrett Captain of HMS Minotaur (1793) and HMS Africa (1781)
• Rear-Admiral James Figgins Captain of HMS Newcastle (C76) .WW2
• George Forbes, 3rd Earl of Granard Naval Officer
• William Kenny, recipient of the Victoria Cross
• Thomas Charles Wright Admiral and Genera A founder of the Ecuadorian Navy/

Business

• John Jameson, Founder of Jameson Irish Whiskey lived in Distillery House, Dyer Street.

Academia and science

• James Cullen, mathematician who discovered what are now known as the Cullen numbers.
• John Philip Holland, inventor of the modern-day submarine.
• Thomas McLaughlin ESB founder and first CEO. Built the Shannon Hydro Electric Plant.
• Michael Scott, architect who designed Busáras and the Abbey Theatre

Religion

• 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 PDC darts player
• Tommy Breen, Manchester United goalkeeper
• Gavin Brennan, midfielder for Warrenpoint Town, Drogheda United and Shamrock Rovers. Brother of footballer Killian Brennan.
• Killian Brennan, midfielder with several League of Ireland clubs, and winner of 3 League of Ireland's, 3 FAI Cup's and 5 League Cup's
• Tommy Byrne, former racing driver, raced briefly in Formula 1 in 1982
• Tony Byrne, bronze medal winner for Ireland 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne in the lightweight division.
• Megan Campbell, Liverpool association footballer
• Jerome Clarke, former Drogheda United forward, earned one cap for the Republic of Ireland.
• Nick Colgan, goalkeeper for Chelsea, Hibernian and the Republic of Ireland.
• Barry Conlon, former Manchester City Striker
• Mick Fairclough, Former Irish International (English Premier League of that era )
• Bernard Flynn, member of the Meath football team during the 80’s and 90’s
• Paddy Gavin, former full-back for Dundalk, Doncaster Rovers and Republic of Ireland B
• Deirdre Gogarty, 1997 Women's International Boxing Federation (WIBF) Featherweight Title Champion.
• James Hand, footballer for Huddersfield Town
• Ian Harte, former footballer with several English clubs and the Republic of Ireland national football team.
• Gary Kelly, football player and charity campaigner.
• Colin Lowth, an Olympic swimmer who represented Ireland at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.
• David McAllister, midfielder for Sheffield United, Shrewsbury Town and Stevenage.
• 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 and Aston Villa defender and Republic of Ireland captain and manager was born there.
• Gary Tallon, midfielder for Mansfield Town
• Kevin Thornton, former footballer with several English clubs and the Republic of Ireland under 21s
• Sean Thornton, former footballer with several English clubs and the Republic of Ireland under 21 national team, former Sunderland Player of the Year

Other

• Sir John Lumsden, founder of St John Ambulance Ireland

Images for kids

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  Derelict building in the Westgate area of Drogheda town

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  Millmount Monument

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  View of Drogheda from Millmount