Regulars on north-bound trains out of Connolly station will be aware of the huge increase in passengers travelling to work from Drogheda every day. The diningcar of the seven o'clock Enterprise on Friday evenings is packed with young Drogheda commuters getting together and relaxing after the week's work. Anywhere within 30 miles of the capital with a good rail service is an obvious choice for buyers looking for affordable housing and a less stressful lifestyle. A definite bonus is that, beyond the suburban sprawl, these towns are separate communities with a history and character of their own. More often than not, they are friendly places which welcome the contributions newcomers can make to the life of the town.

Drogheda's quays have come to life with smart new cafes and furniture shops. The focus of Drogheda has begun to shift towards the river since several old warehouses and mills along North Quay were redeveloped into apartments. Urban renewal has been so successful that, according to one auctioneer, run-down buildings in the town are "like gold dust" and make big money when they come on the market.

A new bridge over the Boyne from the dual-carriageway to Dwyer Street is under construction. On the south side, a multi-storey car park will alleviate one of the most pressing problems in the town. The current one-way system is confusing to visitors, although traffic flows have improved. A pub/restaurant, apartments and retail units are also planned for the Dwyer Street side of the new bridge.

The concentration of development activity on the north side of the river is immediately obvious. There is said to be tension between Drogheda Corporation and Meath County Council over which of them controls the southern outskirts of the town and the issue is not yet clarified. The problem stems from the town's origins as two separate towns on either bank of the Boyne, subsequently joined by royal charter in 1412. With Drogheda's expansion over the years, part of the town now lies in Co Meath and the other in Co Louth. This has created a totally separate look for each side of the river, with southside houses larger and with lower Meath densities.

While the south bank industrial estate remains somewhat derelict at present, there is talk that a major supermarket chain may move here from their town centre location. The local chamber of commerce has just built a new premises in the old McDonnell's factory south of the river.

Currently under way on the north side is a new 44,000 sq ft shopping centre on Laurence Street being constructed by local man Gerry Maguire close to the ancient St Laurence's Gate. And Shannon Homes has just announced a £250 million development at Colpe, on the Dublin side of the River Boyne. This will include 900 houses and apartments, an office park, shops, a leisure centre, nursing home, two football pitches and 43 acres of parkland.

Everywhere in Drogheda there are signs of the past. It's a hilly town, with narrow streets of terraced houses and small shops running up from the river. Its ancient history is never far away, with the twin-towered St Laurence's Gate a reminder that Drogheda is essentially a Norman town.

Remnants of some of the old friaries still exist, including the picturesque Augustinian Abbey of St Mary D'Urso on Narrow West Street, now surrounded by tiny artisan cottages. The belfry of the 13th-century Dominican Friary of St Mary Magdalene stands where Richard III received the fealty of the Ulster chiefs. The town's fame as the location of the Battle of the Boyne attracts regular streams of visitors, as do the megalithic tombs of Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth close by. Houses have remained surprisingly inexpensive, despite the abundance of amenities, excellent rail link and good road network. Residents can get to a number of good beaches within half an hour and there are several golf courses in the area.

Some of the best property bargains in town are the quaint artisan cottages on streets with old-fashioned names echoing trades of older times. Dyer Street was where linens manufactured in the town were dyed, livestock were watered at a well in Stockwell Street and fetlers or loom mechanics once lived on Fetler's Lane.

Currently on the market is a two-bedroom terraced house with Gunne Residential on Magdalene Street for £85,000. Another two-up-two-down at Greenhills with Brady Estates is asking £80,000 and a three-bedroom single-storey cottage on Platten Road with Thomas Byrne has a price tag of "around £100,000". The latter has the added benefit of a large south-facing rear garden. Larger period houses are mostly in commercial use and rarely come on the market as private homes. Gunne is currently selling a beautiful four-bedroom Georgian town house on St Peter's Place, asking for offers around £350,000.

Modern three and four-bedroom semidetached and detached houses on the outskirts of the town are in plentiful supply. With the rail station on the south side of the river, prices here are higher. Much of the interest is coming from families living in the north Dublin suburbs, who realise they can buy a large detached house in Drogheda for the same price as their semi in Artane or Raheny.

Wheaton Hall is one of the southside schemes close to the rail station. Sullivan is selling a four-bed detached house on Forest View in Wheaton Hall, asking in excess of £180,000. Another on the same cul-de-sac is for sale with Thomas Byrne, priced at £163,500. Sherry FitzGerald Lannon has a Wheaton Hall three-bed semi for in the region of £125,000, a four-bed detached at £169,000 and a threebedroom detached bungalow for £140,000. Other estates off the Dublin Road include Stameen and Beaubec. Sullivan is selling a three-bedroom bungalow in Beaubec for circa £160,000. Gunne has a four-bed detached on Beaubec for £180,000 and a threebed detached on Stameen, asking £150,000. Robert Daly is selling a detached four-bed house at Bryanstown Village for £300,000.

A new development due to come on the market on the north side of town - the first by Manor Park Homes in the Drogheda area - is expected to lead to a second rail station in the Greenhills district. The impending Drogheda bypass and perimeter ring road could finally persuade Dublin buyers to cross the Boyne. Those with an eye to the future are investing here in the expectation that housing will rise in value. Houses north of the town on estates like Westcourt, Ashfield and Brookville are about 10 per cent cheaper than their southside counterparts at present. Sullivan is selling a four-bedroom semi at Shrewsbury Manor in Greenhills for £130,000 and another which was a showhouse for £115,000. Sherry FitzGerald Lannon is selling a four-bedroom detached house on Westcourt, asking £148,000.

Robert Daly is quoting over £350,000 for a Greenhills bungalow on an acre with a further two acres zoned industrial/office to the rear.

Drogheda people trading up often move out to Termonfeckin and Baltray to be close to the sea and golf courses. Gunne has a 3,000 sq ft four-bedroom detached house on half an acre at Baltray for sale for excess £325,000. Robert Daly is selling three very large four-bedroom houses on a new scheme beside the fairways of Seapoint Golf Club, costing from £250,000.

Apartments are a scarce commodity at present, although the supply will improve with new riverside developments coming on stream soon. Robert Daly is selling a two-bed apartment in the centre of town on Fair Street, asking around £90,000 and Gunne has a block of four two-bed apartments at Wheaton Hall for £115,000 each. Thomas Byrne is selling a two-bed cottage style townhouse on Fair Street for £100,000.

Ex-Corporation houses are always a good buy. Sullivan is selling a three-bed mid-terrace at Rathmullen Park for early £80,000s and another on Pearse Park looking for offers over £85,000. For frustrated city househunters, there is an abundance of affordable houses in every price bracket just waiting to be discovered. They will find out for themselves that Drogheda is a delightful and sophisticated town with its own very attractive character.

Plus

Good supply of period houses

Plenty of affordable housing

Excellent rail/road transport

Beaches

Minus

Scarcity of parking

Traffic Congestion