Drogheda

WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates:
54.009° N 6.4049° W

Irish Grid Reference
O088754Province: County: Elevation: Population (2006)

Drogheda Droichead Átha

Location

Statistics

Leinster

County Louth

1 m

28,894

Website: www.droghedaboro.ie

Drogheda ([drɒhədə]) or [drɔ:də]) (Droichead Átha in Irish, meaning "Bridge of the Ford") is an industrial and port town in County Louth (on the border with County Meath) on the east coast of Ireland, 56 km north of Dublin. The town is increasingly populated by commuters working in Dublin. In 2006 the population stood at 28,894 and is the 7th largest town in the Republic of Ireland.

In recent years Drogheda has been shedding its industrial image, as an increasing number of people employed in the retail, services and technology sectors have been looking to the local economy instead of Dublin for employment.

 History

Commemoration of Official Charter

The town is located close to the site of Newgrange, a burial mound constructed around 3200 BC. A trading post and settlement existed on the site of the town from Roman times and was known as Inver Colpa. The town itself was founded in 911 by the Danes and officially chartered as a town in 1194. The Irish Parliament moved to the town in 1494 and passed Poyning's Law a year later. The town was besieged twice during the Irish Confederate Wars (see the siege of Drogheda). On the second occasion it was taken by Oliver Cromwell in September 1649, as part of the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. Drogheda was the site of an infamous massacre of the Royalist defenders. The Battle of the Boyne, 1690, occurred near the town at the River Boyne.

Drogheda's coat of arms bears the star and crescent and has its origin with King Richard I (the Lionheart), in whose reign Drogheda was granted its charter in 1194 by Hugh de Lacy (after whom the de Lacy bridge in Drogheda is named). Another Norman element on Drogheda's coat of arms is its centrepiece, St. Lawrence's Gate. The three lions which flank the Norman barbican are also taken from King Richard's coat of arms. On the other side of the barbican is a ship denoting Drogheda's status as an important port. The town's motto Deus praesidium, mercatura decus translates as "God our strength, merchandise our glory".

The Earldom of Drogheda was created in the Peerage of Ireland in 1661.

Drogheda acquired rail links to Dublin in 1844, Navan in 1850 and Belfast in 1852. Passenger services between Drogheda and Navan were ended in 1958, however the line remained open for freight traffic. In 1966 Drogheda station was renamed "McBride".

Arts and Entertainment

Drogheda has a thriving arts scene; it hosts the annual Samba festival every summer, where Samba bands from around the world converge on the town for a week of drumming and parades. It is also home to the Calipo theatre company which specialises in multi-media productions and has achieved considerable success in Ireland and abroad. The town also supports one of the largest and most successful youth theatres in Ireland (Droichead Youth Theatre) which has toured to Belfast, London, Italy, and Sweden. The addition of the Little Duke Theatre company in Duke Street, in the old Julian Blinds building, adds to this scene. The Municipal Centre in Stockwell Street acts as a base for most of the town's artists, under the umbrella of the Droichead Arts Centre, and featuring a gallery space and a theatre.

The former Garda (Police) station in West Street is now a satellite site of the Droichead Arts Centre.

The original Drogheda bypass bridge over the river Boyne, known as the "Bridge of Peace", is well-known regionally for its aerosol graffiti murals. Under the bridge, there are two large concrete supports that measure approximately 8 meters high, and 20 meters long. Starting in the 1980s with the breakdance craze, these supports were painted and sprayed with murals by aerosol artists. This activity at the time was technically illegal and frowned upon by the local authorities. Today the murals are frequently updated and limited sponsorship of the artists is provided by local businesses.

Drogheda's larger bars feature live music. Notable venues are The Pheasant on Duleek Street, McPhail's in Laurence Street, and McHugh's on Cord Road. For traditional Irish music, Carberry's (Teach Uí Cairbre) pub near the North Quay has regular sessions by amateur and professional musicians alike.

