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Voykit pocket guide · Ireland
Clogherhead
Ceann Chlochair
Go for one night or a half-day from Drogheda: beach, harbour and cliff walk in about 3 hours on foot, then move on.
Clogherhead is a small County Louth fishing and beach village 12 km northeast of Drogheda, with a working harbour, a sandy beach and a rocky headland you can walk end to end in under an hour. There is almost no accommodation in the village itself, so most travellers visit as a half-day from Drogheda or sleep in nearby Termonfeckin. Come for the coast walk and fish and chips, not for a resort stay.
- Country
- Ireland
- Local name
- Ceann Chlochair
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (wind and rain, most food places on short hours)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere, including pubs and taxis.
- Daily spend
- Budget €50–80 excl. bed · Mid €80–130 excl. bed · High €130+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vodafone, Three and Eir run the networks; prepaid SIMs (also 48, Tesco Mobile, GoMo) sell in phone shops and newsagents, no registration fuss.
- Emergency
- Police, ambulance, fire, coast guard 112 · Alternative emergency number 999
- Plugs
- Types G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Type G three-pin, like the UK; European and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant with table service: 10–15% if service is not included.; Pub: Not expected when ordering at the bar.; Taxi: Round up.; Tour guide or driver: €5–10 per person for a day tour.; Hotel porter: €1–2 per bag.
- Water
- Tap water is safe; occasional local 'boil water' notices are posted by Uisce Éireann.
- Toilets
- Free in shopping centres, museums, pubs (as a customer) and many petrol stations; some public toilets charge 50c.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €3–4.50 |
| Fish and chips | €12–18 |
| Pizza, main course | €12–18 |
| Pint of stout | €5–6.50 |
| Bus 168, Clogherhead to Drogheda | €3–4 |
| 10 kg (22 lb) bag of potatoes from the vending machine22 lb (10 kg) bag of potatoes from the vending machine | €5 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €10–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- DUB · Dublin Airport
- About 50 min by car via the M1; no direct bus to Clogherhead, so change in Drogheda.
Typical fares
- Bus 168, Clogherhead → Drogheda
- €3–4, about 25 min
- Taxi, Clogherhead → Drogheda
- €20–28
- Dublin Airport → Drogheda by bus
- €10–15, about 50 min
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The beach, harbour and cliff top sit within about 1 km (0.6 mi) of each other and are all walkable; Old Mayne Church is 2 km (1.2 mi) out along the R166. Bus Éireann 168 runs along the coast between Drogheda and Dundalk via Clogherhead, roughly every 2 hours Monday to Saturday with a few Sunday services. A car makes the beaches north and south much easier.The beach, harbour and cliff top sit within about 0.6 mi (1 km) of each other and are all walkable; Old Mayne Church is 1.2 mi (2 km) out along the R166. Bus Éireann 168 runs along the coast between Drogheda and Dundalk via Clogherhead, roughly every 2 hours Monday to Saturday with a few Sunday services. A car makes the beaches north and south much easier.
See and do
Known for
- Port Oriel fishing harbour
- Clogherhead Beach and cliff walk
- Old Mayne Church ruin
- The potato vending machine on the Coast Road
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Drogheda | Bus Éireann 168 south, or 15 min by car on the R166 | About 30 min |
| Termonfeckin | Bus 168 or 8 min by car south on the R166 | About 20 min |
| Dundalk | Bus 168 north along the coast | About 1 h |
| Howth | Car or bus to Drogheda, then train south | 1.5–2 h |
Sleep
- Clogherhead village
- Very few beds; check before you plan a night here. Best if you have a car and want the beach at the door.
- Termonfeckin
- 4 km (2.5 mi) south on the R166, with a small hotel and the Seapoint links course; the practical base for this stretch of coast.2.5 mi (4 km) south on the R166, with a small hotel and the Seapoint links course; the practical base for this stretch of coast.
- Drogheda
- 12 km (7.5 mi) southwest, full range of hotels and hostels, and the bus and rail hub for the region.7.5 mi (12 km) southwest, full range of hotels and hostels, and the bus and rail hub for the region.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Dia duitjeea gwit |
| Thank you | Go raibh maith agatguh rev mah agut |
| Please | Le do thoilleh duh hull |
| Where is the beach? | Cá bhfuil an trá?kaw will on traw |
| How much is it? | Cé mhéad é?kay vade ay |
| Cheers | Sláinteslawn-che |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake, first names quickly; avoid: Over-formality; it reads as coldness
- Conversation: Banter, weather and sport; self-deprecating humour; avoid: Opening with Northern Ireland, religion or the Famine
- Pubs: Buy your round; chat at the bar; avoid: Leaving a round without buying one
- Identity: Say Ireland, or the Republic when you need to distinguish; avoid: 'Southern Ireland' and calling it British
- Driving: Lift a finger from the wheel to thank drivers who pull in for you; avoid: Stopping on narrow bends for photos
Scams and watch-outs
- Bus 168 is infrequent: check the last return to Drogheda before you set out.
- Port Oriel is a working fishing port: keep clear of the quays and moving gear, and park in the car park.
- Smugglers Rest has been closed; check before walking there for a meal.
- Mobile signal from Eir is weak on the approach roads; download your map and bus times first.
A quiet, safe village; the real risks are the sea, the working harbour and the weather. Swim only where others do, keep off the quay edges, and take a windproof layer even in July.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Clogherhead yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Port Oriel fishing harbour
- Clogherhead Beach and cliff walk
- Old Mayne Church ruin
- The potato vending machine on the Coast Road
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Discover Ireland — County Louth: www.discoverireland.ie/louth
- Bus Éireann: www.buseireann.ie/
- Wikivoyage: Clogherhead, revision 5290224 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5290224
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
ClogherheadCeann Chlochair
Chun an seoladh seo, le do thoil
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Clogherhead; the US Embassy and most others are in Dublin. Garda station: Drogheda (check hours).
English is spoken everywhere; Irish is a courtesy here, not a necessity.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/clogherhead). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.