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seasonal · Sunday 19 July 2026 · 11:00am 
Battle of the Boyne Living History - 17th Century Re-enactment
At Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre - Oldbridge Estate · Oldbridge House, Oldbridge, Drogheda, Co. Meath
At Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre - Oldbridge Estate · Oldbridge House, Oldbridge, Drogheda, Co. Meath
One Sunday each summer, Oldbridge Estate becomes a place where the 17th century feels close enough to touch. The OPW’s living history programme brings Laoch Living History performers onto the battlefield grounds - musketeers, pikemen, artillery gunners, halberdiers, blacksmiths, monks, barber-surgeons, and soldiers drawn from across 17th-century Europe. It is a free afternoon out that suits families, anyone curious about Irish history, and visitors who want more than a walk around a monument.
From 11am to 4pm, costumed re-enactors spread across the parkland of Oldbridge Estate and recreate the world of 1690. You can talk to the performers, watch infantry drill under the eye of a period Drill Sergeant, and see demonstrations of musketry and artillery. The range of characters on show covers both sides of the conflict and the civilian life that sat behind the armies - the sutler selling supplies, the monk tending the wounded.
At 2pm, costumed historian Tóla Collier leads a guided battlefield walk, meeting at the front of Oldbridge House. The walk covers the tactics, geography, and key personalities of the Battle of the Boyne - useful context whether you know the history well or are coming to it fresh. The estate’s indoor visitor centre is also open, with original weapons, life-size figures of both kings, a laser battlefield model, and exhibitions telling the full story of the 1690 campaign.
The estate covers 200 acres, so wear comfortable shoes. The walled gardens and tea pavilion give you a place to rest between the action.
Oldbridge Estate sits just outside Drogheda, off the M1 motorway. From Dublin or Belfast, take exit 9 on the M1 and follow signs for Donore Village - the estate is signposted from there. Free parking is available on site. If you are travelling by bus, TFI Local Link Route 163 (Athboy to Drogheda) runs eight times daily and serves the estate. Note that a section of Oldbridge Road is closed to vehicle traffic on event days, but pedestrian access is maintained throughout.
Drogheda has a strong medieval and early modern history of its own - St Laurence’s Gate, Millmount Fort, and the Boyne Valley stretching west toward Newgrange are all within easy reach. There is more to see in Drogheda and across Co. Meath.
Heading to Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre - Oldbridge Estate? Meath has plenty more to see. Browse the area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.