October 2006 saw the opening of the town's first dedicated municipal art gallery and visual arts centre, the Highlanes Gallery, housed in the former Franciscan Friary on St. Laurence Street. The Highlanes Gallery holds Drogheda's important municipal art collection which dates from the 17th century as well as visiting exhibitions in a venue which meets key international museum and gallery standards.

 Drogheda today

View of Drogheda in 2001

With the expansion of the Irish economy in the 1990s, during the "Celtic Tiger" years, Drogheda has become one of the primary locations for people who work in Dublin to buy a house. Property prices in the capital are prohibitive for first time home buyers. With the expansion of transport infrastructure in the area around Drogheda i.e. the Swords and Balbriggan bypasses, the Boyne River Bridge and the increased number of commuter trains serving the town, Drogheda is now an attractive location for Dubliners to buy their first house and commute to work, although the town itself is unattractive and is considered to have a depressing atmosphere. The Boyne River Bridge in particular has dramatically increased the profile of the region as a location for out-of-town shopping centres.

Within the town there are currently major construction projects underway. The renovation of the former Grammar School in Laurence Street as a shopping centre is unusual as the original fascia of the building has been restored to its former Georgian architectural specifications. This centre extends to Palace Street, all along William Street, and down Peter Street on the site of the former Parochial Hall. A massive underground carpark is also present.

On the south quay in the space of the former Lakeland Daries premises, the Scotch Hall centre was completed in November 2005. A new pedestrian bridge extends from the north quay, at Mayoralty Street, into the complex.

Local economy

The local economy of Drogheda, like that of many other towns in Ireland, is changing rapidly. The old industrial industries based around linen and textiles, brewing, shipping, and manufacturing have now disappeared or are in decline.

There are still a number of large employers in the town including Boyne Valley Foods, Irish Cement (Ireland's largest cement works), Drogheda Concentrates (Coca Cola), International Flavours & Fragrances (IFF) and Becton Dickenson.

Drogheda offers many advantages over other towns in the region including:

Recently additions to the local ecomony include:

• IDA Business & Technology Park: a 25 hectare (63 acre) with direct access onto the Dublin / Belfast motorway developed and landscaped for the needs of both the IT and financial and internationally traded services sectors.
• International Fund Services, a leading provider of fund accounting and administration services to the hedge fund industry globally, is to establish a hedge fund administration operation in Drogheda, Co. Louth with the creation of up to 235 jobs.
• 8 Enterprise Incubation units for high tech startup companies are now provided in the Milmount complex.

 Sport

In December 2005 the town's soccer team, Drogheda United, won the national FAI Carlsberg Cup for the first time in its history by beating Cork City F.C. 2-0 in the final at Lansdowne Road. On Saturday 22 April 2006 Drogheda United won the Setanta Cup at Tolka Park becoming the champions of all Ireland. Drogheda United is known as "The Drogs" by their fans.

Points of interest

• Boyne Viaduct
• Millmount Fort
• St Peter's Roman Catholic Church - Houses the head of St. Oliver Plunkett.
• Laurence's Gate
• Highlanes Gallery
• nearby Slane Castle

 Noted natives and residents

• Nick Colgan, Goalkeeper for Republic of Ireland football team
• James Cullen, mathematician who discovered what are now known as the Cullen numbers
• Ian Harte, Levante UD and Republic of Ireland full-back. Nephew of Gary Kelly
• Gary Kelly, footballer and charity campaigner
• Michael Scott, architect who designed Busaras and the Abbey Theatre
• Sean Thornton, Doncaster midfielder and former Republic Of Ireland under 21 football player
• T.K. Whitaker, former Irish economist who wrote the Programme for Economic Expansion
• Deirdre Gogarty, 1997 WIBF Featherweight Title Champion (Women's Boxing)

 See also

• List of towns in the Republic of Ireland

 External links

• Drogheda Tourism
• Drogheda Borough Council
• Meath on Track campaign to reopen the Drogheda-Navan railway which would enable passengers from Drogheda to travel to Dublin 15 when the Navan-Clonsilla line reopens
• Architecture of Drogheda
• Photo Survey of Navan Drogheda existing railway line
• Drogheda Port
• Drogheda Chamber of Commerce
• IDA Ireland, Drogheda profile
• Drogheda's Municipal Art Gallery
• Drogheda United FC
• Droichead Arts Centre

Drogs is a nickname for fans or supporters of Drogheda United Football Club who play in the Eircom League of Ireland in the Republic of Ireland.

