The population of the city was 85,279 in the 2021 census,[11] while theDerry Urban Area had a population of 105,066 in 2011.[12] The district administered by Derry City and Strabane District Council contains bothLondonderry Port andCity of Derry Airport. Derry is close to theborder withCounty Donegal, with which it has had a close link for many centuries. The person traditionally seen as the founder of the original Derry is SaintColmcille, a holy man fromTír Chonaill, the old name for almost all of modern County Donegal, of which the west bank of the Foyle was a part before 1610.[13]
Road sign in Northern Ireland with the reference toLondon obscuredRoad signs in theRepublic of Ireland useDerry and the IrishDoire.
Despite the official name, the city is commonly known asDerry,[16][17] which is ananglicisation of the IrishDaire orDoire, which translates as 'oak-grove/oak-wood'. The name derives from the settlement's earliest references,Daire Calgaich ('oak-grove of Calgach').[18][19][20] The name was changed from Derry in 1613 during thePlantation of Ulster to reflect the establishment of the city by theLondonguilds.[21][22]
Derry has been used in the names of thelocal government district and council since 1984, when the council changed its name fromLondonderry City Council toDerry City Council.[23] This also changed the name of the district, which had been created in 1973 and included both the city and surrounding rural areas. In the2015 local government reform, the district was merged with the Strabane district to form theDerry City and Strabane district, with the councils likewise merged.
The 2007 court case arose because Derry City Council wanted clarification on whether the 1984 name change of the council and district had changed the official name of the city and what the procedure would be to effect a name change.[23] The court clarified that Londonderry remained the official name and that the correct procedure to change the name would be via a petition to thePrivy Council.[26] Derry City Council afterwards began this process and was involved in conducting anequality impact assessment report (EQIA).[27] Firstly it held an opinion poll of district residents in 2009, which reported that 75% of Catholics and 77% of Nationalists found the proposed change acceptable, compared to 6% of Protestants and 8% of Unionists.[28] The EQIA then held two consultative forums and solicited comments from the general public on whether or not the city should have its name changed to Derry.[29] A total of 12,136 comments were received, of which 3,108 were broadly in favour of the proposal, and 9,028 opposed it.[29] On 23 July 2015, the council voted in favour of a motion to change the official name of the city to Derry and to write toMark H. Durkan, the Northern IrishMinister for the Environment, to ask how the change could be effected.[30]
The nameDerry is preferred bynationalists and it is broadly used throughout Northern Ireland's Catholic community,[31] as well as that of the Republic of Ireland, whereas manyunionists preferLondonderry;[32] however, in everyday conversationDerry is used by most Protestant residents of the city.[33] Linguist Kevin McCafferty argues that "It is not, strictly speaking, correct that Northern Ireland Catholics call it Derry, while Protestants use the Londonderry form, although this pattern has become more common locally since the mid-1980s, when the city council changed its name by dropping the prefix". In McCafferty's survey of language use in the city, "only very few interviewees—all Protestants—use the official form".[34]
Apart from the name of the local council, the city is usually[31] known asLondonderry in official use within the UK. In the Republic of Ireland, the city and county are almost always referred to asDerry, on maps, in the media and in conversation.[35] In April 2009, however, the Republic of Ireland's Minister for Foreign Affairs,Micheál Martin, announced that Irish passport holders who were born there could record eitherDerry orLondonderry as their place of birth.[36] Whereas official road signs in the Republic use the nameDerry, those in Northern Ireland bearLondonderry (sometimes abbreviated toL'derry), although some of these have been defaced with the reference to London obscured.[37] Usage varies among local organisations, with both names being used. Examples areCity of Derry Airport,City of Derry Rugby Club,Derry City FC and the ProtestantApprentice Boys of Derry, as opposed toLondonderry Port, Londonderry YMCA Rugby Club and Londonderry Chamber of Commerce.[38] The bishopric has always remained that of Derry, both in the (Protestant, formerly-established)Church of Ireland (now combined with the bishopric of Raphoe) and in the Roman Catholic Church. Most companies within the city choose local area names such as Pennyburn, Rosemount orFoyle from theRiver Foyle to avoid alienating the other community.Derry~Londonderry railway station is often referred to as Waterside railway station within the city, but is called Derry/Londonderry at other stations. The council changed the name of the local government district covering the city to Derry on 7 May 1984, consequently renaming itself Derry City Council.[39] This did not change the name of the city, although the city is coterminous with the district, and in law the city council is also theCorporation of Londonderry or, more formally, theMayor, Aldermen and Citizens of the City of Londonderry.[40] The formLondonderry is used for thepost town by theRoyal Mail;[34] however, use ofDerry will still ensure delivery.
The city is also nicknamed "the Maiden City" by virtue of the fact that its walls were never breached despite being besieged on three separate occasions in the 17th century, the most notable being theSiege of Derry of 1688–1689.[41] It was also nicknamed "Stroke City" by local broadcasterGerry Anderson, owing to the use by some of the dual nameDerry/Londonderry[31] (which has itself been used byBBC Television).[42] A later addition to the landscape has been the erection of several large stone columns on main roads into the city welcoming drivers, euphemistically, to 'the Walled City'.[43]
Derry is a common place name in Ireland, with at least six towns bearing that name and at least a further 79 places. The wordDerry often forms part of the place name, for example, Derrybeg, Derryboy, Derrylea and Derrymore.
