Drogheda Millmount Museum

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Millmount Museum and Martello Tower are situated on high ground in the heart of Drogheda near to where the river Boyne. Shortly after the Anglo-Norman King Henry II granted him the Kingdom of Meath in 1172, Hugh de Lacy constructed a motte and bailey on a huge mound overlooking the River Boyne. A more substantial stone fort replaced the earlier structure. According to Irish mythology, the mound was the burial place of Amergin mac Míled, druid, bard and judge of the Milesians. Amergin was the son of Míl Espáine and brother of éremón (see Myths & Legends, p. 52). The true origin of the mound is unclear, however, it is thought that it may be a large passage tomb, similar to those at nearby Brú na Bóinne. This castle formed part of the defences of the town during Cromwell's siege of Drogheda in 1649. The garrison was massacred when they surrendered to Parliamentarian troops on September 11th, 1649. In the early 1800s the earlier Fortifications were demolised and replaced by a Martello Tower as part of a series of defences erected along the Irish coast by the British in expectation of an invasion by Napoleon Bonaparte. Millmount Museum houses various exhibitions dealing with archaeology, folklife, local history, geology, industry and military history. The museum also contains one of the four surviving examples of an ancient type of fishing vessel, called a coracle, that were once a common sight on the Boyne. Coracles were made of wicker and covered with animal hide, or more recently with canvas. It was almost operated by two people – one paddling at the bow, the other manning the nets. Millmount Cultural Quarter offers a wide ranging experience including the museum, martello tower and an array of craft shops, artists' studios and a café.

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