Little Caroline Travels The Big World: Why Did You Go to Drogheda?

In the world of travel, there are some places that one has to go to. Paris, London, New York.... you know what I am talking about. Mention any famous, world city and the majority of people will instantly understand why you want to go there.

Other places might not be so obvious. I am a firm believer that any small town can be interesting. Each place has its own history and story to tell.

When I told some people that I went to Drogheda, they were confused as to why I went there. It is not a major town or anything.

My friend Nina and I decided to go to Drogheda today to explore. With work and everything, both of us didn't have much of a chance to explore Ireland. We wanted to see as much of the country as we could before we left.

I decided to go to Drogheda for different reasons. It seemed like it had some interesting Medieval history. Through some research, I found that Drogheda was established in 1194, in the times of Norman control. During the Norman times, the town proved to be an important port. However, once Oliver Cromwell came to Ireland in 1649 and destroyed many towns, Drogheda dropped in importance and never seemed to have recovered. It still has its original street plan. In modern times, Drogheda has a reputation of being an industrial town.

Another reason to go there was because it was on the metro, so it would be easy to get too.

Nina and I decided to meet at the metro station at 8 am. I love mornings. I got there early and stood outside reading under a sign that said "no loitering".

We went into the ticket office to get our tickets and discovered that it was going to be quite expensive to go to Drogheda. The ticket man suggested that we go there on bus because it would be cheaper and the bus station was just a couple blocks away. I thought it was really nice of him to tell us that and to help us out. It always amazes me that out of the blue you meet someone who is really nice and willing to help you. Nina and I were very thankful for his help.

Both of us headed over to the bus station. Luckily there was a bus that was leaving soon, so we didn't have to wait long. It did take us a good couple of minutes to find out where the bus was actually leaving from.

2 hours later we were in Drogheda. The bus station was not in the center of town, so we had to walk around 10 minutes to get to the center.

We decided that the first stop should be the tourist office to figure out what exactly there was to see in this small town.

The tourist office was in the old city hall of the town. We entered and I asked the lady at the front desk what she would recommend that we see in the city. She laughed that I had called Drogheda a city and she said that it was actually a town. Apparently they are very into what the classification of the town/city is.

The lady turned out to be a huge help. She gave us a map with the places of interest and explain them in detailed.

Nina and I started out on our journey. We saw some of the places until I made us get lunch because I was hungry. We ate at this french bakery/restaurant. I got quiche and it was pretty good. We sat there for a while and just talked about work.

After our stop, we continued to walk around. The town was not big, so we saw everything in a good amount of time.

Both of us were just so thankful to be out of the craziness of Dublin and have a nice, relaxing time in Drogheda.

After a couple of hours of exploring, we slowly headed back to the bus station where we were able to catch an earlier bus back to Dublin.

Once in Dublin, we went to a cafe to get some coffee and a snack before parting ways.

If one does not go to Drogheda while they are in Ireland, it will not be the end of the world. I would recommend Drogheda if one is looking for an escape out of Dublin so they could have a slow day around a small town. Also, it is close to Newgrange, so if one was stopping there, they could easily get lunch or dinner in Drogheda.

Wall of Drogheda.

Drogheda

The old city hall. It is called the Thosel. It was built in 1700 to replace the old Medieval, wooden Thosel.

Barlow House. Built in 1734, it is an example of Georgian architecture. It once served as the police headquarters and now it is an art center.

The Barlow House from across the street.

Ad for people to build a human wall around the city.

This looks legit.

Our sketch path.

The sketch path leads to Abbey of St. Mary d'Urso. It was founded by Normans in 1206. It was dissolved because of the Reformation.

Drogheda

The Corn Exchange/Courthouse. It was built in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. When we were taking pictures, a gentleman told us not to take a picture of it because it was of nothing important. He then preceded to tell us what was worthwhile taking a picture of. It was classic :)

Georgian architecture can be found in Drogheda!

Magdalene Tower. It can be found on the highest, north point of the town. It is an example of a Gothic arch. This tower is the only remains of a Dominican friary that was built on the site in 1224.

Celtic cross next to the tower.

Love these buildings.

Drogheda

View of Millmount from the town center.

Drogheda

St. Peter's Church of Ireland. It was built around 1230. It is in this church that soldiers took refuge during the Cromwellian siege. The church was burned and all inside died. The present church was built in 1753.

St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church. The church houses the shrine of St. Oliver Plunkett. He lived from 1629-1681. He was an archbishop who was tried for treason because during his times it was a crime to be Catholic.

The shrine to St. Oliver Plunkett. This is his preserved head.

Some writings of St. Oliver.

Other remains of St. Oliver.

Inside the church. In the back is the shrine to St. Oliver.

The shrine to St. Oliver.

Altar of the Immaculate Conception.

The main alter.

The jail door of St. Oliver.

Willis Organ

Relic of the True Cross.

Poor Souls Alter

The high alter.

Inside the church.

Baptistery

Inside St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church.

Drogheda

Highlanes. This early 15th century Francisan monastery had a reputation as a great seat of learning and attracted thousdans of students to Drogheda, as the Irish were not permitted to enter Oxford. This building dates to 1829 and now houses an art gallery. It is also the home of the mace presented to Drogheda by Wiliam III after the Battle of the Boyne.

St. Laurence's Gate. The structure was buildt in the 13th century as a defense wall for the town. This structure remains as a reminder of Drogheda's fortifications and strategic importance in Norman times.

St. Laurence's Gate. It is named after the ancient Priory of St. Laurence which stood outside the gate until its dissolution after the Reformation.

Looking through St. Laurence's Gate.

St. Laurence's Gate.

Mayoralty House. Mayors never lived here. Great civic banquets were held quarterly here in honor of the mayors. It was also the foundation for the GAA in Drogheda.

The Boyne Viaduct. Created in the 19th century, this viaduct spans the mouth of the River Boyne and carries railways line into Drogheda. It was the third rail line made in Ireland.

The viaduct.

St. Mary's Old Church of Ireland. The church was built in 1807 on the site of an ancient Carmelite monastery. The original church was built in the 13th century and would be located within the town walls. Part of the old town walls can be seen in the church grounds.

The Millmount. The complex was originally erected in 1182. It served as Drogheda's chief defensive feature until 1922. It offered Oliver Cromwell the strongest resistance he encountered during his siege of the town in 1649. It is now a museum which displays military items and history.