The Boyne Valley Walking Festival is just around the corner! We travelled up to Drogheda to explore the area and see what attendees have in store for them this 15 to 22 September. Located only 45 minutes from Dublin city and 90 minutes from Belfast by either car, train or bus, Drogheda is an excellent day trip option this summer so it’s possible to attend the festival for a single day or several. The centrally located bus stop and ample parking sweeten the deal!
Book your Boyne Valley Walking Festival Experience – 15-22 September 2024
Enter Our Competition
- 1-night stay (bed only) at The Marcy on Friday 20th September for two people
- 2 tickets for the Boyne Camino walk on Saturday 21st starting at 9:30 am
- 2 Camino passports to collect stamps along the route
- 2 Boyne Camino t-shirts
Brendan Matthews History Tour
What better way to start my day that by meeting up with community historian Brendan Matthews who is a walking guide at the upcoming Boyne Valley Walking Festival. It was evident from the outset that Brendan is exceptionally passionate about the area’s history and incredibly knowledgeable too. Introductions soon gave way to detailed, chronological historical accounts of Drogheda as we walked the streets. Our walk was punctuated by stops to admire and learn about the history of the area. We learned about everything from Georgian architecture to Norman lookouts that are thought to have been built on a Neolithic burial site!
Book Brendan’s Hidden Gems of Drogheda Walk
As well as showing me Drogheda through a historical lens, I also saw some of the incredible artistic murals on display in Drogheda. There are six incredible murals dotted around the town all of which feature key figures or moments from Irish mythology. The most striking for me was the Cailleach, or the Witch. In Irish mythology, the figure would have ruled over winter. She is positioned to welcome visitors into the town centre and is visible on the way back to the town centre after completing the Boyne Valley Camino.
Book the Myths and Legends of Drogheda Walk
The Boyne Valley is “riddled with historical sites,” according to Brendan. This is no surprise, especially when you consider that Brú na Bóinne, the site of the famous Newgrange, is located there. The prehistoric burial chamber is situated only 8km outside Drogheda Town. The structure, which is older than the Egyptian Pyramids, is a passage tomb that would have played a huge role in society in Neolithic times. Because of this significance, Newgrange is a UNESCO World Heritage Site – and just one of three on the island of Ireland.
Book the Brú na Bóinne Walk
My tour with Brendan gave me a new appreciation for the streets I walked down. I thought about the layers of history that this town has seen, from early human times and pre-Christian Ireland to the Battle of the Boyne and beyond. Brendan is a fountain of knowledge and his passion is contagious. I’m no history buff, but after a walking tour with Brendan, I found myself being more curious, asking more questions, and reflecting on our unique Irish history.
Get Inspired on Brendan’s ‘Drogheda & the Wars of Three Kingdoms’ Walk
Evalynn Café
During our history tour we grabbed a cup of coffee at Evalynn Café in the centre of Drogheda and in the shadow of the stunning St Peter’s Parish. This cosy café serves some delicious speciality coffee, and their cinnamon knot is a must-get! Evalynn is an excellent coffee shop, and I would highly recommend it. I returned to Evalynn later that day as it is one of the local businesses that provide stamps for the Boyne Valley Camino. I had a busy day before I was back!
Grab a Coffee at Evalynn
Lunch in Nelly’s Drogheda
With my brain still in the Neolithic period, I wandered into Nelly’s on West Street, an old-style cosy Irish pub with a stylish, modern twist. And the food was a nice as the decor! A tasty burger accompanied by crispy chips and washed down with an ice-old draught alcohol-free beer – nice! As well as being a great place to get a midday feed, Nelly’s also has a great range of signature cocktails to wrap off your day with your mates. And the bar is also one of the local businesses that provides Camino walkers with their stamps. After lunch, I collected one of these iconic stamps and headed off to meet Áine from the Boyne Valley Camino.
