Situated on 500 acres that take in much of the original battlefield, Oldbridge House provides an interpretative centre for those who wish to learn more about the Battle of the Boyne or to explore the battlefield itself. In recent years it has become a popular local amenity for the hinterland areas in Louth and Meath with the parklands now attracting c. 400,000 visitors per year, far in excess of the 100,000 projected when the site was designed.
Oldbridge Estate was acquired by the Irish State for the purpose of conserving and presenting the location of this pivotal event in Irish history, for current and future generations. The Battle of the Boyne site is primarily a historic battlefield and all operations are planned in line with the conservation, preservation and sustainable management of this important heritage site.
The OPW now intends to develop an updated Conservation Management Plan with reference to the unprecedented demand for the site and in order to plan for how we can best develop and manage the estate in the future. Key issues for consideration include the existing parking provision, which we acknowledge is at capacity, but additional parking development will require careful planning.
In terms of seating, we have recently redistributed seating on site in order to better serve visitors and will be introducing additional picnic tables in the coming weeks. The estate already offers an exciting experience for families and children and the OPW encourages visitors to engage with the natural landscape and biodiversity of the site as well as the built heritage and historic battle story.
Since the estate opened to the public in 2008, the OPW has continued to make capital investment in the estate in the order of €2.1m. There is no major capital allocation for Oldbridge at present but OPW will consider further significant investment when funding allows and in line with the recommendations arising from the new conservation management plan.
