Things to do in County Louth
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St Peter's Roman Catholic Church
Displayed in a glittering brass-and-glass case in the north transept, the shrivelled head of St Oliver Plunkett (1629–81) is this church's main draw (the rest of the martyr was separated at his hanging in 1681). Actually it's two churches in one: the first, designed by Francis Johnston in classical style and built in 1791; and the newer addition, built in the Gothic style visible today.
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Kingfisher
Set in a beautifully restored grain store, the Kingfisher serves up a short but sound menu of modern Irish food with international twists. Go for Thai spiced pork with sticky rice and sweet Asian salad, duck confit or spiced Cajun chicken with sour cream. It's all extremely good.
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Oystercatcher Bistro
Specialities of these white-tableclothed premises include Capalana (North African–spiced seafood and meat) and cola-marinated pork ribs.
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St Laurence's Gate
Astride the eastwards extension of the town's main street is St Laurence's Gate, the finest surviving portion of the city walls. This imposing pile of stone is not in fact a gate but instead a barbican, a fortified structure used to defend the gate, which was further behind it.
Dating from the 13th century, the structure was named after St Laurence's Priory, which once stood outside the gate; no traces of it now remain. The barbican consists of two lofty towers, a connecting curtain wall and the entrance to the portcullis. When the town walls were completed in the 13th century, they ran for 3km around the town, enclosing 52 hectares.
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Millmount Museum
A section of the army barracks is now used as the Millmount Museum, which has interesting displays about the town and its history. Exhibits include three wonderful late-18th-century guild banners, perhaps the last in the country. There is also a room devoted to Cromwell’s brutal siege of Drogheda and the Battle of the Boyne. The pretty cobbled basement is full of gadgets and kitchen utensils from bygone times, including a cast-iron pressure cooker and an early model of a sofa bed. There’s also an excellent example of a coracle.
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St Peter’s Church of Ireland
North of the centre of town is St Peter’s Church of Ireland, containing the tombstone of Oliver Goldsmith’s uncle Isaac, as well as an image on the wall depicting two skeletal figures in shrouds, dubiously linked to the Black Death. This is the church whose spire was burned by Cromwell’s men, resulting in the death of 100 people seeking sanctuary inside. Today’s church (1748) is the second replacement of the original destroyed by Cromwell. It stands in an attractive close approached through lovely wrought-iron gates.
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Magdalene Tower
Topping the hill behind the main part of town is the 14th-century Magdalene Tower , the bell tower of a Dominican friary founded in 1224. Here, England's King Richard II, accompanied by a great army, accepted the submission of the Gaelic chiefs with suitable ceremony in 1395, but peace lasted only a few months and Richard's return to Ireland led to his overthrow in 1399.
The earl of Desmond was beheaded here in 1468 because of his treasonous connections with the Gaelic Irish; the tower is also reputed to be haunted by a nun.
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Beaulieu House
Beaulieu House, about 5km northeast of Drogheda on the Baltray road, is a particularly good example of the Anglo-Dutch style and – apparently – the first unfortified mansion to be built in Ireland. It was built between 1660 and 1666 on lands confiscated from the Plunkett family (the family of the headless Oliver) by Cromwell, and given to the marshal of the army in Ireland, Sir Henry Tichbourne. The red-brick mansion, with its distinctive steep roof and tall chimneys, has been owned by the same family ever since.
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St Peter’s Roman Catholic Church
The shrivelled little head of the martyr St Oliver Plunkett (1629–81) is the main draw at the 19th-century Catholic church, which is actually two churches in one: the first, designed by Francis Johnston in classical style and built in 1791; and the newer addition, built in the Gothic style visible today. Plunkett’s head – from which the rest of him was separated at his hanging in 1681 – is in a glittering brass-and-glass case in the north transept.
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Highlanes Gallery
This impressive gallery is set in a beautifully converted 19th-century monastery. As well as a good permanent collection of paintings, there are regular temporary exhibitions. Attached is a shop featuring high-quality Louth craftwork, and a chic cafe, Andersons.