Eat at Nelly’s this September
Boyne Valley Camino
The 25km Boyne Camino is part of the official Celtic Camino, connecting with the famous Camino de Santiago in Spain. Áine from Boyne Valley Camino told me about the inspiration behind setting up the Boyne Valley Camino as we found the first of the 70 iconic shell signs that line the route. The Celtic Camino retraces the paths of early Irish pilgrims and highlights the cultural and religious ties between Ireland and mainland Europe during the medieval period. Pilgrims can walk at least 25km of the Celtic Camino in Ireland, and then continue their pilgrimage 75km from the port town of A Coruña in Galicia to Santiago to obtain the coveted Compostela certificate of completion. This route seamlessly integrates the historic Boyne Valley into the broader Camino de Santiago tradition that is celebrated all over Europe.
Discover More About The Boyne Valley Camino
The Boyne Camino route makes its way to Mellifont Abbey along country lanes, through Coillte forests and along rivers. Established in 1142, Mellifont Abbey was Ireland’s first Cistercian monastery. The site is now managed by the OPW and is the perfect halfway point on the Boyne Valley Camino. After enjoying some respite and moments of reflection, we began making our way back towards Drogheda. On our way back, we walked through the site of the historic Battle of the Boyne.
As we crossed the Obelisk Bridge, we took a moment to think about the 36,000 troops who fought here in 1690 as King William III and King James II battled for control of Ireland, Scotland and England. Our final stop on the route was in Tullyallen Village. Áine promised me that the 99s in the Tullyallen’s Centra were special, and she was right! I have never held such a large 99 in my life! It kept me going for the rest of the route back along the beautiful River Boyne into Drogheda. A few kilometres from Drogheda you pass under the iconic Mary McAleese bridge on a beautiful riverside boardwalk with birds and bees flying around you. Surrounded by nature, you feel completely detached from the busy M1 overhead.
Book the Boyne Valley Camino Walk
Swim at Clogherhead
After a day on my feet exploring the Boyne Valley, the sea was calling. The Boyne Valley is not often associated with trips to the beach but with over 50km of sandy beaches nearby, it should be! The beaches stretch from Balbriggan in north Dublin to Blackrock in north Louth. I made my way to Clogherhead for a swim. A short 16-minute drive, or 22-minute bus journey (the 168 bus) from Drogheda, brings you to this quaint little village that boasts a stunning sandy Blue Flag beach that is lifeguard patrolled during the bathing season.
The Boyne Valley Walking Festival – Everything You Need To Know
The beach has public toilets, a beach café and an RNLI gift shop. With sand between my toes, I dived right into the Irish Sea and cooled off in style! Is there any better way to feel brand new?
Swim at Clogherhead
Dinner at The Smuggler’s Rest
The swim was the perfect way to work up an appetite too so I headed to the nearby Smuggler’s Rest for some grub. The Captain’s Fish & Chips was the best I have had in a long time. It was the perfect way to finish an epic day in the Boyne Valley.
Eat at Smuggler’s Rest
An Easy Drive or Train Journey
Transport to and from Drogheda was a breeze. In the morning, I had hopped on the M50, heading northbound against the traffic, and cruised up to Drogheda, the town of the church spires. There was ample parking in the town but I opted to park at Haymarket Car Park as the day rate was a reasonable €8.
Flexible tickets on the train are less than €10 each way, and, with 20 services daily, you won’t be waiting for a train for long. The fastest services only take 39 minutes too, which makes the train a tempting option for your trip to Drogheda.
The bus takes a bit longer from Dublin, at least 55 minutes. However, with ticket prices starting at €5.75 and the bus station being more central than the train station, it may be a good option for your trip.
As I cruised back home on the M1 crossing the Mary McAleese Bridge I felt inspired by the Boyne Valley. It is a gem that is often overlooked as an outdoor tourism destination. With beautiful hills, incredible history and epic beaches nearby, the Boyne Valley is the perfect place for a walking festival. The Boyne Valley Trails Festival will take place from 15 to 22 September 2024. We hope you’ll head up for a day or several and enjoy all that this great festival has to offer!
The Boyne Valley Trails Festival 2024 – Not To Be Missed!
