Nano Reid: A Life in Paint - Drogheda Walking Tour

What to Expect

Nano Reid was born in Drogheda in 1900, the daughter of a publican, and went on to represent Ireland at the Venice Biennale and to become one of the most significant Irish painters of the twentieth century. This Heritage Week walking tour, led by local historian Brendan Matthews, traces that journey through the town that produced it. The route starts at Highlanes Gallery, which holds work by Reid in its collection, and moves out through the streets, buildings and river views that shaped what she painted.

The tour is as much about place as biography. Matthews uses Reid’s life to open up a wider Drogheda story of pubs, shopfronts, laneways and the Boyne itself, and the argument running through it is how an ordinary provincial town can produce an extraordinary way of seeing. Highlanes describes the walk as easy underfoot and rich in atmosphere, so it suits people with a general interest in art or local history rather than specialists only. It runs two hours, meeting in the Upper Gallery at Highlanes before setting out. Tickets are €6 per person plus the Eventbrite booking fee, and the gallery recommends bringing lunch and dressing for whatever the weather does.

Good to Know

• Friday 21 August 2026, 1pm to 3pm
• Meeting point: the Upper Gallery at Highlanes Gallery, 36 Saint Laurence Street, Drogheda
• €6 per person plus booking fee, booked through Eventbrite
• Guided by Brendan Matthews
• Part of National Heritage Week 2026
• Described as easy underfoot, but it is a two hour walk so wear comfortable shoes
• Dress for unpredictable weather and bring lunch if you want it

Getting There

Highlanes Gallery is on Saint Laurence Street in central Drogheda, in the converted Franciscan church a short walk from the Tholsel and West Street. Drogheda MacBride railway station is about 15 minutes on foot across the Boyne, on the Dublin to Belfast line. Bus Eireann and Matthews coaches stop in the town centre. Drivers should leave the M1 at junction 9 or 10 and use the Scotch Hall multi storey or the parking around Bolton Square, then walk, since the tour route is on foot from the gallery door.