In 432AD, St Patrick landed at the mouth of the River Boyne, near Drogheda.
The town of Drogheda was founded by the Anglo-Normans and given its coat of arms by King John.
The Battle of the Boyne, where James II unsuccessfully tried to hold back William of Orange, was fought five kilometres from Drogheda on July 1st 1690. It was the largest battle ever fought in Ireland. More than 60,000 soldiers took part.
Hugh O’Neill and Hugh O’Donnell spent the night in premises on Peter Street, before signing the Treaty of Mellifont in 1603.
Captain William Bligh, of Mutiny on the Bounty fame, designed the beacons in the Boyne River to guide ships into port.
John Philip Holland, the inventor of the submarine, taught at Drogheda Christian Brothers School before moving to New Jersey. He lived in the building that is now Scholars Hotel.
In 1888, the first Ulster Senior Football Championship Final was played between Monaghan and Cavan in Bryanstown, Drogheda.
Drogheda was one of medieval Ireland’s most important ports, with ships trading to Iceland, Eastern Europe and Iberia. One of the most popular imports was wine from Bordeaux.
During the Great Irish Famine Drogheda was a major port with many people travelling to Liverpool and Glasgow. In May 1847, the fare to Liverpool rose from two shillings to five shillings, making it impossible for many to leave the country.
Former James Bond, Pierce Brosnan was born in Drogheda.
The Boyne viaduct opened in 1855, allowing the joining of the Belfast-Drogheda and Drogheda-Dublin railways. Before its completion through-passengers had to travel between the two stations, both high above the town, by horse-drawn carriage.
Millmount is named after the windmill which used to stand on it during medieval times.
