Drogheda (Droichead Átha in Irish, meaning "Fordbridge") is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, 56 km north of Dublin. The town is increasingly populated by commuters working in Dublin. In 2002 the population stood at 31,020.
History
The town is located close to the site of Newgrange, a burial mound constructed around 3200 BC. The town itself was founded in 911 by the Danes. The Irish Parliament moved to the town in 1494 and passed Poyning's Law a year later. The town was besieged twice during the Irish Confederate Wars (see the siege of Drogheda). On the second occasion it was taken by Oliver Cromwell in September 1649, as part of the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. Drogheda was the site of an infamous massacre of the Royalist defenders. The Battle of the Boyne, 1690 occurred near the town at the River Boyne.
Points of interest
See also
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