Welcome to Derry (Londonderry)
Northern Ireland's second-largest city continues to flourish as an artistic and cultural hub. Derry's city centre was given a striking makeover for its year as the UK City of Culture 2013, with the construction of the Peace Bridge, Ebrington Sq, and the redevelopment of the waterfront and Guildhall area making the most of the city's splendid riverside setting.
Top experiences in Derry (Londonderry)
Amazing hotels and hostels
We've pre-picked the best hotels, hostels and bed and breakfasts to make your stay as enjoyable as possible.
Recent articles
Derry (Londonderry) activities
Bloody Sunday and Bogside Murals Private Walking Tour
Departing from the Tower Museum in the city centre, this private Bloody Sunday and Bogside murals tour will take you into the heart of the Bogside district of Derry, the crucible of the modern day conflict in Ireland. This 90-minute walking tour will begin at Free Derry Wall and take you around some of the Bogside murals.The modern history of Derry is explored in the Bogside tour. Subjects range from the partition of Ireland and the creation of the six-county state, widespread religious discrimination against Irish Catholics, Civil Rights period, Battle of the Bogside 1969, Bloody Sunday massacre January 1972 and covers both inquiries in to Bloody Sunday and the conflict that occurred here afterwards.These tours are ideal for school and university groups studying Irish history as well as peace and reconciliation studies.
The Authentic Derry Walls Private Walking Tour
This private Derry Walls walking tour can start anytime suitable for you, and will take you through the older history of Derry and the surrounding area. Derry is one of the longest continued used area in Ireland dating back some six thousand years. St Colmcille set his monastery on the island of Doire in 546 before going to Iona in the western isles of Scotland bringing Christianity to Britain.Other areas examined on this tour are Elizabeth I advance into Ulster bringing Anglicization and the Protestant religion. The Irish response to this invasion was the Nine Years War 1594-1603, ending with the Flight of the Earls in 1607. The Plantation of Ulster brought thousands of English and Scottish Protestants to Ulster and the building of the City Walls from 1613.Derry became Londonderry under James I and was financed by the Guilds of London where the Guildhall gets its name. The Siege of Derry, The Fountain Estate, Derry Gaol, Apprentice Boys, Great Hunger and emigration are areas that are covered on this tour also. This walking tour is conducted on Derry's walls while walking the 1.4 km circuit of the walls.
Derry Day Trip From Belfast
ItineraryThis is a typical itinerary for this productWe will visit the World Famous Free Derry Corner for some photograph opportunities. Duration: 30 minutesLocation: Free Derry Corner, Derry, County Londonderry, Northern IrelandWe will visit "The Bogside" which is a majority Catholic/Irish republican area, and shares a border with the Protestant/Ulster loyalist enclave of the Fountain.The Bogside is a neighbourhood outside the city walls of Derry, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The large gable-wall murals by the Bogside Artists, Free Derry Corner and the Gasyard Féile are popular tourist attractions.You will learn about The Battle of the Bogside which was a very large communal riot that took place from 12 to 14 August 1969 in Derry, Northern Ireland. The fighting was between residents of the Bogside area (organised under the Derry Citizens' Defence Association), and the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) along with local unionists.The rioting erupted at the end of an Apprentice Boys parade which was passing along the city walls, past the Catholic Bogside. Fierce rioting broke out between local unionists and the police on one side and Catholics on the other. Rioting between police and Bogside residents continued for three days. The police were unable to enter the area and eventually the British Army was deployed to restore order. The riot, which sparked widespread violence elsewhere in Northern Ireland, is commonly seen as one of the first major confrontations in the conflict known as the Troubles.Duration: 30 minutesLocation: The Bogside Artists, Derry, County Londonderry, Northern IrelandYou will learn about Operation Motorman which was a large operation carried out by the British Army (HQ Northern Ireland) in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. The operation took place in the early hours of 31 July 1972 with the aim of retaking the "no-go areas" (areas controlled by residents, usually Irish republican paramilitaries) that had been established in Belfast and other urban centres. In Derry Operation Carcan (or Car Can), initially proposed as a separate operation, was executed as part of Motorman.BackgroundThe Northern Ireland riots of August 1969 marked the beginning of the conflict known as "the Troubles". As a result of the riots, Northern Ireland's two main cities, Belfast and Derry, had become more segregated than before. Many neighbourhoods became entirely Irish nationalist or entirely unionist. In some places, residents and paramilitaries built barricades to seal off and protect their neighbourhoods from incursions by "the other side", the security forces or both. These became known as "no-go areas".By the end of 1971, 29 barricades were in place to block access to what was known as Free Derry; 16 of them impassable even to the British Army's one-ton armoured vehicles.Many of the nationalist no-go areas were controlled by one of the two factions of the Irish Republican Army, the Provisional IRA and Official IRA. On 29 May 1972, the Official IRA called a ceasefire and vowed that it would not launch attacks except in self-defence.On 21 July 1972, in the space of 75 minutes, the Provisional IRA detonated 22 bombs in Belfast. Eleven people (including