A portion of the city walls of DerryBishops Street Gate
Derry is the only remaining city in Ireland with completely intact city walls, some of the finest in Europe.[47][48][49] The walls constitute the largest monument in State care in Northern Ireland and, as part of the last walled city to be built in Europe, stand as the most complete and spectacular.[50]
The Walls were built in 1613–1619 byThe Honourable The Irish Society as defences for early 17th-century settlers from England and Scotland. The Walls, which are approximately one mile (1.5 kilometres) 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. The architect wasPeter Benson, a London-born builder, who was rewarded with several grants of land.
It is one of the few cities in Europe that never saw its fortifications breached, withstanding several sieges, including the famousSiege of Derry in 1689 which lasted 105 days; hence the city's nickname,The Maiden City.[51]
Derry is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in Ireland.[52] The earliest historical references date to the 6th century when amonastery was founded there by StColumba or Colmcille, a famous saint from what is nowCounty Donegal, but for thousands of years before that people had been living in the vicinity.
Before leaving Ireland to spread Christianity elsewhere, Colmcille founded a monastery at Derry (which was then calledDoire Calgach), on the west bank of the Foyle. According to oral and documented history, the site was granted to Colmcille by a local king.[53] The monastery then remained in the hands of the federation of Columban churches who regarded Colmcille as their spiritual mentor. The year 546 is often referred to as the date that the original settlement was founded. However, it is now accepted by historians that this was an erroneous date assigned by medieval chroniclers.[52] It is accepted that between the 6th century and the 11th century, Derry was known primarily as a monastic settlement.[52]
The town became strategically more significant during theTudor conquest of Ireland and came under frequent attack. DuringO'Doherty's Rebellion in 1608 it was attacked by SirCahir O'Doherty, Irish chieftain ofInishowen, whoburnt much of the town and killed the governorGeorge Paulet.[54] The soldier and statesmanSir Henry Docwra made vigorous efforts to develop the town, earning the reputation of being "the founder of Derry"; but he was accused of failing to prevent the O'Doherty attack and returned to England.
Plantation
What became the City of Derry was part of the relatively newCounty Donegal up until 1610.[13] In that year, the west bank of the future city was transferred by theEnglish Crown toThe Honourable The Irish Society[13] and was combined withCounty Coleraine, part ofCounty Antrim and a large portion ofCounty Tyrone to formCounty Londonderry. Planters organised by Londonlivery companies through The Honourable The Irish Society arrived in the 17th century as part of thePlantation of Ulster and rebuilt the town with high walls to defend it from Irish insurgents who opposed the plantation. The aim was to settle Ulster with a population supportive of the Crown.[22] It was then renamed "Londonderry".
This city was the firstplanned city in Ireland: it was begun in 1613, with the walls being completed in 1619, at a cost of £10,757.[55] The central diamond within a walled city with four gates was thought to be a good design for defence. The grid pattern chosen was subsequently much copied in the colonies of British North America.[56] The charter initially defined the city as extending threeIrish miles (about 6.1 km) from the centre.
The modern city preserves the 17th-century layout of four main streets radiating from a central Diamond to four gateways – Bishop's Gate, Ferryquay Gate, Shipquay Gate and Butcher's Gate. The city's oldest surviving building was also constructed at this time: the 1633 Plantation Gothiccathedral of St Columb. In the porch of the cathedral is a stone that records completion with the inscription: "If stones could speake, then London's prayse should sound, Who built this church and cittie from the grounde."[57]
17th-century upheavals
During the 1640s, the city suffered in theWars of the Three Kingdoms, which began with theIrish Rebellion of 1641, when the Gaelic Irish insurgents made a failed attack on the city. In 1649 the city and its garrison, which supported the republicanParliament in London, were besieged by ScottishPresbyterian forces loyal to KingCharles I. The Parliamentarians besieged in Derry were relieved by a strange alliance ofRoundhead troops underGeorge Monck and the Irish Catholic generalOwen Roe O'Neill. These temporary allies were soon fighting each other again however, after the landing in Ireland of theNew Model Army in 1649. The war in Ulster was finally brought to an end when the Parliamentarians crushed the Irish Catholic Ulster army at theBattle of Scarrifholis, nearLetterkenny in nearbyCounty Donegal, in 1650.
During theGlorious Revolution, only Derry and nearbyEnniskillen had a Protestant garrison by November 1688. An army of around 1,200 men, mostly "Redshanks" (Highlanders), underAlexander MacDonnell, 3rd Earl of Antrim, was slowly organised (they set out on the week William of Orange landed in England). When they arrived on 7 December 1688 the gates were closed against them and theSiege of Derry began. In April 1689, King James came to the city and summoned it to surrender. The King was rebuffed and the siege lasted until the end of July with the arrival of a relief ship.
18th and 19th centuries
Map of County Londonderry, 1837
The city was rebuilt in the 18th century with many of its fineGeorgian style houses still surviving. The city's first bridge across the River Foyle was built in 1790. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the port became an important embarkation point for Irish emigrants setting out for North America.