The most vocal supporters stand on "the shed side" of United Park. Many Drogs attend every home match while a smaller group travel around the country to support the team at away matches. They sing football/Drogheda United chants, wear club colours (claret and blue), wave banners and flags and generally try to help lift the team and demonstrate fervent support. The Drogs create a vivacious atmosphere during Drogheda United matches reminiscent of the activities of European Ultras.

External links

• Official Drogheda United FC website
• Unofficial Drogs messageboard
• Reservoir Drogs Website

Drogheda United F.C.

United Park is a multi-use stadium in Drogheda, Republic of Ireland. It is currently used mostly for soccer matches and has been the home stadium of Drogheda United since 1976. The stadium holds 5,400 (400 seated and 5,000 standing).

The future of the stadium is uncertain: It occupies prime real estate in Drogheda and potential to develop the stadium is limited by surrounding residences. Proposals have been made to sell the site and build a 10,000 all seater new stadium on the outskirts of the town.

Nickname(s) Founded Ground CapacityChairman Manager League 2006

Drogheda United
Full name	Drogheda United Football Club
The Drogs or The Boynesiders
1919
United Park, Drogheda, County Louth
5,400 (400 seats)
Vincent Hoey
Paul Doolin
Eircom Premier League
3rd
Home colours 　 Away colours

Drogheda United is an Irish football club playing in the Football League of Ireland. The club hails from Drogheda, Ireland and, since 1976, play their home matches at United Park. Prior to then, they played at Lourdes Stadium. Club colours are claret and blue. The current manager is Paul Doolin.

The current club is amalgamation of two former Drogheda area clubs, Drogheda United FC founded in 1919 and Drogheda FC founded in 1962. The clubs merged their operations to form the current club in 1975.

Drogheda United are the current holders of the Setanta Cup.

Honours

• FAI Cup

Winners 2005, Runner Up 1971, 1976

• League of Ireland

Runner Up 1982/83

• League of Ireland 1st Division

Champions 1988/89, 90/91, 98/99, 01/02, Runner Up 1994/95, 1996/97

• League Cup

Winners 1983/84

• League Of Ireland First Division Shield

Winners 1991

• Setanta Sports Cup

Winners 2006

European football

The Drogs played their first European football in the 83/84 season as a result of finishing runners-up in the league. They drew Tottenham Hotspur in the First Round of the UEFA Cup and were beaten 14-0 on aggregate by the eventual winners. Drogheda once again qualified for the UEFA Cup in 2005 following FAI Cup success. The introduction of professional football in 2003 and general resurgance of the League of Ireland ensured that history would not repeat itself and Drogheda would not be so heavily beaten again. Despite being unseeded in the First Qualifying Round in the 2006 UEFA Cup and drawing highly fancied Finnish outfit HJK Helsinki, Drogheda advanced on a 4-2 aggregate scoreline following two extra-time penalties in the second leg in Dalymount Park. They advanced to meet Norwegian team I.K. Start in the Second Qualifying Round and came back from a 1-0 defeat in the first leg to force extra time in Dalymount. Eventually, the tie was settled on penalty kicks, Drogheda suffering the heartbreak of elimination on a scoreline of 10-11. However, following Derry City's FAI Cup victory, it was announced that the 2nd Irish UEFA Cup spot would be granted to Drogheda, so they will compete in the competition once more in the 2007 season.

Overall record

UEFA Cup

 Past opponents

Season Competition Country Team Score

1983/84	UEFA Cup Round 1		Tottenham Hotspur F.C.	0-14 agg.
2006/07	UEFA Cup Qual. Round 1		HJK Helsinki	4-2 agg.
2006/07	UEFA Cup Qual. Round 2		I.K. Start	1-1 agg. 10-11 (pen.)

