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| Welcome to Derry! |
County Derry is one of the 6 counties belonging to Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom. There have been intense troubled periods during the “troubles” in Northern Ireland, including one particular day called "Bloody Sunday", which saw the death of 13 people in the City of Derry. If you travel through Ireland, you will notice that all road signs in the Republic of Ireland are bilingual (in English-Irish). If there's one City in Northern Ireland where great tensions exist about its name, it has to be Derry. On one hand, most of the nationalist inhabitants (mainly Catholics) called it by its original name "Derry". On the other hand, most of the unionist inhabitants (mostly Protestants) call it Londonderry. Derry was indeed renamed in the 17th century after London corporations sponsored the town. I haven't had the chance to visit the County Londonderry, meanwhile you can have a look at my photos of Derry City, which suggest what you can expect to see and do. |
| 1. See St Columb's Cathedral... [   ] It is difficult to go to Derry without seeing Saint Columb's Cathedral, which has been standing inside the famous Derry Walls since 1633. The Cathedral was built to honour Saint Columb who founded there a Catholic settlement in the 6th century. The Cathedral, which is of gothic style, is part of the Church of Ireland. |
| 2. Walk inside the Derry Walls... [ ] Derry is the only town in Ireland to have kept its old city walls intact. The walls were built between 1613 and 1619, within a circumference of 1.5 km and a height varying between 4 and 12 metres. There, you will be able to do a unique walk and this will also allow you to observe the style of the old town. Derry is one of the rare cities in Europe whose fortifications were never breached, despite several siege attempts, one of which lasted 105 days in 1689. |
| 3. Walk front of the Guildhall... [ ] When you go through the walls, you will pass front of the Guildhall, which dates from 1890. Despite its neo-gothic appearance, this is not a Church. This is mainly the building where members of Derry County Council meet. It is also used as civic and cultural centre for the people of Derry. |
| 4. Buildings surrounding Derry... [ ] There are approx. 110,000 inhabitants living in Derry and contrary to what one may think, this Northern Irish town has a majority of its population from the Catholic community. As in the rest of the Island, there are no skyscrapers here, just a succession of small houses and small buildings. On the right-hand side, you can see an example of the urban landscape of Derry, seen from the city’s walls. |
| 5. Walk through the streets of Derry... [ ] The modern City of Derry has kept its 17th century layout, which had 4 streets converging towards a central square (the Diamond). On the right-hand side, you can see one of those streets, and even catch sight of a war memorial located at the Diamond in the background. |
| The City of Derry in pictures | ||
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 Photo 2. Walls of Derry. |
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 Photo 3. The Guildhall. |
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 Photo 4. Buildings in Derry. |
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 Photo 5. One of the streets of Derry. |
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Legend:
Nice; Worth a visit; Well worth visiting
Please note that this grading system is only based on my interests and personal experience as a French expat in Ireland. Feel free to visit the same locations and share your experience 
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Free or Not Applicable 
Entrance fee ≤€5 ; €5<Entrance fee≤€10 ; €10<Entrance fee≤€15 and so on...
These price ranges are indicative only to help you plan your holiday budget and are subject to change. Discounts generally apply for families, groups, children, students and seniors citizens.
While the admission to this site is free, a parking fee may apply.
Heritage Site managed by the Office of Public Works. Most OPW sites are free of charge on the first Wednesday of every month during 2011. A Good tip: the Heritage Card entitles you unlimited admission for one year to all OPW sites (around €21).