The walled city of Derry

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At Derry’s walls

I wrote quite a lot about Derry in May’s Squares Challenge, but I didn’t describe a complete tour of the city walls. (Where a place has already featured in Squares I have added a link.)

First, as I said in May:

A note about naming: Derry, Londonderry, or even the compromise Derry/Londonderry (thus nicknamed Stroke City)? The name Derry derives from the Irish Daire. During the Plantation of Ulster by Protestant English and Scottish settlers, a new walled city was built across the River Foyle from the old site and renamed Londonderry in 1613 in recognition of investment by the City of London. The use of each name can thus indicate a person’s religion and politics. Has Derry been used more since the popular TV series Derry Girls screened? Possibly – it’s the term I shall stick to anyway.

We started our walk beside the Guildhall and worked our way clockwise round the various gates and bastions with their restored cannons, stopping off along the way to view various points of interest.

Memorial to those killed in conflict
Shipquay Gate
Shipquay Gate with Guildhall in background
Restored cannon
View from walls up Shipquay Street to Diamond

I have already shown the Antony Gormley sculpture outside the Millennium Forum (theatre) but we also popped inside to view the spectacular mural on the wall above the main staircase. The work of artist Desmond Kinney, it was made with over one million pieces of specially fired iridescent ceramic pieces and tells the story of star crossed lovers Mir and Eadaoin from Irish mythology.

Mir and Eadaoin by Desmond Kinney

At New Gate Bastion we admired St Columb’s Hall (1888) with its statues of Temperance, Erin and Vulcan, and a plaque to a singer who performed there. This is also a good place to view the Derry Girls mural.

St Columb’s Hall
Statues of Temperance, Erin and Vulcan
Plaque to Dorothy Parke

Next, we looked down on the Fountain, one of the few Loyalist areas in the west of the City, as evidenced by the red, white and blue kerbstones. We explored it more later, so some of these photos are from the following day. I’m not sure what the sculpture is in the last image – we were actually looking for another sculpture, Apprentice Angel, but it was sited in a children’s play park which was being used, so we rightly felt two adults with cameras would not be welcome! The tower is the Long Tower, all that remains of Derry’s first cathedral.

Looking down at the Fountain area
Mural
Long Tower
Sculpture

The current St Columb’s Cathedral came next. Built in 1633 by the City of London it was one of the first cathedrals created after the Protestant Reformation. The Siege Heroes Mound in the corner of the grounds is said to contain the remains of people killed in the Siege of 1688-9.

Cathedral from the walls
Church Wall built to protect Cathedral
Cathedral from the grounds
Siege Heroes Mound
Ornate gates

One of the Cathedral’s bishops was Frederick Hervey (1730-1803), 4th Earl of Bristol, who built Downhill Demesne and Mussenden Temple as described in my last post. Another was William Alexander (1824-1911) whose wife, Cecil Frances, was a famous hymn writer (e.g. Once in royal David’s city, There is a green hill far away, and All things bright and beautiful). The third verse of the latter is usually omitted these days – The rich man in his castle, The poor man at his gate, God made them, high or lowly, And ordered their estate. This view, that our lot in life is pre-ordained and should stay that way, did not prevent Fanny, as she was known, spending more time caring for the poor than she did writing hymns.

Next up, Bishop’s Gate erected in 1789. Through it is the Peace Wall and its Wall Museum, with the Protestant Fountain district behind it and Catholic areas on the other side.

Wall Museum
Bishop’s Gate from inside the walls
Bishop’s Gate from outside the walls

We took a detour here to visit St Columba’s Catholic Church. Unlike St Columb’s, which was firmly locked, we were able to go inside.

View of St Columba’s
Interior
Jesus and tomb
Crucifixion

Returning to the walls, we had a good view over the Bogside. We explored this more fully as part of our Bloody Sunday walking tour the next day so I’ve included some more images from that (and for those who don’t know it, there is a little of the history of Bloody Sunday in the post linked to above). Some of the murals might look quite violent, but they are an act of memory and anticipate peace. Note, for instance, the girl in a green skirt with a broken rifle at her side and a butterfly above her head.

Bogside from above:

General view
St Eugene’s Cathedral
Mural of Bernadette Devlin McAliskey
Nelson Mandela and Bobby Sands / Men’s mental health
Peace mural
Representative of those who died in the Troubles.
British army removing barricades
Republican solidarity with Palestine
Sovereignty not Stormont and other flags and banners

A closer look at some murals from our tour the following day:

Various murals / placards
Civil rights
Che Guevara
Rioter / Museum of Free Derry
Bloody Sunday. Father Daly waves a white flag.
Museum of Free Derry with image of Father Daly
Bloody Sunday’s innocent victims
Not sure!
Various murals / placards
Boy in a gas mask

Also in the Bogside is Free Derry Corner with its painted gable end. Free Derry was a self-declared autonomous Irish nationalist area that existed between 1969 and 1972. When the building it was attached to was demolished, the gable end remained. A series of monuments has grown up around it.

