Drogheda
Drogheda (Irish: Droichead Átha) is an industrial and port town 26 miles north of Dublin, on the east coast of Ireland. The town is increasingly populated by commuters working in Dublin. As of 2002 (2002 census) the population stands at 31,020.
A notable landmark is the Boyne Viaduct, a 98ft high railway bridge carrying the main Dublin to Belfast line, designed by civil engineer Sir John MacNeill and built during the 1850s. Part of the Dublin&ndashBelfast railway line, the bridge is located near a tight curve, which necessitates the slowing of Iarnród Éireann and Northern Ireland Railways Enterprise services before they approach the south side of the bridge.
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 in 1494 located in the town and passed Poyning's Law a year later. The town was invaded by Oliver Cromwell in September 1649, Drogheda was the site of an infamous massacre of the Royalist defenders. The Battle of the Boyne, 1690 occured near the town at the River Boyne.
See also