two soldiers and a loyalist volunteer) were killed and 130 were injured. The attack prompted the British Government to implement Operation Motorman, just ten days later.PreparationsOperation Motorman was the biggest British military operation since the Suez Crisis of 1956 and the biggest in Ireland since the Irish War of Independence. In the days before 31 July, about 4,000 extra troops were brought into Northern Ireland. Almost 22,000 soldiers were involved, including 27 infantry and two armoured battalions, aided by 5,300 soldiers from the local Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR). Several Centurion AVRE demolition vehicles, derived from the Centurion tank and fitted with bulldozer blades, were used. They were the only heavy armoured vehicles to be deployed operationally by the British Army in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. The tanks had been transported to Northern Ireland on board the amphibious landing ship HMS Fearless, and were operated with their turrets traversed to the rear and main guns covered by tarpaulins.This quick military buildup alerted the Provisional IRA and Official IRA that a major operation was being planned. According to local MP Ivan Cooper and others, the IRA left Derry's no-go areas the day before the operation.OperationThe operation began at about 4:00 a.m. on 31 July and lasted for a few hours. In "no-go areas" such as Free Derry, sirens were sounded by residents to alert others of the incursion.The British Army used bulldozers and Centurion AVREs to break through the barricades before flooding the no-go areas with troops in smaller, lighter armoured vehicles. The Provisional IRA and Official IRA were not equipped for open battle against such a large force and did not attempt to hold their ground.Small scale operations were carried out in other places like Lurgan, Armagh, Coalisland and Newry.By the end of the day, Derry and Belfast had been cleared of no-go areas, but the Army remained cautious when operating in staunchly republican districts. Casement Park in Andersonstown, the main stadium of the Ulster GAA, was occupied by 19th Regiment Royal Artillery; it was returned in 1973/4.Duration: 30 minutesLocation: Republican Murals: Bloody Sunday, Derry, County Londonderry, Northern IrelandBloody Sunday, sometimes called the Bogside Massacre, was an incident on 30 January 1972 in the Bogside area of Derry, Northern Ireland, when British soldiers shot 28 unarmed civilians during a protest march against internment. Fourteen people died: thirteen were killed outright, while the death of another man four months later was attributed to his injuries. Many of the victims were shot while fleeing from the soldiers and some were shot while trying to help the wounded. Other protesters were injured by rubber bullets or batons, and two were run down by army vehicles.The march had been organised by the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (NICRA). The soldiers involved were members of the 1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment, also known as "1 Para".Two investigations have been held by the British government. The Widgery Tribunal, held in the immediate aftermath of the incident, largely cleared the soldiers and British authorities of blame. It described the soldiers' shooting as "bordering on the reckless", but accepted their claims that they shot at gunmen and bomb-throwers. The report was widely criticised as a "whitewash".The Saville Inquiry, chaired by Lord Saville of Newdigate, was established in 1998 to reinvestigate the incident. Following a 12-year inquiry, Saville's report was made public in 2010 and concluded that the killings were both "unjustified" and "unjustifiable". It found that all of those shot were unarmed, that none was posing a serious threat, that no bombs were thrown, and that soldiers "knowingly put forward false accounts" to justify their firing. On the publication of the report, British prime minister David Cameron made a formal apology on behalf of the United Kingdom. Following this, police began a murder investigation into the killings.Bloody Sunday was one of the most significant events of "the Troubles" because a large number of civilians were killed, by forces of the state, in full view of the public and the press. It was the highest number of people killed in a single shooting incident during the conflict. Bloody Sunday increased Catholic and Irish nationalist hostility towards the British Army and exacerbated the conflict. Support for the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) rose and there was a surge of recruitment into the organisation, especially locally.Duration: 20 minutesLocation: Bloody Sunday Memorial, Derry, County Londonderry, Northern IrelandYou will visit the Ancient City Walls as well as the Canon! Derry is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in Ireland. The earliest historical references date to the 6th century when a monastery was founded there by St Columba or Colmcille, a famous saint from what is now County Donegal, but for thousands of years before that people had been living in the vicinity.City wallsBishops Street GateDerry is the only remaining completely intact walled city in Ireland and one of the finest examples of a walled city in Europe. The walls constitute the largest monument in State care in Northern Ireland and, as the last walled city to be built in Europe, stands as the most complete and spectacular.The Walls were built in 1613–1619 by The Honourable The Irish Society as defences for early 17th century settlers from England and Scotland. The Walls, which are approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) in circumference and which vary in height and width between 3.7 and 10.7 metres (12 and 35 feet), are completely intact and form a walkway around the inner city. They provide a unique promenade to view the layout of the original town which still preserves its