mayoralty house

Mayoralty House which was erected by the Corporation in 1765 to accommodate municipal receptions and other such functions. It is a finely detailed pedimented building, two storeys high, of local limestone. The windows on the ground floor are roundheaded, while an elegant venetian window on the upper storey lends further distinction to the house. The Mayoralty House was the scene of many notable events in the history of Drogheda, not least of which was the conferring in 1884 on Charles Stewart Parnell of the freedom of the Borough "in a silver box costing IR100.00 subscribed by the nationalists of the town". The building was disposed of by the Corporation some years ago to commercial interests, and the interior was consequently considerably altered to conform to its new usage. The large and elegant ballroom was completely ruined by its division into storeys, but fortunately the original ceiling, with its Georgian plasterwork decoration, remains untouched. It is now a showroom, and the present owner has restored the exterior stonework and renovated the interior.