Drogheda (MacBride) train station
Northern Commuter · Droichead Átha (Mhic Ghiolla Bhríde) · Co. Louth
About Drogheda (MacBride)
Drogheda’s first station opened on 26 May 1844 as the northern end of the Dublin and Drogheda Railway, about a quarter of a mile south-east of where trains call today. It was moved when the first, temporary Boyne Viaduct opened on 11 May 1853 and the line could finally continue across the river. The old site became Buckey’s sidings and has housed a railcar depot since 2000.
The present station is wrapped around a sharp curve on the southern approach to the viaduct, which is why trains ease into it so slowly. Three lines once ran through it; a refurbishment in 1997 took out the up platform road and widened the platform in its place. Just to the south the former Great Northern Railway branch to Oldcastle, built in stages between 1850 and 1863, peels away — it still carries traffic for Irish Cement and the Tara mine near Navan. The MacBride in the title was added on 10 April 1966 for John MacBride, one of the executed leaders of the Easter Rising. An approved railway order of 19 August 2025 would in time bring electrification north to here.
First and last trains from Drogheda (MacBride)
| Line and direction | Mon–Thu first – last | Friday first – last | Saturday first – last | Sunday first – last | Bank holiday first – last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern towards Dublin Connolly | 05:52 – 22:37 | 05:52 – 22:37 | 06:20 – 22:37 | 07:40 – 22:00 | 07:30 – 22:37 |
Departures from this station in the NTA’s published timetable for a representative week. A day type with no departures is shown as no service rather than filled in from another day.
From Drogheda (MacBride): Northern towards Dublin Connolly, about one train every 20 minutes at the busiest times (46 departures on a weekday).
Of the 46 weekday departures, 15 are InterCity or Enterprise services passing through; the rest are DART or Commuter trains. They run to Belfast.
Next stops from Drogheda (MacBride)
Running times to the adjoining stops, from the operators’ own timetables.
| Line | Next stop | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Northern | Balbriggan | 15.1 min |
Connections and interchange
- Iarnód Éireann timetables for the routes serving this station are published on its own station page.
Facilities
From Iarnód Éireann’s own station record. A facility that the operator does not list is left out rather than marked as absent.
Open for all services
Station Staffing Hours
Monday to Friday: 05:30 to 01:30
Saturday: 05:45 to 01:30
Sunday: 06:30 to 01:30
25th - 26th December: closed
Station Booking Office Opening Hours
Monday to Friday: 05:40 - 12:20
Saturday: 07:00- 14:00
Sunday: Closed
What is near Drogheda (MacBride)
The station is on the Dublin Road about fifteen minutes’ walk from the centre of Drogheda, uphill and across the Boyne, so most arrivals either walk down into the town or pick up a bus or taxi at the door. St Mary’s Hospital stands roughly 340 m away. The Boyne Viaduct immediately north of the platforms is the landmark here, carrying the Belfast line high over the river, and the town’s medieval gates and churches are on the far bank.
| Place | Straight-line distance from the station |
|---|---|
| St Mary's Hospital | 340 m |
Named places from OpenStreetMap within 400 m of the station. The distance is a straight line, not a walking route.
Frequently asked questions
John MacBride, one of the leaders executed after the 1916 Easter Rising. The station was given his name on 10 April 1966, the fiftieth anniversary of the Rising, as part of a national renaming. The Irish form is Droichead Átha (Mhic Ghiolla Bhríde).
About a quarter of a mile south-east of the present one. It served from 1844 until the passenger station was re-sited in 1853, when the first temporary Boyne Viaduct opened. The old site, known as Buckey’s sidings, has been a railcar depot since 2000.