Also during the 19th century, it became a destination for migrants fleeing areas more severely affected by theGreat Famine.[58][59] One of the most notable shipping lines was theMcCorkell Line operated by Wm. McCorkell & Co. Ltd. from 1778.[60] The McCorkell's most famous ship was theMinnehaha, which was known as the "Green Yacht from Derry".[60]
Early 20th century
World War I
DuringWorld War I, the city contributed over 5,000 men to theBritish Army from both Catholic and Protestant families.
During theIrish War of Independence, the area was rocked by sectarian violence, partly prompted by the guerilla war raging between theIrish Republican Army and British forces, but also influenced by economic and social pressures. By mid-1920 there was severe sectarian rioting in the city.[62][63] Many people died and in addition, many Catholics and Protestants were expelled from their homes during this communal unrest. After a week's violence, a truce was negotiated by local politicians on both unionist and republican sides. (See:The Troubles in Ulster (1920–1922)).
DuringWorld War II, the city played an important part in theBattle of the Atlantic.[64] Ships from theRoyal Navy, theRoyal Canadian Navy and other Allied navies were stationed in the city and the United States military established a base. Over 20,000Royal Navy, 10,000Royal Canadian Navy and 6,000United States Navy personnel were stationed in the city during the war.[65]The establishment of the American presence in the city was the result of a secret agreement between the Americans and the British before the Americans entered the war.[66][67] It was the first American naval base in Europe and the terminal for American convoys en route to Europe.
The reason for such a high degree of military and naval activity was self-evident: Derry was the United Kingdom's westernmost port; indeed, the city was the westernmost Allied port in Europe: thus, Derry was a crucial jumping-off point, together with Glasgow and Liverpool, for the shipping convoys that ran between Europe and North America. The large numbers of military personnel in Derry substantially altered the character of the city, bringing in some outside colour to the local area, as well as some cosmopolitan and economic buoyancy during these years. Several airfields were built in the outlying regions of the city at this time, Maydown, Eglinton and Ballykelly. RAF Eglinton went on to becomeCity of Derry Airport.
The city contributed a significant number of men to the war effort throughout the services, most notably the 500 men in the 9th (Londonderry) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, known as the 'Derry Boys'. This regiment served inNorth Africa, the Sudan, Italy and mainland UK. Many others served in the Merchant Navy taking part in the convoys that supplied the UK and Russia during the war.
The border location of the city and the influx of trade from the military convoys allowed for significant smuggling operations to develop in the city.
The city languished after the Second World War, with unemployment and development stagnating. A large campaign, led by theUniversity for Derry Committee, to have Northern Ireland's second university located in the city, ended in failure.
The civil rights movement
Derry was a focal point for the nascent civil rights movement in Northern Ireland.
Bogside area viewed from the walls
Catholics were discriminated against under Unionist government in Northern Ireland, both politically and economically.[69][70][71][72] In the late 1960s the city became the flashpoint of disputes about institutionalgerrymandering.Political scientistJohn Whyte explains that:[73]
All the accusations of gerrymandering, practically all the complaints about housing and regional policy and a disproportionate amount of the charges about public and private employment come from this area. The area – which consisted of Counties Tyrone and Fermanagh, Londonderry County Borough and portions of Counties Londonderry and Armagh – had less than a quarter of the total population of Northern Ireland yet generated not far short of three-quarters of the complaints of discrimination...The unionist government must bear its share of responsibility. It put through the original gerrymander, which underpinned so many of the subsequent malpractices, and then, despite repeated protests, did nothing to stop those malpractices continuing. The most serious charge against the Northern Ireland government is not that it was directly responsible for widespread discrimination, but that it allowed discrimination on such a scale over a substantial segment of Northern Ireland.
On Sunday 30 January 1972, 13 unarmed civilians were shot dead by British paratroopers during a civil rights march in theBogside area. Another 13 were wounded and one further man later died of his wounds. This event came to be known asBloody Sunday.
"Free Derry Corner" at the corner of Lecky Road and Fahan Street in the Bogside. The slogan was first painted in January 1969 by John Casey.
The conflict which became known asthe Troubles is widely regarded as having started in Derry with the Battle of the Bogside. The Civil Rights Movement had also been very active in the city. In the early 1970s, the city was heavily militarised and there was widespread civil unrest. Several districts in the city constructed barricades to control access and prevent the forces of the state from entering.
Violence eased towards the end of the Troubles in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Irish journalistEd Maloney claims inThe Secret History of the IRA that republican leaders there negotiated ade facto ceasefire in the city as early as 1991. Whether this is true or not, the city did see less bloodshed by this time thanBelfast or other localities.
The city was visited by anorca in November 1977 at the height of the Troubles; it was dubbed Dopey Dick by the thousands who came from miles around to see him.[74]
Governance
City Council Chamber for the city of Derry, taken in July of 2017
From 1613 the city was governed by the Londonderry Corporation. In 1898, this became Londonderry County Borough Council, until 1969 when administration passed to the unelected Londonderry Development Commission. In 1973 a new district council with boundaries extending to the rural south-west was established under the name Londonderry City Council, renamed in 1984 toDerry City Council, consisting of five electoral areas: Cityside, Northland, Rural,Shantallow andWaterside. The council of 30 members was re-elected every four years. The council merged withStrabane District Council in April 2015 under local government reorganisation to becomeDerry and Strabane District Council.
