Drogheda Port could be where cruise ships will visit if a long-term vision for the northeast area is realised, Louth councillors heard at their meeting in December.
Plans to develop the cruise industry at the northeast port into a viable, attractive stopping point for the sector, however, will require a coordinated approach from all stakeholders involved, councillors were told at the meeting.
Commenting on the development, Gerard Deegan, Chairperson of Drogheda Port Company, had presented to the councillors an outline of the activities, progress, and future plans of the regional port authority.
"We have a vision for Drogheda, and that vision is to deliver a high-quality, environmentally sustainable service for the benefit of our customers, the community, and the county."
He added, “We like to feel we have big ambitions,” adding that Drogheda Port is the fifth largest port in the country overall and is the oldest indigenous company in the town and a local employer since 1790.
Turnover at the port town and downriver berths on the Boyne estuary over the last decade has increased from €3 million in 2015 to €12 million this year. The number of employees at the port has also increased in recent years from 19 to 40 staff in 2025.
The Irish Independent has much more on the story of Drogheda Port, which welcomed the historic first cruise ship call in 2012, as Afloat reported of the Clipper Adventurer with its 122-passenger capacity.
The 4,367 gross ton cruise ship built in 1975 and operated by Noble Caledonia entered the mouth of the Boyne to berth at the Tom Roes Terminal, downriver of the port town’s quays.