Current squad

Nationality given from place of birth

No. Position Player 1 GK Dan Connor 2 DF Damien Lynch 3 DF Simon Webb 4 DF Steven Gray 5 DF Jason Gavin 6 DF Graham Gartland 7 MF Shane Robinson 8 MF Gavin Whelan 9 FW Declan O'Brien 10 FW Glen Fitzpatrick 11 DF James Keddy 12 FW Tony Grant 14 DF Brian Shelley

No. Position Player 15 MF Stephen Bradley 16 MF Stuart Byrne 17 FW Eamon Zayed 18 MF Paul Keegan 19 MF Sami Ristila 20 MF Shaun Williams 21 DF Andrew Hageman 22 FW Aidan O'Keefe 23 GK Mikko Vilmunen 24 FW Shane Barrett 26 MF Ollie Cahill 27 MF Richie Baker

External links

• Drogheda United Website
• Drogs on FAI.ie

Rotherham

 

PopulationOS grid referenceMetropolitan boroughMetropolitan countyRegionConstituent countrySovereign statePost townPostcode districtDial codePoliceFireAmbulanceEuropean Parliament

Rotherham

Coordinates: 53.4272° N 1.3452° W

117,262 (2001 Census[1])

SK4392

Rotherham.

South Yorkshire

Yorkshire and the Humber

England

United Kingdom

ROTHERHAM

S60-S63, S65-S66

01709

South Yorkshire

South Yorkshire

Yorkshire

Yorkshire and the Humber

List of places

Rotherham is a town in South Yorkshire, England, built upon the River Don near the confluence of the Don and the Rother. It lies in the Don Valley between Sheffield and Doncaster. The town is six miles from Sheffield city centre. It is the main town in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham. The population of the borough of Rotherham is 248,175, and that of the Rotherham urban sub-area 117,262.^[2]

History

While there were Iron Age and Roman settlements in the area now covered by the town, Rotherham itself was not founded until the Early Middle Ages. It soon established itself as a key Saxon market town, lying, as it does, on a Roman road near a forded part of the Don.

In the 1480s the Rotherham-born Archbishop of York, Thomas Rotherham, instigated the building of a college (The College of Jesus) to rival the colleges of Cambridge and Oxford. This and the stylish new parish church of All Saints made Rotherham an enviable and modern town at the turn of the 16th century. But the college was dissolved under the reign of Edward VI, its assets stripped for the crown. By the end of the 16th century, Rotherham had fallen from a fashionable college town to a notorious haven of gambling and vice. Nevertheless, the history of Thomas Rotherham and education in the town continues to be remembered in the name of Thomas Rotherham College.

 Industry

The region had been exploited for iron since Roman times, but it was coal that first brought the industrial revolution to Rotherham. The seams were the driving force behind the improvements to navigation along the Don, the various cuttings eventually forming the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation.

However, the iron resources were soon exploited, most notably by the Walker family, who built up something of an iron and steel empire in Rotherham. Throughout the 18th century, the Walker foundries produced high quality cannons, in addition to several early cast iron bridges, one of which was commissioned by Tom Paine.[1] Meanwhile, Joseph Foljambe established a factory to produce his Rotherham plough, the first commercially successful iron plough. The first Rotherham glassworks was set up in 1751, and went on to become Beatson Clark & Co., one of the town's largest manufacturers, exporting glass medicine bottles worldwide. In the 19th century other successful industries included pottery, brass making and the manufacture of cast iron fireplaces.

Rotherham iron was very highly regarded for its strength. Iron, and later steel, became the principal industry in Rotherham, surviving well into the 20th century. Steel, Peech and Tozer's massive Templeborough steelworks (now the Magna Science Adventure Centre) was, at its peak, over a mile long, employing 10,000 workers, and housing six electric arc furnaces producing 1.8 million tonnes of steel a year. The operation finally closed down in 1993.