The devices on the city's arms are a skeleton and a three-towered castle on a black field, with the "chief" or top third of the shield showing the arms of the City of London: a red cross and sword on white. In the centre of the cross is a gold harp.[75][76] In unofficial use the harp sometimes appears above the arms as acrest.[77]
The arms were confirmed by Daniel Molyneux, theUlster King of Arms, in 1613, following the town's incorporation.[77] Molyneux's notes state that the original arms of Derry were "the picture of death (or a skeleton) sitting on a mossie ston and in the dexter point a castle". To this design he added, at the request of the new mayor, "a chief, the armes of London". Molyneux goes on to state that the skeleton is symbolic of Derry's ruin at the hands of the Irish rebelCahir O'Doherty and that the silver castle represents its renewal through the efforts of the London guilds: "[Derry] hath since bene (as it were) raysed from the dead by the worthy undertakinge of the Ho'ble Cittie of London, in memorie whereof it is hence forth called and knowen by the name of London Derrie."[77]
Local legend offers different theories as to the origin of the skeleton. One identifies it asWalter de Burgh, who was starved to death in theEarl of Ulster's dungeons in 1332.[78] Another identifies it as Cahir O'Doherty himself, who was killed in a skirmish nearKilmacrennan in 1608 (but was popularly believed to have wasted away while sequestered in his castle atBuncrana).[77] In the days of gerrymandering and anti-Catholic discrimination, Derry's Catholics often claimed in dark wit that the skeleton was a Catholic waiting for a job and a council house.[52] However, a report commissioned by the city council in 1979 established that there was no basis for any of the popular theories and that the skeleton "[is] purely symbolic and does not refer to any identifiable person".[79]
The 1613 arms depicted a harp in the centre of the cross, but this was omitted from later depictions of the city arms, and in the 1952letters patent confirming the arms to the Londonderry Corporation.[80] In 2002 Derry City Council applied to the College of Arms to have the harp restored.Garter andNorroy & Ulster Kings of Arms issued letters patent to that effect in 2003, having accepted the 17th-century evidence.[76]
The motto attached to the coat of arms reads in Latin, "Vita, Veritas, Victoria". This translates into English as "Life, Truth, Victory".[52]
Derry is characterised by its distinctively hilly topography.[81] TheRiver Foyle forms a deep valley as it flows through the city, giving it a steep topography. The originalwalled city of Londonderry lies on a hill on the west bank of the River Foyle. In the past, the river branched and enclosed this hill as an island; over the centuries, however, the western branch of the river dried up and became a low-lying and boggy district that is now called the Bogside.[82]
Today, modern Derry extends considerably north and west of the city walls and east of the river. The half of the city on the west of the Foyle is known as the Cityside and the area east is called theWaterside. The Cityside and Waterside are connected by theCraigavon Bridge andFoyle Bridge and by a footbridge in the centre of the city calledPeace Bridge. The district also extends into rural areas to the southeast of the city.
This much larger city, however, remains characterised by the often extremely steep hills that form much of its terrain on both sides of the river. A notable exception to this lies on the northeastern edge of the city, on the shores ofLough Foyle, where large expanses of sea and mudflats were reclaimed in the middle of the 19th century. Today, thesesloblands are protected from the sea by miles of sea walls and dikes. The area is an internationally important bird sanctuary, ranked among the top 30 wetland sites in the UK.[83]
Other important nature reserves lie at Ness Country Park,[84] 10 miles (16 kilometres) east of Derry; and at Prehen Wood,[85] within the city's south-eastern suburbs.
Climate
Derry has, like most of Ireland, atemperate maritime climate[86] (Cfb) according to theKöppen climate classification system. The nearest official Met Office Weather Station for which climate data is available isCarmoney,[87] just west ofCity of Derry Airport and about five miles (eight kilometres) northeast of the city centre. However, observations ceased in 2004 and the nearest Weather Station is currentlyBallykelly, due 12 miles (19 kilometres) east-northeast.[88] Typically, 27 nights of the year will report an air frost at Ballykelly, while at least 1 mm of precipitation will be reported on 170 days (1981–2010 averages).
The lowest temperature recorded at Carmoney was −11.0 °C (12.2 °F) on 27 December 1995.[89]
Climate data forBallykelly,[c] elevation: 4 m (13 ft), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1977–2011[d]
Derry Urban Area (DUA), including the city and the neighbouring settlements ofCulmore,Newbuildings andStrathfoyle, is classified as a city by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) since its population exceeds 75,000. The mid-2006 population estimate for the widerDerry City Council area was 107,300.[96] Population growth in 2005/06 was driven by natural change, with net out-migration of approximately 100 people.[96]
The city was one of the few in Ireland to experience an increase in population during the Great Famine as migrants came to it from other, more heavily affected areas.[58]
2011 Census
On census day (27 March 2011) there were 105,066 people living inDerry Urban Area. Of these, 27% were aged under 16 years and 14% were aged 60 and over; 49% of the population were male and 51% were female; 75% were from aRoman Catholic background and 23% (up three per cent from 2001) were from aProtestant background.[97]
2021 Census
On census day (21 March 2021) there were 85,279 people living in Derry City[98] and of these:
21.11% were aged under 16, 64.36% were aged between 16 and 65 and 14.53% were aged 66 and over.[99]
51.65% of the usually resident population were female and 48.35% were male.[100]
77.88% (66,413) were from a Catholic background, 16.98% (14,481) were from Protestant and Other Christian (including Christian related) background, 1.24% had another religious background and 3.9% had no religion.[101]
64.55% indicated they had an Irish national identity,[102] 21.86% indicated they had a Northern Irish national identity,[103] 17.37% indicated they had a British national identity,[104] and 4.01% indicated they had an 'other' national identity.[105] (respondents could select more than one national identity).
