Boyne site set for boost on the back of Bertie
Tuesday May 06 2008
THE number of visitors to the Battle of the Boyne site is expected to increase fivefold after the new visitors' centre is officially opened today by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and the North's First Minister Ian Paisley.
The site on the banks of the Boyne river, near Drogheda, was developed under the auspices of the Good Friday Agreement, with the Government providing €30m in funding.
There were around 20,000 official visitors to the site last year; this is now expected to rise to 100,000, most of whom will probably also visit another attraction in the region.
The new centre has as its focal point the refurbished Oldbridge Hall, the former home of the Coddington family. The large estate house overlooks the site of the 1690 battle. The site is within the zone of the Bru na Boinneworld heritage site.
An Bord Pleanala is expected to give a decision this week on plans for 745 houses near Oldbridge. The proposed housing estate is earmarked for a 27-hectare site and was approved by Meath county council last year.
The developers are Niall Mellon and Pat O'Reilly, who recently contributed to the development of a 2.5km walkway along the Boyne river from the Bridge of Peace in Drogheda to Rathmullen.
- Elaine Keogh
