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Civic Honours

The Council under Section 74 of the Local Government Act, 2001 may confer Civic Honours on a distinguished person. This on rare occasion can include allowing the admission of a person to the honorary freedom of its administrative area. The following is the roll of honours previously given.

Freedom of County Louth 

Date Granted Name
25th June 2016Mr. Joe Biden, Vice President of United States of America

Civic Honours Awarded by Louth County Council 

Year Granted Name 
1998Josie KiernanMountaineer
2000Táin Ceili Band
2000Dr Sean McDonaghDundalk Institute of Technology (DKIT)
2000Thomas GernonWinner of Aer Lingus Young Scientist of Year
1957 - 2006Dermot O Brien & Louth All Ireland Winners
2009Tallanstown Tidy TownTidy Town’s Winners
2022Amy BroadhurstWorld Boxing Champion (Civic Honours Scroll)

Freedom of Drogheda 

Date Granted Name
1st February 1877Isaac Butt Esq
1st February 1877Benjamin Whitworth Esq MP
1st February 1881Charles Stewart Parnell MP
2nd October 1882Sir Garnet Holsey KCB
7th May 1888John Dillon MP
12th December 1889Rt. Hon. G.J. Shaw Lefevre
27th July 1904His Eminence, Cardinal Vincent VanitelliPapal Legate to Ireland
19th February 1902John Edward Redmond MPLeader of the Irish Nationalist Parliamentary Party
14th September 1909Captain E. O’Meagher Condon
14th September 1909John O’Callaghan EsqBoston, USA
30th June 1914His Grace, The Most Reverend
John J. Glennon D.D.		Archbishop of St. Louis
17th March 1915Lance Corporal William Kenny V.C.Greenhills, Drogheda
17th August 1920His Grace, The Most Reverend
Daniel Mannix D.D.		Archbishop of Melbourne
28th June 1932His Eminence Cardinal Lorenzo
Lauri		On the occasion of his visit to Drogheda during the 31st International Eucharistic
Congress
27th November 1935Eamonn De ValeraPresident, Irish Free State
1st August 1939Seán T. O’Reilly T.D.Minister for Local Government and Public
Health
15th February 1953His Eminence John Cardinal D’AltonArchbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland
16th December 1956Right Reverend Monsignor John
F. Stokes, P.P. V.G.		St. Peter’s Drogheda
26th April 1959His Eminence Cardinal CushingArchbishop of Boston, USA
31st July 1962His Eminence Michael Cardinal Browne O.P.On the occasion of his visit to Drogheda following his elevation to the Sacred College
of Cardinals
25th August 1964Right Reverend Monsignor Henry Farrell P.P. V.G.St. John’s Perth, Ontario, Canada
13th May 1965His Eminence William Cardinal ConwayOn the occasion of his visit to Drogheda following his elevation to the Sacred College
of Cardinals
6th June 1966Reverend Mother Mary Martin,
Mother General		Medical Missionaries of Mary
29th September 1979His Holiness Pope John Paul II
19th March 1980His Eminence Tomás Cardinal Ó FiaichOn the occasion of his visit to Drogheda following his elevation to the Sacred College of Cardinals
28th July 1980Right Reverend Monsignor James Lennon
28th June 1990Dr. Patrick J. HilleryUachtarán na hÉireann
5th July 1992His Eminence Cahal Cardinal DalyArchbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland
3rd April 1993Mary RobinsonUachtarán na hÉireann
14th April 1997

Brother Edmund Garvey

(*see note at end of Page)

Congregation Leader of the Christian Brothers
12th December 1999Dr. Thomas K. WhitakerPublic Servant
11th May 2001John Hume MP MEPNobel Peace Laureate
27th June 2002Gary KellyProfessional Footballer
12th May 2010Oliver MurphyFounding Member of the Irish Wheelchair Association
9th May 2013Garda Patrick Morrissey(Posthumous) who gave his life in the service of his country on 27th June 1985
24th October 2013Father Ignatius O’DonovanAugustinian Prior Drogheda 1993 -1997 and 2007 - 2013
22nd May 2015Michael D. HigginsA life devoted to public service, creativity and advocacy
8th June 2018Séamus MallonA life devoted to public service, human dignity and advocacy
10th January 2020Ambassador Geraldine Byrne NasonDedicated service to public life

* On Monday the 4th of September 2023 the Elected Members of the Borough District of Drogheda voted “to no longer acknowledge Edmund Garvey as Freeman of Drogheda”