"No Surrender"mural outside city wall, taken in 2004
Concerns have been raised by both communities over the increasingly divided nature of the city. There were about 17,000 Protestants on the west bank of the River Foyle in 1971.[108] The proportion rapidly declined during the 1970s;[109] the 2011 census recorded 3,169 Protestants on the west bank, compared to 54,976 Catholics,[110] and it is feared that the city could become permanently divided.[111][112]
However, concerted efforts have been made by the local community, church and political leaders from both traditions to redress the problem. A conference to bring together key actors and promote tolerance was held in October 2006.[113]Ken Good, theChurch of Ireland Bishop ofDerry and Raphoe, said he was happy living on the cityside. "I feel part of it. It is my city and I want to encourage other Protestants to feel exactly the same", he said.[113]
Support for Protestants in the district has been strong from the SDLP politicianHelen Quigley, who formerly served as the mayor of Derry. She made inclusion and tolerance key themes of her mayoralty. Cllr. Quigley said it was time for "everyone to take a stand to stop the scourge of sectarian and other assaults in the city."[114]
Economy
Du Pont facility at Maydown
History
The economy of the district was based significantly on the textile industry until relatively recently. For many years women were commonly the sole wage earners working in the shirt factories while the men in comparison had high levels of unemployment.[115] This led to significant male emigration.[116] The history of shirt making in the city dates to 1831, said to have been started by William Scott and his family who first exported shirts toGlasgow.[117] Within 50 years, shirt making in the city was the most prolific in the UK with garments being exported all over the world. It was known so well that the industry received a mention inDas Kapital byKarl Marx, when discussing the factory system:[118]
The shirt factory of Messrs. Tille at Londonderry, which employs 1,000 operatives in the factory itself, and 9,000 people spread up and down the country and working in their own houses.
The industry reached its peak in the 1920s employing around 18,000 people.[52] In modern times, however, the textile industry declined due largely to lower Asian wages.[119]
A long-term foreign employer in the area isDu Pont, which has been based at Maydown since 1958, its first European production facility.[120] OriginallyNeoprene was manufactured at Maydown and subsequently followed byHypalon. More recentlyLycra andKevlar production units were active.[121][failed verification] Thanks to a worldwide demand for Kevlar, which is made at the plant, the facility undertook a £40 million upgrade to expand its global Kevlar production.[122]
Inward investment
Seagate production facility
As of 2002, the three largest private-sector employers were American firms.[123] Economic successes have included call centres and a large investment bySeagate, which has operated a factory in the Springtown Industrial Estate since 1993. As of 2019, Seagate was employing approximately 1,400 people in Derry.[124]
A controversial new employer in the area wasRaytheon Systems Limited, a software division of the American defence contractor, which was set up in Derry in 1999.[125] Although some of the local people welcomed the jobs boost, others in the area objected to the jobs being provided by a firm involved heavily in thearms trade.[126] Following four years of protest by the Foyle Ethical Investment Campaign, in 2004 Derry City Council passed a motion declaring the district "a 'no – go' area for the arms trade",[127] and in 2006 its offices were briefly occupied by anti-war protestors who became known as theRaytheon 9.[128] In 2009, the company announced that it was not renewing its lease when it expired in 2010 and was looking for a new location for its operations.[129]
Other significant multinational employers in the region include Firstsource of India,INVISTA, Stream International, Perfecseal,NTL,Northbrook Technology of the United States, Arntz Belting and Invision Software of Germany and Homeloan Management of the UK. Major local business employers include Desmonds, Northern Ireland's largest privately owned company, manufacturing and sourcing garments, E&I Engineering,St. Brendan's Irish Cream Liqueur and McCambridge Duffy, one of the largest insolvency practices in the UK.[130]
Even though the city provides cheap labour by standards in Western Europe, critics have noted that the grants offered by the Northern Ireland Industrial Development Board have helped land jobs for the area that only last as long as the funding lasts.[131] This was reflected in questions to theParliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland,Richard Needham, in 1990.[132] It was noted that it cost £30,000 to create one job in an American firm in Northern Ireland.
