New atlas of Drogheda presented to President Michael D. Higgins

President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins received an advance copy of Irish Historic Towns Atlas, no. 29 Drogheda/Droichead Átha from author Ned Mc Hugh on 15 April 2019, in Áras an Uachtaráin.

The presentation was followed by afternoon tea and a general discussion on the rich built heritage of Drogheda. President Higgins commented that ‘for heritage to arrive, history must come first’ and congratulated Ned and the IHTA team in the Royal Irish Academy for their contribution to this process.  

The publication marks that culmination of many years work by Ned Mc Hugh and the team in the Irish Historic Towns Atlas project, which is based in the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin. The new atlas captures the development and history of Drogheda from its foundation in the late twelfth century through to the present day. It includes spectacular maps, paintings and views of Drogheda dating as far back as the 1580s as well as a detailed text and specially-produced thematic maps.

The prestigious Irish Historic Towns Atlas project is part of an international scheme and Drogheda will join over 530 other towns and cities that have been produced by the wider European project. The publication has also received generous local support from Louth County Council and the Highlanes Gallery, Drogheda. The maps are produced in association with Ordnance Survey Ireland. 

The author Ned Mc Hugh is a retired teacher and native of Drogheda. He has published a variety of papers on the social and political history of the town.

(Click to view slideshow)

Ned Mc Hugh was joined by his wife Mary, Joan Martin (CEO, Louth County Council), Aoife Ruane (Curator, Highlanes Gallery, Drogheda), Angela Dullaghan (Conservation Officer, Louth County Council) and members of the editorial team from the Irish Historic Towns Atlas, Royal Irish Academy: Sarah Gearty (Cartographic and Managing Editor), Jennifer Moore (Editorial Assistant), Professor Raymond Gillespie (Editor) and Dr Michael Potterton (Editor).

Irish Historic Towns Atlas no. 29 Drogheda/Droichead Átha by Ned Mc Hugh, is published by the Royal Irish Academy and will be released in May 2019, price €35.

Photography by John Ohle.