The 1800s saw a massive expansion of Rotherham's cast iron industry, starting with the opening of the Effingham Ironworks in 1820, later becoming Yates Haywood & Co. Other major ironfounders included William Corbitt and Co.; George Wright and Co. of Burton Weir; Owen and Co., of Wheathill Foundry; Morgan Macauley and Waide, of the Baths Foundry; the Masbro’ Stove Grate Co., belonging to Messrs. Perrot; W. H. Micklethwait, and John and Richard Corker, of the Ferham Works.

The Parkgate Ironworks was first established in 1823 by Sanderson and Watson, and changed ownership several times. In 1854 Samuel Beal & Co produced the cast iron armour plating for Isambard Kingdom Brunel's famous steamship the SS Great Eastern[2] In 1864 the ironworks was taken over by the Parkgate Iron Co. Ltd, becoming the Park Gate Iron and Steel Company in 1888. The company was purchased by Tube Investments Ltd in 1956 and finally closed in 1974.

Beatson Clark & Co. was a family business until 1961, when it became a public company. The glassworks is still operating on the same site, although the family connection has ceased and the company is now owned by TT Group plc. Its main activities are still the manufacture and sale of glass containers for the pharmaceutical, food and drinks industries.

Rotherham continues to be amongst the leaders in advanced manufacturing in the UK. The Corus Engineering Steels (CES) plant in Rotherham continues to produce steel for a number of products worldwide, including Renault Formula 1 cars and the new Airbus A380 "super jumbo" aeroplane. It currently produces approximately 1.1 million tonnes of engineering steels each year.

Other precision manufacturing companies in the town include; AESSEAL, Newburgh Engineering, Precision Magnetics and Orkot Composites. Rotherham is also the location for the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP).

 Buildings

Despite its history, Rotherham is rather short on old (secular) buildings. The only surviving timber-framed structure is the empty, dilapidated, and much altered former Three Cranes pub (16th century). In fact much of Rotherham's town centre was knocked down and modernised during the course of the 20th century.

The town centre does, however, contain one of only four bridge chapels in the country: the 15th century Chapel of Our Lady of Rotherham Bridge (or "Chapel on the Bridge") on Chantry Bridge. The chapel was restored in 1923, having spent a good period of time as a tobacconist's shop.

Other buildings of note include the 15th century Minster (formerly All Saints parish church), and the 18th century Clifton House, which now houses Clifton Park Museum.

Boston Castle, which stands in the grounds of Boston Park, was originally constructed as a hunting lodge in 1776 by Thomas, 3rd Earl of Effingham to mark his opposition to British attempts to crush the American war of independence.It is named after Boston, Massachusetts, the scene of the Boston Tea Party.[3]

On the outskirts of Rotherham, a brick glassmaking furnace, the Catcliffe Glass Cone, is the oldest surviving structure of its type in Western Europe and one of only four remaining in the United Kingdom. Threatened with demolition in the 1960s, it has now been preserved as a Scheduled Ancient Monument and stands as a focal point in a sheltered housing complex

Beyond the town centre and away from the Don Valley, the Rotherham district is largely rural, containing a mixture of farming and mining communities as well as the large Wentworth Woodhouse estate, where the last surviving kiln of the Rockingham Pottery may still be seen.

At Maltby near Rotherham, the medieval ruins of the Cistercian Roche Abbey are a popular tourist destination.

 Town centre, shopping and entertainment

For a large town, Rotherham has a small catchement area, lying close to Sheffield, Doncaster and Barnsley. The large Meadowhall shopping centre lies a couple of miles from the town centre, just over the border in Sheffield, and many leisure facilities are found near it, in the Lower Don Valley. As a result, Rotherham town centre is smaller and less busy than the centre of many other towns its size.

The centre has some high street names, and a large BBC Screen in All Saints Square. The square features a fountain and is surrounded by bars, restaurants and shops.

The town centre is undergoing a transformation known as the Rotherham Renaissance with the aim of regeneration, including apartments, major high street stores, outdoor cafes and a new theatre. This project has already started, with apartments being built on the waterfront.