Critics of investment decisions affecting the district often point to the decision to build a new university building in nearby (predominantly Protestant)Coleraine rather than developing the Ulster UniversityMagee Campus. Another major government decision affecting the city was the decision to create the new town ofCraigavon outside Belfast, which again was detrimental to the development of the city. Even in October 2005, there was perceived bias against the comparatively impoverished North West of the province, with a major civil service job contract going to Belfast.Mark Durkan, theSocial Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) leader and Member of Parliament (MP) for Foyle was quoted in theBelfast Telegraph as saying:[This quote needs a citation]
The fact is there has been consistent under-investment in the North West and a reluctance on the part of the Civil Service to see or support anything west of the Bann, except when it comes to rate increases, then they treat us equally.
In July 2005, the Irish Minister for Finance,Brian Cowen, called for a joint task force to drive economic growth in the cross-border region.[citation needed]
The city is the north-west's foremost shopping district, housing two large shopping centres along with numerous shop-packed streets serving much of the greater county, as well asTyrone andDonegal.
The city centre has two main shopping centres; theFoyleside Shopping Centre, which has 45 stores and 1,430 parking spaces, and theRichmond Centre, which has 39 retail units. The Quayside Shopping Centre also serves the city side and there is also Lisnagelvin Shopping Centre on the Waterside. These centres, as well as local-run businesses, feature numerous national and international stores.Crescent Link Retail Park, located in the Waterside, has several chain stores and has become the second largest retail park in Northern Ireland (second only to Sprucefield in Lisburn).[133] Plans have also been approved for Derry's first Asda store, which will be located at the retail park sharing a unit with Homebase.[134] Sainsbury's also applied for planning permission for a store at Crescent Link, but Environment MinisterAlex Attwood turned it down.[135]
Until the store's closure in March 2016, the city was also home to the world's oldest independent department store,Austins. Established in 1830, Austins predatesJenners ofEdinburgh by 5 years,Harrods of London by 15 years andMacy's of New York by 25 years.[136] The store's five-storyEdwardian building is located within the walled city in the area known as The Diamond.
Derry is renowned for its architecture. This can be primarily ascribed to the formal planning of the historic walled city of Derry at the core of the modern city. This is centred on the Diamond with a collection of lateGeorgian,Victorian andEdwardian buildings maintaining the gridlines of the main thoroughfares (Shipquay Street, Ferryquay Street, Butcher Street and Bishop Street) to the City Gates.St Columb's Cathedral does not follow the grid pattern reinforcing its civic status. ThisChurch of Ireland Cathedral was the first post-Reformation Cathedral built for anAnglican church. The construction of theRoman CatholicSt Eugene's Cathedral in the Bogside in the 19th century was another major architectural addition to the city. The Townscape Heritage Initiative has funded restoration works to key listed buildings and other older structures.
In the three centuries since their construction, thecity walls have been adapted to meet the needs of a changing city. The best example of this adaptation is the insertion of three additional gates – Castle Gate, New Gate and Magazine Gate – into the walls in the course of the 19th century. Today, the fortifications form a continuous promenade around the city centre, complete with cannon, avenues of mature trees and views across Derry. Historic buildings within the city walls include St Augustine's Church, which sits on the city walls close to the site of the original monastic settlement; the copper-domed Austin's department store, which claims to be the oldest such store in the world; and the imposing Greek RevivalCourthouse on Bishop Street. The red-brick late-VictorianGuildhall, also crowned by a copper dome, stands just beyond Shipquay Gate and close to the riverfront.
Attractions include museums, a vibrant shopping centre and trips to theGiant's Causeway, which is approximately 50 miles (80 kilometres) away, though poorly connected by public transport.Lonely Planet called Derry the fourth best city in the world to see in 2013.[138]
On 25 June 2011, thePeace Bridge opened. It is a cycle and footbridge that begins 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. It was funded jointly by the Department for Social Development (NI), the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government along with matching funding, totalling £14 million, from theSEUPB Peace III programme.[139]
Future projects include the Walled City Signature Project, which intends to ensure that the city's walls become a world-class tourist experience.[140]
TheFoyle Bridge showing Derry-to-Belfast rail link
The transport network is built out of a complex array of old and modern roads and railways throughout the city and county. The city's road network also makes use of two bridges to cross theRiver Foyle, theCraigavon Bridge and theFoyle Bridge, the longest bridge in Ireland. Derry also serves as a major transport hub for travel throughout nearbyCounty Donegal.
In spite of it being the second city of Northern Ireland (and it being the second-largest city in all ofUlster), road and rail links to other cities are below par for its standing. Many business leaders claim that government investment in the city and infrastructure has been badly lacking. Some have stated that this is due to its outlying border location whilst others have cited asectarian bias against the region west of theRiver Bann due to its high proportion of Catholics.[141][142] There is no direct motorway link withDublin orBelfast. The rail link to Belfast has been downgraded over the years so that, presently, it is not a viable alternative to the roads for industry to rely on. As of 2008, there were plans for £1 billion worth of transport infrastructure investment in and around the district.[143] Planned upgrades to theA5Dublin road agreed as part of theGood Friday Agreement and St Andrews Talks fell through when the government of the Republic of Ireland reneged on its funding citing thepost-2008 economic downturn.[144]
Buses
Most public transport in Northern Ireland is operated by the subsidiaries ofTranslink. Originally the city's internal bus network was run byUlsterbus, which still provides the city's connections with other towns in Northern Ireland. The city's buses are now run byUlsterbus Foyle,[145] just asTranslink Metro now provides the bus service in Belfast. The Ulsterbus Foyle network offers 13 routes across the city into the suburban areas, excluding an Easibus link which connects to the Waterside andDrumahoe,[146] and a free Rail Link Bus runs from the Waterside Railway Station to the city centre. All buses leave from the Foyle Street Bus Station in the city centre.
