English Language Institute ELI, Drogheda, Ireland

Drogheda is a city of Ireland on the southern border of County Louth, Ireland. Drogheda lies along the River Boyne about 4 miles (6.5 km) from its mouth.it is a medieval town just 20 minutes from Dublin Airport. Drogheda was a stronghold and trading post of the Norsemen in the 8th–11th century and of the Anglo-Normans in the 12th century. Rich in heritage yet young at heart, the largest town in Ireland still has a village feel and a wealth of unique attractions within walking distance of each other. Drogheda derives its name from the Irish Droichead Átha meaning ‘Bridge of the Ford. The story of Drogheda is told at Millmount Tower and Museum, which is located high above the town within a Napoleonic-era Martello Tower, which itself was built on a Norman motte. Down in the town center, St. Peter’s Church, housing the shrine of St. Oliver Plunkett, a Catholic martyr executed in London in 1681. At the east end of the town, near St. Laurence’s Gate, is the Protestant St. Peter’s Church. This 19th-century church occupies the original location of probably Drogheda's earliest religious site. In the graveyard can be seen the 16th-century cadaver tomb of Sir Edward Golding and his wife Elizabeth Fleming. These macabre tombs, depicting the body in a skeletal or decaying state, were made in the 16th-17th century to remind people of mortality and the briefness of life. Drogheda Port hosts the annual Irish Maritime Festival every summer. The Festival is a busy weekend both on and off the water and is always a brilliant event for families, with the action on the historic River Boyne all weekend not to be missed!