The Broadmeadow River or Broad Meadow Water, is a river of County Meath and northern County Dublin, about 25 kilometres (16 mi) long. It opens into a wide estuary between Swords and Malahide, and reaches the open sea several kilometres downstream, north of Malahide village. One of the larger watercourses by volume in County Dublin, the Broadmeadow is a salmonid river, with several species of fish, including brown trout. It has many small, and a few larger, tributaries, notably the Ward River. It is under the responsibility of Meath County Council and Fingal County Council, as well as oversight of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Swords in County Dublin, the county town of the local government area of Fingal, is a large suburban town on the east coast of Ireland, situated ten kilometres north of Dublin city centre. It is the eighth largest urban area in Ireland, with a population of 40,776 as of the 2022 census. The town was reputedly founded c. AD 560. Located on the Ward River, Swords features Swords Castle, a restored medieval castle, a holy well from which it takes its name, a round tower and a Norman tower. Facilities in the area include the Pavilions shopping centre, one of the largest in the Dublin region, a range of civic offices, some light industries, the main storage facility and archive of the National Museum of Ireland and several parks. Dublin Airport is located nearby.