Long-distance buses depart from Foyle Street Bus Station to destinations throughout Ireland. Buses are operated by bothUlsterbus andBus Éireann on cross-border routes.Lough Swilly formerly operated buses toCounty Donegal, but the company entered liquidation and is no longer in operation. There is a half-hourly service toBelfast every day, called the Maiden City Flyer, which is the Goldline Express flagship route. There are hourly services toStrabane,Omagh,Coleraine,Letterkenny andBuncrana, and up to twelve services a day to bring people toDublin. There is a daily service toSligo,Galway,Shannon Airport andLimerick.
Private coach operator, Patrick Gallagher Coaches, also runs 2 routes during the week that service the city. The first goes fromCrolly in County Donegal to Belfast[151] (to the Leonardo Hotel in Belfast city centre,formerlyJurys Inn),[152] and another that runs from County Donegal to the city.[153]
City of Derry Airport, the council-owned airport nearEglinton, has grown during the early 21st century, with new investment in extending the runway and plans to redevelop the terminal.[154]
The city is served by a single rail link terminating atDerry ~ Londonderry railway station in Waterside that is subsidised, alongside much of Northern Ireland's railways, byNorthern Ireland Railways (N.I.R.). The link primarily provides passenger services from the city toBelfast, via several stops that includeColeraine,Ballymoney andAntrim, and connections to links with other parts of Northern Ireland. The route itself is the only remaining rail link used by trains; most of the lines developed in the mid-19th century fell into decline towards the mid-20th century from competition by new road networks. The original rail network that served the city included four different railways that, between them, linked the city with much of the province of Ulster, plus a harbour railway network that linked the other four lines, and a tramway on the City side of the Foyle. Usage of the rail link between Derry and Belfast remains questionable for commuters, due to the journey time of over two hours making it slower centre-to-centre than the 100-minute Ulsterbus Goldline Express service.[159]
Railway history
19th century – early 20th century growth
Ireland's railway network in 1906
Several railways began operation around the city of Derry within the middle of the 19th century. The companies that set up links helped to provide key links for the city towards other towns and cities across Ireland, for the transportation of passengers and freight. The lines that were constructed featured a mixture of Irish gauge and narrow gauge railways. Companies that operated them included:
TheLondonderry and Lough Swilly Railway (L&LSR) – The rail company opened a line between Farland Point onLough Swilly and a temporary terminus at Pennyburn in 1863,[161] before extending the line in 1866 to a more permanent terminus at Graving Dock.[161] The L&LSR was conceived to operate on Irish gauge track when it was constructed, but was converted in 1885 to3 ft (914 mm)narrow gauge to link it with the Letterkenny Railway.
TheLondonderry Port and Harbour Commissioners (LPHC) – The rail company established a line that linked Graving Dock and Foyle Road stations through Middle Quay in 1867, before extending the line to create a rail connection with Waterside station, via the newly constructed Carlisle Bridge, in 1868.[161] When the bridge was replaced in 1933 with the double-deckCraigavon Bridge, the LPHC was assigned to operate on the lower deck.
In 1900, the3 ft (914 mm) gaugeDonegal Railway was extended to the city from Strabane, with construction establishing theLondonderry Victoria Road railway terminus and creating a junction with the LPHC railway.[161] The LPHC line was altered todual gauge which allowed3 ft (914 mm) gauge traffic between the Donegal Railway and L&LSR as well as Irish gauge traffic between the GNR and B&NCR. By 1905, the government of the United Kingdom offered subsidies to both the L&LSR and the Donegal Railway to build extensions to their railway networks into remote parts ofCounty Donegal, which soon developed Derry (alongside Strabane) into becoming a key rail hub by 1905 for the county and surrounding regions.[163] In 1906 theNorthern Counties Committee (NCC, successor to the B&NCR) and the GNR jointly took over the Donegal Railway, making it theCounty Donegal Railways Joint Committee (CDRJC).
Alongside the railways, the city was served by astandard gauge (1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)) tramway, theCity of Derry Tramways.[164] The tramway was opened in 1897 and consisted ofhorse trams that operated along a single line,1+1⁄2 miles (2.5 kilometres) long, which ran along the City side of the Foyle parallel to the LPHC's line on that side of the river.[160] The line never converted to electrically operated trams,[164] and was closed in 1919.[164]
20th century decline
In 1922, thepartition of Ireland dramatically caused disruptions to the city's rail links, except for the NNC route toColeraine.[160] The creation of an international frontier with County Donegal changed trade patterns to the detriment of the railways affected by the partition, placing border posts on every line to and from Derry, causing great delays to trains and disrupting timekeeping from custom inspections – the L&LSR faced inspections between Pennyburn and Bridge End; the CDRJC faced inspections beyond Strabane; and the GNR line faced inspections between Derry and Strabane.[160] Custom agreements negotiated over the next few years between Britain and Ireland enabled GNR trains to travel to and from Derry – such trains would be allowed to pass without inspection through the Free State, unless they served local stations on the west bank of the Foyle – while goods transported by all railways between different parts of the Free State would be allowed to pass through Northern Ireland undercustoms bond. Despite these agreements, local passenger and goods traffic continued to be delayed by customs examinations.
