St Peter's Church and the Shrine of St Oliver Plunkett
About
The tall Gothic church halfway along West Street is St Peter's, and inside it, in a gilded case beside the north aisle, is the preserved head of St Oliver Plunkett. Plunkett was born at Loughcrew in Co. Meath in 1625, ordained in Rome in 1654, appointed Archbishop of Armagh in 1669, arrested on a charge of treason in 1679 and executed at Tyburn in London in 1681 after a trial no Irish jury would have delivered. The shrine also holds other relics and the door of the Newgate cell he spent his last days in. It is worth knowing before you go that this is a working parish church with daily Mass, not a museum, and the signs asking for quiet are meant. It is also worth knowing that Drogheda has two St Peter's: this Catholic one on West Street, and the Church of Ireland St Peter's up on the hill off Magdalene Street, whose churchyard holds the town's famous cadaver tombstone and whose predecessor building burned during the siege of 1649. Locals will assume you mean whichever one they mean, so name the street.
Photos
Highlights
- ✓The gilded shrine holding St Oliver Plunkett's preserved head
- ✓Other relics and the door of his cell in Newgate prison
- ✓The 1884 church by John O'Neill and William Henry Byrne on the site of a 1793 church by Francis Johnston
- ✓A short walk from the Tholsel and the town's main shopping street
Tips
- →This is a working parish church with Mass most mornings; time a visit around the services rather than through them.
- →Do not confuse it with St Peter's Church of Ireland off Magdalene Street, which is a different building with a different history.
- →There is no admission charge; a donation box sits near the shrine.
Best Season
More Attraction Activities
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The Anglo-Norman mound above the south bank, with a Martello tower on top, the Old Drogheda Society's museum around its base, and the best view in the town.
Highlanes Gallery
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St Laurence's Gate and the Town Walls
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