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Voykit pocket guide · Ireland
Drogheda
Droichead Átha
Give Drogheda one night, not a day-trip: Brú na Bóinne needs a half-day and the town's medieval core is worth an evening.
Drogheda is a commuter town on the River Boyne, 50 km north of Dublin, with two heavyweight sights on its doorstep: the Brú na Bóinne Neolithic complex and the Battle of the Boyne battlefield. Most visitors day-trip from Dublin and spend nothing in the town. Sleep one night here instead and you get the Neolithic site at opening, the medieval gates and Millmount in the afternoon, and a proper dinner.
- Country
- Ireland
- Local name
- Droichead Átha
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (wet, short days, some sites on reduced 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 €60–95 excl. bed · Mid €95–160 excl. bed · High €160+ 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
- EU emergency 112
- 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 |
| Pub lunch or soup and sandwich | €10–16 |
| Main course in a mid-range restaurant | €16–26 |
| Pint of stout or lager | €5.50–7 |
| Taxi across town | €8–14 |
| Train Drogheda → Dublin Connolly | €12–16 one way (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €10–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- DUB · Dublin Airport
- Expressway bus 100X runs hourly from the airport to Drogheda, about 80 min; driving is 30–40 min via the M1
Typical fares
- Train Drogheda → Dublin Connolly
- about €12–16 one way, about 1 h (check)
- Bus 100X Dublin Airport → Drogheda
- about €12, about 80 min (check)
- Taxi town centre → MacBride station
- €8–12
- M1 toll, Gormanston–Monasterboice
- about €2.30 for a car in 2026
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 centre is walkable: St Peter's, Highlanes, St Laurence Gate, Magdalene Tower and Millmount all sit within about 1.5 km (0.9 mi). For Brú na Bóinne and the battlefield, bus 163 runs twice daily from the town; a taxi or your own car is faster and more reliable. Taxis are metered and nationally regulated; ranks are at the bus and railway stations.The centre is walkable: St Peter's, Highlanes, St Laurence Gate, Magdalene Tower and Millmount all sit within about 0.9 mi (1.5 km). For Brú na Bóinne and the battlefield, bus 163 runs twice daily from the town; a taxi or your own car is faster and more reliable. Taxis are metered and nationally regulated; ranks are at the bus and railway stations.
See and do
Known for
- Brú na Bóinne (Newgrange and Knowth)
- Battle of the Boyne battlefield
- Millmount Fort and Martello Tower
- St Laurence Gate and Magdalene Tower
- St Oliver Plunkett's shrine
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Brú na Bóinne (Newgrange and Knowth) | Bus 163 from Drogheda, or 15 min by car to the visitor centre at Donore | About 30 min each way, plus 2.5–3 h on site |
| Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre, Oldbridge | Bus 163, or 10 min by car south of the river | About 20 min each way |
| Monasterboice | Car or taxi, about 10 km (6.2 mi) north-westCar or taxi, about 6.2 mi (10 km) north-west | About 20 min each way |
| Old Mellifont Abbey | Car or taxi to Tullyallen, about 10 km (6.2 mi) westCar or taxi to Tullyallen, about 6.2 mi (10 km) west | About 20 min each way |
| Clogherhead | Bus 168 north along the coast, or 15 min by car | About 25 min each way |
| Dublin | Commuter train every 30 min from MacBride station, or Expressway bus 100X | About 1 h by train |
Sleep
- Town centre, south bank (West St / Stockwell St)
- Walk to St Peter's, Highlanes, the bus station and the river; best for one night without a car.
- North Quay and the north bank
- Restaurants and pubs on the river; 10–15 min walk to the railway station across the viaduct.
- M1 retail park and Donore Road
- Chain hotels with parking, 2–3 km (1.2–1.9 mi) from the centre; only useful if you are driving on the next morning.Chain hotels with parking, 1.2–1.9 mi (2–3 km) from the centre; only useful if you are driving on the next morning.
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 |
| Excuse me | Gabh mo leithscéalgov muh lesh-kayl |
| Cheers | Sláinteslawn-cha |
| How much is it? | Cé mhéad é?kay vade ay |
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
- Brú na Bóinne is timed-ticket only and sells out in summer: book on the official site before you travel, not on the day.
- Bus 163 to the Brú na Bóinne and Battle of the Boyne visitor centres runs only twice daily: check the return time before you board.
- New Mellifont Abbey at Collon closed to visitors in 2025: do not plan a stop there.
- Beaulieu House is not open for individual visits; only occasional summer open days.
- If driving the M1, exit before the Gormanston–Monasterboice toll (about €2.30 for a car in 2026) or pay online.
Drogheda is a normal Irish commuter town and safe by day; the usual night-time caution applies around the pubs and the station after last trains. The real risks are the river quays after dark, uneven medieval paving, and walking the Boyne towpath alone at dusk.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Drogheda yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Brú na Bóinne (Newgrange and Knowth)
- Battle of the Boyne battlefield
- Millmount Fort and Martello Tower
- St Laurence Gate and Magdalene Tower
- St Oliver Plunkett's shrine
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Drogheda tourist information: www.drogheda.ie/visitor-info/drogheda-tourist-office.html
- Irish Rail: www.irishrail.ie/
- Transport for Ireland — bus route maps: www.transportforireland.ie/getting-around/by-bus/route-maps/
- Heritage Ireland — Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre: heritageireland.ie/visit/places-to-visit/battle-of-the-boyne-visitor-centre-oldbridge-estate/
- Heritage Ireland — Old Mellifont Abbey: heritageireland.ie/visit/places-to-visit/old-mellifont-cistercian-abbey-monastic-site/
- Wikivoyage: Drogheda, revision 5312134 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5312134
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
DroghedaDroichead Átha
Chuig an seoladh seo, le do thoil
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- EU emergency112
No embassies in Drogheda; the US embassy and most others are in Dublin. UK citizens: the British Embassy in Dublin.
English is spoken everywhere; Irish is a courtesy, not a necessity.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/drogheda). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.