Athletics in Drogheda 1861-2001 tells the story of how the modern sports of track & field, cross country and road racing made their seperate ways to the Boyneside town of Drogheda in Co. Louth. It chronicles the social conditions that initially confined such activities to a small section fo the community. Generally, the population outside of the upper classes could spectate, but they were frozen out of participation. The book explains why.

Gradually, with changes in society and the development of organisations like the Gaelic Athletic Association, GAA, the sport was embraced by the masses in a plethora of urban and rural clubs. In Drogheda the sport was a major crowd pulling activity until the 1960s ushered in a fundamental change int he Western World's lifestyle. The story of how Drogheda men and women became county, national and international athletic stars is relayed through a combination of events, social comment and individual profiles of the more prominent characters. The narrative encompasses the start of the twenty-first century.