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Why a Borough council won’t fix Drogheda

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An aerial view of Drogheda looking from the An Cairéal complex on Donore Road. Despite clear evidence – presented by Drogheda City Status Group in October 2025 – that Drogheda has become a city, public representatives locally and nationally are ignoring the evidence to push for the restoration of the former Borough Council. There are many reasons why DCSG thinks this is a retrograde step. Drogheda’s urban population is split across two counties, Louth and Meath. A Borough Council answering to Louth County Council would be county-based, meaning that it would not serve the Drogheda people living in Meath, and the DCSG view is that it would just perpetuate the division of Drogheda. A new city administration is the best solution to unite Drogheda across county boundaries, and notably does not require any change in those county boundaries. The population of the urban area of Drogheda now surpasses 50,000, which means that by EU definitions, Drogheda is now a city. It is no longer “the...
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What benefits will the Dart+ rail project really bring to Drogheda?

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The much-heralded Dart+ project, which promises new trains and much increased capacity on the railway line between Drogheda and Dublin, has moved a step closer with the resolution of a judicial review case in which the parties reached an out-of-court agreement. The news has been broadly welcomed by public representatives, the media and the travelling public. Drogheda City Status Group (DCSG), while welcoming any improvement to the lengthy and stressful daily commute faced by around 15,000 people from the city of Drogheda and its environs, says that several important questions about the new project remain, and that clarification is needed by Government and Iarnród Éireann/NTA on the exact level of capacity increases and service frequency will be offered when the Dart+ finally comes into operation. Diesel trains at Drogheda station, beneath new Dart+ charging infrastructure. First and foremost, it has long been the view of Drogheda City Status Group that no serious effort has been ma...
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Drogheda has a county problem

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Drogheda’s biggest challenge isn’t the dereliction or the traffic chaos. It’s the simple fact that Drogheda is an urban area fractured by a county boundary - in a country where everything is county. All administration, decision making and funding is operated strictly through a county system. The line which was drawn long ago now shapes everything we struggle with today. We are being governed from Dundalk and Navan. Neither authority has responsibility for the whole urban area. Neither can plan holistically or with ‘joined-up thinking’. Neither has the strategic interest to invest in Drogheda, where a portion of the population is outside their remit. This is not a criticism of Meath or Louth - it’s a criticism of a structural flaw in the system that creates real-world consequences: No single overall vision for Ireland’s ‘largest town’ Weak political voice Fragmented planning Inconsistent investment - funding applied separately by each county Inconsistent public services Poor coordinatio...
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Where’s Drogheda’s local area plan?

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It's hard to believe, but 'Ireland's biggest town' has no plan. No vision, no forward planning, no joined-up thinking. Local area plans are critical for future growth and sustainable development in urban areas, covering issues like population, economic growth, housing, facilities, vacancy, water and transportation. Drogheda has had no area plan for the last 15 years, despite dramatic population growth, steep decline of its urban core and degradation of its heritage buildings, and despite both councils being legally bound to produce a Joint Local Area Plan for Drogheda (as directed by the RSES document created by the Eastern Midlands Regional Authority). Drogheda's unique geography means that about 20% of its citizens live in Meath, and the other 80% in Louth, so a Local Area Plan needs to be a joint effort between Meath and Louth. However Louth and Meath county councils are refusing to carry the work out. Drogheda is an oversight, an inconvenience, an afterthought. ...
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Drogheda is now 50,000 strong - the evidence

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Drogheda City Status last night delivered a powerful case for city status. The presentation at The Mill showed irrefutable data proving that Drogheda is Ireland's next city. The OECD and the EU say that 50,000 people in a connected urban space is a city and the CSO's latest housing completion figures suggest that the population of Drogheda is now at 50,000 - an increase of a massive 6,000 people since the last census. And the growth doesn't stop there. The population should be close to 52,000 by Census 2027, and will probably surpass 60,000 by 2030. None of this includes any of the extremely close urban areas of Donacarney-Mornington-Bettystown-Laytown, a mere 650m from Drogheda's edge, Duleek, Tullyallen and more. These communities, heavily dependent on Drogheda for facilities, healthcare, retail, education and more, bring the wider metropolitan area to around 80,000. Drogheda suffers from both geography and administration - being neither a 'county town', or ev...
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DROGHEDA’S POPULATION HAS PASSED 50,000 – DECLARE IT A CITY NOW

The population of Drogheda has passed 50,000, the benchmark used by the European Union to define a city, Drogheda City Status Group (DCSG) has revealed this week. DCSG’s calculations show Drogheda’s booming population is currently just under 52,000 inhabitants – that’s 2,600 new people every year since 2022. The projected population of Drogheda in 2027 – just two years from now – is 55,589, DCSG’s figures show. These figures DO NOT include the outlying villages of Tullyallen, Donore, Duleek, Termonfeckin, Donacarney, Mornington, Bettystown or Laytown.  “Drogheda is a city, and it’s high time it was recognised as such by the State,” DCSG Chairperson Anna McKenna said. “As our city grows at an enormous rate, we are seeing many new housing developments, but little else in terms of infrastructure, job creation, education and sports and leisure facilities, and sustainability,” she added. Anna revealed that Drogheda City Status Group is currently preparing a new short film showing the ex...
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   The looming demolition of the former Brady’s Drapery store building in Narrow West Street by Louth County Council would not be happening if Drogheda had its own city administration, the Drogheda City Status Group has said. “This unforgiveable situation is a symptom of the rot and neglect of Drogheda caused by years of inaction and indifference by property owners and Louth County Council to the plight of our city,” Drogheda City Status Group (DCSG) Chairperson Anna McKenna said. “With the bulldozers set to move in within days to demolish this fine 260-year-old building, we along with the citizens of Drogheda can only stand by and watch with despair and astonishment at just how far the neglect of this emerging city has been allowed to fester,” she said. As counting continues in the local elections, DCSG has issued a blunt warning to the incoming councillors who will serve Drogheda for the next five years.  “You must now take a stance, be firm and resolute, and stand with...
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