Drogheda

History

The city is located near the site of Newgrange, a funerary monticule built around 3200 av. J. - C.. A station of trade and a camp called Inver Colpa existed on the site of the city to the Roman epoch. The city itself was founded in 911 by the Danes and acquired a charter as a city in 1194. The Irish Parliament moved in the city in 1494, and applied Poyning' S Law later one year. The city was besieged twice at the time of the Irish confederated war (see Siège of Drogheda). The second time it was taken by Olivier Cromwell in September 1649, it was a stage of the conquest of Ireland by Cromwell. Drogheda was the seat of an infamous massacre of the royalist defenders. The Bataille of Boyne took place close to the city on the river bank Boyne.

Drogheda was equipped with a railway line towards Dublin in 1844, Navan in 1850 and Belfast in 1854, but they is only a few years after the line towards Navan remained open to the commercial traffic, as it is it still today. In 1966, the station of Drogheda was famous McBride. The title of count de Drogheda was created by the peerage of Ireland in 1661.

Weapons of the city

The escutcheon dates from the reign of Richard Lion-hearted, during which Drogheda was seen granting a charter by Hugh de Lacy in 1194 (of Lacy its name gave to the bridge of Lacy with Drogheda). Another Norman element on the emblem of the east city its central part, the Bridge of St-Lauwrence. The three lions which flank the Barbacane are also drawn from the emblem of Richard Lion-hearted. Other side (on the right), one finds a boat which points out the statute of the city as a port of importance.

Curiously, figure with the top of the escutcheon the crescent and the Othoman star . This symbol was adopted following the assistance sent by the sultan Abdülmecid during the great famine which has occurred in Ireland at the end of the 19th century. the 10.000 pounds sterling as well as the three ships of provisions intended for the origin with various ports had to stop in Drogheda blocked by the fleet of the queen Victoria.

Arts and entertainment

Drogheda has a prosperous artistic scene, it shelters each summer the festival of samba which makes converge groups of salsa whole world for one week of percussions, parades and coloured madness. It is also the site of the company of Théâtre Calipo specialized in productions multi-media, which was a considerable success in Ireland and abroad. The city supports also one of the largest theaters of youth (Droichead Youth Theater or DYT) which occurred in Belfast, with London, in Italy and in Sweden. Other theaters, like the Little Duke Theater company in Duke street, in the old building Julian Blinds, still add to this scene. The municipal center of Stockwell Street acts as a base for the majority of artists of the city, under the name of Droichead Arts company. It includes/understands a space of gallery and a theater.

The old post office of Garda (Irish police force) in West street is now an appendix of Droichead Arts company. The original bridge of Drogheda to the top of Boyne, called the Bridge of Peace (" Bridge off Peace"), is well-known in the area for its mural graffiti. Under the bridge, there are two great supports which are approximately 8 meters high for 20 meters broad. In the years 1980, with the vogue of the Breakdance, these supports were painted and decorated by artists with the aerosol. This illegal activity dissatisfied the authorities.

The largest bars of Drogheda accommodate musicians. Notable appointments are to be announced to Pheasant on Duleek Street, Solas off in West Street, McPhails on Laurence Street, and McHughs on Cord Road. For the traditional Music Irish, Carberry' S (in Irish “Teach Uí Cairbre”), a pub close to North Quay, accommodates regularly musicians amateurs like professionals.

October 2006 saw the opening of the first municipal gallery devoted to art and center of visual arts, Highlanes Gallery, which is located in old the Monastère franciscain in St Laurence Street. Highlanes Gallery shelters an important collection of art dating from the 17th century and also from the temporary exhibitions.

Drogheda today

With the expansion of the Irish economy in the years 1990, during the years of the Celtic Tiger, Drogheda became one of the principal places to buy a house for people who work in Dublin. The prices of the properties in the capital are well too expensive for people who buy for the first time. With the expansion of transport in the sector of Drogheda, such as for example the lines towards Swords and Balbriggan, and the growing number of suburban trains serving the city, Drogheda is now a gravitational place for Dublinois which want to buy their first house and to make the shuttle until their work. The bridge of the Boyne river clearly increased the profile of the city as a place of installation of shopping malls out of the city.

In the city, it is currently question of a construction project of subway. The restoration of old Grammar School in Laurence Street to transform it into shopping mall is unusual for the original aspect of it with which one gave again his architectural aspect of the time géorgienne. This center is prolonged to Pallace Street, all along Williem Street and in the bottom of Peter Street on the site of old Parrochial Hall. An important underground car park exists too.

On the Southern quay, on the site of old Lakeland Daries, the center of the Scotch tape Hall was finished in November 2005. A new pedestrian bridge, coming from the Northern quay, arrives of Mayoralty Street until in the complex.

In December 2005, the football team of the city, Drogheda United, gained the Coupe of Ireland of football for the first time of its history by beating the team of the town of Cork by 2 to 0, with Lansdowne Road. On Saturday, April 22, 2006 Drogheda United gained Setanta Cup in Tolka Park becoming thus the champion of Ireland.

Local economy

The local economy of Drogheda, like that of much of other Irish cities, changes quickly. The old industries based on the fabric and the textile, the breweries, navigation and manufacture disappeared now or are on their decline.

There is still a great number of employers in the city, of which Boyne Valley Foods, Irish Cement (the largest cement factory of Ireland), Drogheda Concentrates (Coke Cola), International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) and Becton Dickenson.

Drogheda offers many advantages compared to the other cities:

Proximity of M1 (Dublin-Belfast highway), ideal for the international business;
Road infrastructures and railway;
Possibility of telecommunication services on broad scale;
Access-key at the markets of Dublin and Belfast;
young and qualified Population;
Services offered by more the big city of Ireland with an excellent selection of Banks, stores, restaurants, hotels, sports, conference and recreation;
High-quality of life with access to the beaches and the countryside.

The recent additions with the local economy include: ¨

the industrial park and technological IDA: 25 hectares (63 acres) with direct access with the Dublin highway/Belfast developed and arranged in park for the needs for IT & Financial and Internationally Traded Sectors Services.
International Fund Services (IFS), leading vendor of funds and services of administration in Hedge Fund industry, must be established overall in Drogheda, with the creation of 235 jobs.
8 units of Enterprise Incubation for high technology are now present in the Milmount complex.

Curiosities

Boyne Viaduct
Millmount Fort
St Peter' S Roman Catholic Church
Laurence' S Spoils
interurban Distance Irish

Known natives and residents

Nick Colgan, guard of the Irish team of Football
James Cullen, mathematician who discovered the Nombre of Cullen
Ian Harte, player of the Irish football team and Levante Unión Deportiva (Spain). Nephew of Gary Kelly.
Gary Kelly, footballer
Michael Scott, architect of the Busáras and the Abbey Theater.
Sean Thornton, footballer.
T.K. Whitaker, former economist who wrote the program for the economic expansion.
Pierce Brosnan, actor

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