← All events
heritage · Saturday 22 August 2026 · 11:00 - 16:00 
Living History at Oldbridge - Battle of the Boyne
At Oldbridge Estate, Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre · Oldbridge, near Drogheda, Co. Louth
At Oldbridge Estate, Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre · Oldbridge, near Drogheda, Co. Louth
The 1st of July 1690 was one of the most consequential days in Irish history, and Oldbridge Estate is the place where it happened. This Heritage Week event brings that day back to life across two days, with costumed re-enactors from Laoch Living History taking over the grounds to show exactly what it looked like - and sounded like - to be a 17th-century soldier on the banks of the Boyne. It suits families, history enthusiasts, and anyone curious about the period who wants something more engaging than a museum case.
Laoch Living History field a wide cast of characters across the two days: musketeers, pikemen, halberdiers, artillery gunners, barber-surgeons, blacksmiths, sutlers, monks, and soldiers drawn from across 17th-century Europe. You can walk up and talk to them, watch black powder musketry demonstrations, and get a sense of what daily camp life looked like beyond the battlefield itself.
The centrepiece is a costumed battlefield walk at 14:00 each day, led by historian Tóla Collier. Tóla covers the tactics, the geography of the river crossing, the commanders on both sides - Williamite and Jacobite - and the wider European context that made this battle matter well beyond Ireland. It runs about an hour and is worth planning your visit around.
The visitor centre itself has permanent displays on the campaign and the archaeology of the estate, so it is worth arriving when doors open at 11:00 to work through those before the afternoon walk. There is outdoor space throughout the estate grounds for the re-enactors, so wear comfortable shoes and dress for the weather.
Oldbridge Estate sits about 5 km west of Drogheda, off the N51. By car from Dublin it is roughly 45 minutes via the M1 motorway to Drogheda, then follow signs for the Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre. From Belfast the drive is about an hour on the M1 south. Parking is available on site at no charge.
Bus Eireann serves Drogheda from Dublin and Belfast; from Drogheda town centre the estate is not easily walkable, so a taxi or car is the practical option for the final stretch.
Drogheda itself is worth a wander - St. Laurence Gate, one of the finest town gates in Ireland, is a short walk from the main street, and Millmount Fort offers good views over the town and estuary. There is more to see in Drogheda and across Co. Louth.
Heading to Oldbridge Estate, Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre in Drogheda? Louth has plenty more to see. Read the Drogheda area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.