 Culture

The comedian Sandy Powell was born in Rotherham and the town has produced several entertainers who started on the Working men's club scene, such as Duggie Brown, brother of Coronation Street actress Lynne Perrie, Zulu 440, Paul Shane, Christopher Wolstenholme of Muse, the Chuckle Brothers, and footballer David Seaman also originated from Rotherham.

It is also a thriving haven of Classic and Progressive Rock, helped by the Classic Rock Society, and has spawned many bands, such as Deadline, Saxon, Jive Bunny, Bring Me the Horizon and This Girl. The poet and author A. R. Monday was also born in Rotherham.

Professor John Lee, known for the television shows Anatomy for Beginners and Autopsy: Life and Death is a consultant histopathologist at Rotherham General Hospital.

The Arctic Monkeys grew up in the area with the lead singer's father, David Turner, now teaching music at Rawmarsh School, Rawmarsh, Rotherham.

Since the late 1990s Rotherham has consolidated its reputation as a popular and exciting clubbing destination. The principal clubbing area runs from the "Blu Bambu" nightclub (Now Closed) on Ship Hill down to "Liquid". Interestingly, the local police station is situated between these two locations. Rotherham is also home of Snafu Rock bar, a prime location for the Rock and Metal Community within the area.

The town also has a Civic Theatre and an Arts Centre. Sean Bean made his stage debut at Rotherham Civic Theatre whilst still a student at Rotherham College of Arts and Technology.

Jarvis Cocker and Pulp played their first gig at Rotherham Arts Centre in 1980.

 Sport

Rotherham has a football team in the Football League One, Rotherham United, and a small second flight rugby union team, Rotherham R.U.F.C., currently playing under the name of Earth Titans. Hurdler Chris Rawlinson, Olympic silver medallist Peter Elliott and former England goalkeeper David Seaman are from Rotherham. ChampCar and ex-Formula 1 driver Justin Wilson is from Woodall, which is in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham.[4]

Politics

Denis MacShane is the current Member of Parliament for Rotherham. The politician William Hague is also from Rotherham.

 Twin towns

Rotherham is twinned with, among others:

• Saint-Quentin
• Kaiserslautern

References

1. ^ http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=3&b=276793&c=Rotherham&d=13&e=16&g=364445&i=1001x1003x1004&o=1&m=0&enc=1
2. ^ ONS

• Rotherham Timeline
• Rotherham Greats

Famous people from Rotherham

• Nazir Ahmed, politician
• David Artell, footballer
• Donald Bailey, civil engineer
• Nick Banks, musician
• Ian Breckin, footballer
• Chuckle Brothers, comedians
• Frank Brown, footballer
• Jo Callis, musician
• Lucy Clarkson, model
• Ebenezer Elliott, poet
• Peter Elliott, athlete
• Scott Flinders, footballer
• Charles Sydney Gibbes, tutor and monk
• Dave Godin, anarchist and musicologist
• Justine Greening, politician
• Simon Guy, cricketer
• Lee Hague, television presenter
• William Hague, former leader of the Conservative Party
• Matt Hamshaw, footballer
• Joe Hunter, cricketer
• Daisy Makeig-Jones, politician
• Joe Miller, commentator
• Laurie Millsom, footballer
• Steve Brookes, local busy body
• Lynne Perrie, actor
• Gervase Phinn, author
• Frederick Brian Pickering, metallurgist
• Sandy Powell, comedian
• Chris Rawlinson, athlete
• Frazer Richardson, footballer
• Archbishop Thomas Rotherham, cleric and minister
• Bishop Robert Sanderson, minister and logician
• David Seaman, former England national football team goalkeeper
• Paul Shane, comedian
• Raymond Unwin, town planner
• Colin Walker, footballer
• Michael Walsh, footballer
• Howard Webb, football referee
• Chris Wolstenholme, musician

External links

• Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council
• Rovvrem Forums
• Rotherhamweb
• Rotherham - The Unofficial Website
• Magna Science Adventure Centre
• Millers Mad
• Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP)
• Rotherham Community Safety & Advice Centre

Rotherham United F.C.