Overview
St Peter’s sits on West Street in the middle of Drogheda, an 1884 church in French Gothic Revival style built from local limestone. The pointed arches and 222-foot (68m) spire are a landmark for the town, but the reason many visitors come is smaller and stranger than the building: the shrine of St Oliver Plunkett, which holds his preserved head along with other relics. Some visitors, children especially, may find a preserved head confronting, so it is worth knowing before you go.
St Peter’s is an active parish church. Give worshippers space, and ask the parish about access to the shrine before you visit.
The shrine of St Oliver Plunkett
St Oliver Plunkett (1625–1681) was Archbishop of Armagh, hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn in London on a fabricated charge of treason. His head was rescued and preserved, and after his beatification in 1920 and canonisation in 1975 it was enshrined here. The shrine also holds his shoulder blade and other bones, and the door of his cell from Newgate prison in London.
The church draws more pilgrims around his feast day, 1 July. The parish history and the Archdiocese of Armagh’s page on the shrine give the background to the relic and the shrine.
Architecture and interior
The exterior is local limestone ashlar from the Sheephouse quarries, a warm, honey-coloured stone against dark slate. The church runs to 161 feet in length and 222 feet to the top of the spire, designed by the architects J. O’Neill and W.H. Byrne. Inside, the nave is lined with more than forty stained-glass windows – biblical scenes, Irish saints and local history – and a large rose window above the main door shifts the light across the marble high altar through the day.
History
There has been a Catholic church on this site since 1791; parts of that earlier building were incorporated into the present one. As the congregation grew through the 19th century, the architects O’Neill and Byrne were commissioned to design the larger memorial church you see today, completed in 1884.
Visiting and practical information
St Peter’s is a working parish church, so visits fit around services rather than fixed visitor hours. Check St Peter’s Parish for current service times, and contact the parish before you travel if you want to see the shrine or need help with access. The parish telephone number is listed on the website.
Check the parish website too for any events at the church, such as the annual St Oliver festival, before you plan around them.
Getting there
- By train: Drogheda station is on the Dublin–Belfast line; the church is a short walk from the station.
- By bus: bus services link Drogheda with Dublin, Dundalk and Belfast; check current timetables for stops near West Street.
- By car: from the M1, take the N52 Drogheda exit and follow signs to the town centre and West Street. Check local signs for parking restrictions.
- On foot: the church is central, near the Bridge of Peace and within easy reach of the Barbican Centre and the town’s hotels.
Nearby attractions
- Highlanes Gallery – a contemporary art space in a restored 19th-century building, a short walk away.
- Millmount Cultural Quarter – Millmount Fort, the martello tower and museum, across the river.
- Magdalene Tower – the surviving tower of the 13th-century Dominican friary, with views over the Boyne.
- Boyne Valley heritage – the church is a handy start for Newgrange and the Hill of Tara, both on the Boyne Valley Drive.
Combine a visit with the other sights close by, and check the parish website for service times before you set off.