Free Derry Corner:

You are now entering Free Derry
Memorials to those instrumental in creating Free Derry

Hunger Strike Monument:

Hunger strike monument in the shape of an H-Block
Hunger strike monument information 1
Hunger strike monument information 2

IRA monument and Bloody Sunday monument:

IRA monument
Bloody Sunday monument

And a few more unofficial expressions of opinion:

Bear supporting Palestine
Sovereignty not Stormont
IRA on lamp post

And after that long detour, back up onto the walls and back in time to the Siege of Derry! Grand Parade is lined with sycamore trees commemorating the 13 apprentices who closed the gates on King James’s soldiers during the 1689 siege. Sycamores were chosen because the shape of their fruit resembles a bunch of keys. A plinth on Royal Bastion used to hold a statue to the Governor of the city during the siege, but it was not replaced after being blown up in 1973. Nearby is the Memorial Hall of the Apprentice Boys of Derry.

Grand Parade
Governor Walker piller, Royal Bastion
Memorial Hall of the Apprentice Boys of Derry

By this time we were nearly back to the Guildhall. We passed Castle Gate and explored the Craft Village where we thought we might get a cup of tea, but it was too busy. We made our way to Waterloo Street where we succeeded in the Scullery Café which we liked so much we returned for lunch the next day.

Looking down from Castle Gate
Craft Village
Craft Village
Opened by Mary Robinson 1992
Waterloo Street

Finally, a few shots of streets (mainly) within the walls which follow a grid pattern centred on the War Memorial.

Flags, including Saltire, on Waterloo Street (outside walls)
Jameson’s mural on Harvey Street (outside walls)
Looking up towards the War Memorial
War Memorial
Looking down to the Guildhall and river
Play house entrance
Narrow street within walls

We enjoyed our visit to Derry very much and, even though we thought we were quite knowledgeable already, we learned a lot about its troubled history. However, unlike Belfast – a much bigger city which will repay several revisits – I feel no particular urge to return having “done” it fairly thoroughly. At least not until a few years have passed!

Northern Ireland, UK ,

49 Comments »

  2. Loving these pictures and the information you gave. I’d lovecto walk around the wall. How much fun!

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  4. Thanks for such an informative post! I didn’t know much about Londonderry/Derry’s past, although I am aware of the Catholic/Protestant division of Northern Ireland. I can’t imagine how hard it was to live through those times. In never ceases to amaze me how people are willing to be so aggressive towards those they think of as “different,” for whatever reason. Catholics and Protestants fighting each other seems particularly bad, considering how it goes against the main point of Christianity.

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  5. Have to agree with others – a very informative post with some great photos. Although I’ve been to Northern Ireland several times – for both work and pleasure – I’ve never been to Derry, and need to put that right, but your post will do for now. 😉
    (What someone calls the city usually displays their sympathy. I think you still have to be careful. One friend of mine from Belfast always refers to it as Derry/ Londonderry)

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  6. Absolutely fantastic tour- it’s better than any guide book. I’ve really enjoyed reading through it and seeing all the interesting photos. Thank you.

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  13. What a fascinating and informative tour, there’s so much history to explore. I’ve never been to Northern Ireland, I must do something about that one day and Derry looks well worth a visit.

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  14. Hi Anabel – what an interesting post – lots to see … but I need educating in Irish/British politics (if that’s the right description) … those murals must be fascinating to see – also I’d love to see Desmond Kinney’s mural … thanks for the tour – cheers Hilary

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  15. Great Post Anabel. Despite family heritage linking back to Northern Ireland and Londonderry amongst other places, I’d never realised or appreciated just how much history there is to explore. I loved looked at the photos you shared. Despite my grandmother being Irish, I’ve never visited Ireland. Thanks for opening my eyes 😁

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  17. I’d heard that a walk around Derry’s walls was worthwhile and this post proves it! So much to see from up there! I especially liked the views into the Bogside, and the theatre mural looks very striking.

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  18. Gosh – so much to see, enjoy and learn from here. It also prompted me to wonder why we have a village near here in called Londonderry. Apparently, Londonderry in North Yorkshire, is named after the Marquesses of Londonderry, who were colliery owners in the area and took their name from County Londonderry in Northern Ireland. Well, that sorts that out.

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  19. I really liked Derry. Small city but handy for getting around on foot and bags of interesting stuff in it. Bob. BSS

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  20. You’ve given a very informative tour of Derry here and without stepping on anyone’s over-sensitive political toes! Lovely pictures too, and even blue skies. Now there’s a novelty!

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  24. What an interesting and informative post Anabel, Derry seems to be awash with great murals. I’m not religious but I like the Crucifixion outside St. Columba’s and I’ve noticed before when I’ve been in Ireland (and other places) that Catholic churches seem to be very open and welcoming where Protestant ones are closed and locked 😦 The interior of St. Columba’s looks beautiful.

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