Renaissance style street plan. The four original gates to the Walled City are Bishop's Gate, Ferryquay Gate, Butcher Gate and Shipquay Gate. Three further gates were added later, Magazine Gate, Castle Gate and New Gate, making seven gates in total. Historic buildings within the walls include the Gothic cathedral of St Columb (1633), the Apprentice Boys Memorial Hall and the courthouse.It is one of the few cities in Europe that never saw its fortifications breached, withstanding several sieges including the famous Siege of Derry in 1689 which lasted 105 days, hence the city's nickname, The Maiden City.The Siege of Derry was the first major event in the Williamite War in Ireland. The siege was preceded by a first attempt against the town by Jacobite forces on 7 December 1688 that was foiled when 13 apprentices shut the gates.Duration: 1 hourLocation: Derry City wallsDerry's original 17th-century Guildhall was located in the Diamond area of the Walled City. Its name reflected the status of the city as being founded by the City & Guilds of London. This building was destroyed by fire in Victorian times and it was decided to turn the site of the former Guildhall into a city square. Work started on the new Guildhall in 1887 and it was opened in July 1890. The new building was originally titled "Victoria Hall", reflecting the wider vogue in the British Empire at that time to name landmarks after the reigning monarch. Other landmarks in the city named for Victoria include Victoria Market, the Queen's Quay and Queen's Street. The name "Victoria Hall" was discovered on foundation stones found during recent restoration works financed by Derry City Council. The reason for retaining the Guildhall name is presently unclear. The City Hall was financed by The Honourable The Irish Society and cost £19,000. It was badly damaged by fire in Easter 1908 with only the clock tower surviving the fire intact. The whole building was re-built and renovated after the fire and re-opened in 1912.During The Troubles the Guildhall was the focus of multiple terror attacks. The building was badly damaged by two bombs in 1972, but was restored at a cost of £1.7m and reopened in 1977.On 23 September 1980 the Field Day Theatre Company presented its first production, the premiere of Brian Friel's Translations, here.Duration: 30 minutesLocation: Guildhall, Derry, County Londonderry, Northern IrelandThe Derry Peace Bridge over the River Foyle bridges a 400 year old physical and political gap between two sides of a once, bitterly divided community. Designed by Wilkinson Eyre Architects in London and funded to the tune of £14 million by the European Regional Development Fund for Peace it is a very impressive and elegant piece of architecture. With two structural arms heading in opposite directions, symbolizing the unification of both communities from the opposite sides of the Foyle river, the Protestant Waterside and the Nationalist Bogside, these two opposed and independent arms are now united in a symbolic handshake across the river. Opened in 2011 this 235 metre long, 4 metre wide curved footpath, track and cycleway stretches from the Guild Hall in the city centre of Derry City to Ebrington Square and St Columb’s Park on the far side of the River Foyle. Duration: 30 minutesLocation: Peace bridge, Derry, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland
Derrie Danders City Walls Walking Tour
ItineraryThis is a typical itinerary for this productStop At: Shipquay Gate, Derry, County Londonderry, Northern IrelandIn this section of the tour we will be able to see the Walls of Derry, the Guildhall, the Tower Museum, oldest cannons on the Walls and views of Peace Bridge. We will consider the history of the city from its origins to plantation and the building of the Walls.Duration: 40 minutesStop At: Ferryquay Gate, Derry, County Londonderry, Northern IrelandFrom this section of the tour we will be looking at Ferryquay Gate, the Playhouse, St Columb's Cathedral and the Fountain Estate, as well as discussing aspects of the sieges history of the cityDuration: 40 minutesStop At: Bishop Gate, Derry, County Londonderry, Northern IrelandIn this section of the tour we will be looking at Bishops Gate, Double Bastion, St Augustine's Church,Walkers Plinth, Apprentice Boys Memorial Hall, and First Derry Presbyterian Church. Duration: 30 minutesStop At: Butcher's Gate, Derry, County Londonderry, Northern IrelandIn this section of the tour we will be looking at the section of the Walls from Butcher Gate back to Shipquay Place, and considering more aspects of the city's history from the time of the siege to the present day.Duration: 30 minutes
Derrie Danders EVENING City Centre Walking Tour
ItineraryThis is a typical itinerary for this productStop At: Butcher's Gate, Derry, County Londonderry, Northern IrelandWalk along the Wall to Butchers Gate, looking at a number of points of historical interest including, St Augustine's Church, Walkers Plinth,Siege Museum, original site of Foyle College, FIrst Derry Presbyterian Church and Butchers Gate itself.Duration: 30 minutesStop At: Verbal Arts Centre, Derry, County Londonderry, Northern IrelandReturn to Verbal Arts Centre, examining on our Walk the following places of historical interest, the War Memorial, Bishopsgate Hotel, the Courthouse,the Masonic Hall, and then Bishops Gate itself and the nearby Double Bastion.Duration: 30 minutes
Derrie Danders QUICK City Walls Walking Tour
ItineraryThis is a typical itinerary for this productStop At: Ferryquay Gate, Derry, County Londonderry, Northern IrelandHistory of city, including the Closing of the Gates in the Great SiegeDuration: 15 minutesStop At: Bishop Gate, Derry, County Londonderry, Northern IrelandHistory of the city, in particular the Great Siege of Derry.Duration: 15 minutesStop At: Butcher's Gate, Derry, County Londonderry, Northern IrelandHistory of the city - in particular the Great SiegeDuration: 15 minutes