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Monasterboice
Crowing ravens lend an eerie atmosphere to Monasterboice, an intriguing monastic site containing a cemetery, two ancient church ruins, one of the finest and tallest round towers in Ireland, and two of the best high crosses.
Down a leafy lane in sweeping farmland, the original monastic settlement here is said to have been founded in the 5th or 6th century by St Buithe, a follower of St Patrick, although the site probably had pre-Christian significance. St Buithe's name somehow got converted to Boyne, and the river is named after him. An invading Viking force took over the settlement in 968, only to be comprehensively expelled by Donal, the Irish high king of Tara, who kille…
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C Ní Cairbre
A national treasure, this tiny pub has been owned by the same family since 1880. Old newspaper clippings and long-faded artwork cover most surfaces and it's a great place to catch some traditional music. You might find a session going on any night of the week but especially Tuesday nights and Sunday afternoons.
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Holy Trinity Heritage Centre
Carlingford's heritage centre is in the former Holy Trinity Church. A mural shows what the village looked like in its heyday, and a short video describes the village history and explains what has been done to give it new life in recent years after villagers got together to revive a dying community.
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Eastern Seaboard Bar & Grill
Build it and they will come… Despite its unpromising location in a business park near the train station, this stylised, contemporary space has been packed since opening, with switched-on staff and quirky details like a backlit decanter collection and metallic fish sculptures. Stunning food like pig's cheek terrine with apple slaw, smoked mackerel pâté, and coffee jelly and vanilla ice cream is served continuously from lunchtime on. Or you could just drop by for frothy German beers on tap.
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D’vine
A little wine-bar-cum-restaurant with a cosy atmosphere and a great selection of Mediterranean foods, this place has excellent platters to start, followed by a largely Italian menu with an emphasis on rustic pasta dishes. It has an excellent wine menu and sometimes has live jazz on Sunday evenings.
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Jaffas
Big, bright and modern with giant windows overlooking the river, this popular place serves a bumper range of soups, sandwiches, panini, bagels, crepes, and baked potatoes with a choice of interesting fillings. Service is swift and there are tables outside for alfresco dining on fine days.
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Peter Matthews
One of Drogheda's top spots for live music, McPhail's (as it's always called, no matter what the sign says) is popular with a younger crowd and features everything from heavy-metal cover bands to trad sessions. There's a traditional bar at the front and a beer garden out the back.
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Bella Atina
Old-school country charm combines with new ideas at this excellent Italian place down by the river. It’s all exposed brick arches and red walls inside, and the menu features classic Italian pastas as well as deftly prepared meat and fish dishes. The cannelloni is a treat.
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Mellifont Abbey
In its Anglo-Norman prime, Mellifont Abbey was the Cistercians’ first and most magnificent centre in the country. Although the ruins are highly evocative and well worth exploring, they still don’t do real justice to the site’s former splendour.
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PJ O’Hares
This is a classic, stone-floor pub with a blazing fire. There’s music most nights in summer and the owners have recently opened a restaurant (mains €13 to €20) upstairs serving excellent oysters and the likes of steak-and-Guinness pie and shellfish linguine.
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Food for Thought
A rainbow of jams and chutneys lines the walls of this deli-cafe. Croquettes, quiches and fish cakes are among the tasty treats to eat in or take away, with great daily specials too.
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La Pizzeria
Watch the dough fly as beautiful pizzas are handcrafted in the traditional open kitchen up front. With wine bottles hanging from the ceiling, this is an Italian joint straight out of central casting. It's busy when everywhere else is empty.
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Martello Tower
This tower played a dramatic role in the 1922 Civil War, when it was Drogheda’s chief defensive feature and suffered heavy shelling from Free State forces. It has recently been restored and offers great views over the town below.
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Andersons
Located in the Highlanes Gallery, this split-level cafe serves a stylish range of bruschetta, bagels and gourmet sandwiches, including open prawn or smoked salmon on multigrain. It also offers baguettes with French brie, as well as cheese, seafood and Mediterranean platters and a great Moroccan salad.
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Butter Gate
The 13th-century Butter Gate, just northwest of Millmount, is the only surviving genuine town gate in Drogheda. This tower, with its arched passageway, predates the remains of St Laurence's Gate by about a century.
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