Could this be Ireland’s newest city?
A petition has been handed to the Oireachtas by the Drogheda City Status group underlining the reasons why Drogheda should be given city status. The petition gained over 3,000 names within the past three weeks.
The petition follows a formal submission that was made by the same group earlier this month, in which it was outlined that the 2016 census points to the fact that the greater Drogheda area had a population of over 83,000. This is a greater population than Waterford City, and is the fifth largest in the state.
This report also outlines how the former Municipal Borough of Drogheda, together with the adjoining Louth and Meath rural areas, have increased in population by almost 80% between 1996 and 2016. The population has risen from 46,451 to 83,042 at a time when the average national increase was 31.22%.
The Chairman of Drogheda City Status group, Vincent Hoey, said: “Such is the strength of feeling in Drogheda and its environs about securing city status that within a matter of a few weeks we have collected over 3,000 signatures demanding what is effectively an administrative mechanism where we have joined up thinking into how we can run our affairs.
“Dual administration, split between Co Meath and Co Louth, of a large urban centre like Drogheda does not work. It makes absolute sense to grant city status where we can have one municipal authority planning for the future.
“This is a once in a generation opportunity to effect real change in how we can best advance our residential, economic, business and community interests under the National Planning Framework. It makes sense and we believe it can and must happen.”
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