The decline of most of Derry's rail links took place after the Second World War, due to increasing competition by road links. The L&LSR closed its line in 1953, followed by the CDRJC in 1954.[165] TheUlster Transport Authority, who took over the NCC in 1949 and the GNR's lines in Northern Ireland in 1958, took control of the LPHC railway before closing it in 1962,[166] before eventually shutting down the former GNR line to Derry in 1965, after the submission ofThe Benson Report to the Northern Ireland Government two years prior to the closure.[165][166][167] This left the former L&CR line to Coleraine as the sole railway link for the city, providing a passenger service to Belfast, alongsideCIÉ freight services to Donegal. By the 1990s, the service began to deteriorate.
21st century regeneration
In 2008, the Department for Regional Development announced plans to relay the track between Derry and Coleraine. The plan, aimed at being completed by 2013, included adding apassing loop to increase traffic capacity and increasing the number of trains with two additionaldiesel multiple units.[168] Additional phases of the plan also included improvements to existing stations along the line and the restoration of the former Victoria Road terminus building to prepare for the relocation of the city's current terminus station to the site, all for completion by late 2019.[needs update] Costing around £86 million, the improvements were aimed at reducing the journey time to Belfast by 30 minutes and allowing commuter trains to arrive before 9 a.m. for the first time.[168]
Road network
The largest road investment in the north west's history took place during 2010, with the building of the 'A2 Broadbridge Maydown to City of Derry Airport dualling' project[169] and announcement of the 'A6 Londonderry to Dungiven Dualling Scheme'[170] with the intention to reduce the travel time to Belfast.[171] The latter project brings a dual-carriageway link between Northern Ireland's two largest cities one step closer. The project is costing £320 million and is expected to be completed in 2016.
In October 2006 theGovernment of Ireland announced that it was to invest €1 billion in Northern Ireland;[172] with the planned projects including 'the A5 Western Transport Corridor',[173] the complete upgrade of the A5 Derry – Omagh – Aughnacloy (– Dublin) road, around 90 kilometres (55 miles) long, todual carriageway standard.[174]
In June 2008Conor Murphy, Minister for Regional Development, announced that there will be a study into the feasibility of connecting the A5 and A6.[143] Should it proceed, the scheme would most likely run from Drumahoe to south of Prehen along the south east of the city.[168]
Sea
A mass of surrendered German U-boats at their mooring at Lisahally
Londonderry Port atLisahally is the United Kingdom's most westerly port and has capacity for 30,000-ton vessels. TheLondonderry Port and Harbour Commissioners (LPHC) announced record turnover, record profits and record tonnage figures for the year ended March 2008. The figures are the result of a significant capital expenditure programme for the period 2000 to 2007 of about £22 million. Tonnage handled by LPHC increased by almost 65% between 2000 and 2007.[175]
The port gave vitalAllied service in the longest-running campaign of the Second World War, the Battle of the Atlantic, and saw the surrender of the GermanU-boat fleet at Lisahally on 8 May 1945.[176]
Inland waterways
The tidalRiver Foyle is navigable from the coast at Derry to approximately 10 miles (16 km) inland. In 1796, theStrabane Canal was opened, continuing the navigation a further 4 miles (6 km) southwards toStrabane. The canal was closed in 1962.
Derry is home to theMagee Campus ofUlster University, formerly Magee College. However, Lockwood's[177] 1960s decision to locate Northern Ireland's second university in Coleraine rather than Derry helped contribute to the formation of the civil rights movement that ultimately led toThe Troubles. Derry was the town more closely associated with higher learning, with Magee College already more than a century old by that time.[178][179] In the mid-1980s an attempt was made at address this by forming Magee College as a campus of theUlster University, but this failed to stifle calls for the establishment of an independent University in Derry.[180] As of 2021, the Magee campus reportedly accommodated approximately 4,400 students,[181] out of a totalUlster University student population of approximately 24,000, of which 15,000 are in the Belfast campus.
In addition to these clubs, which all play in national leagues, other clubs are based in the city. The local football league governed by theIFA is the North-West Junior League, which contains many clubs from the city, such as BBOB (Boys Brigade Old Boys) and Lincoln Courts. The city's other junior league is theDerry and District League and teams from the city and surrounding areas participate, including Don Boscos and Creggan Swifts. TheFoyle Cup youth soccer tournament is held annually in the city. It has attracted many notable teams in the past, includingWerder Bremen,IFK Göteborg andFerencváros.
There are many boxing clubs. The best-known is the Ring Amateur Boxing Club, which is based on the City side and is associated with boxersCharlie Nash andJohn Duddy.[184][185] Rochester's Amateur Boxing club is a club in the city's Waterside area.[186]
Rugby union
Rugby union is also quite popular in the city, with theCity of Derry Rugby Club situated not far from the city centre.[187] City of Derry won both the Ulster Towns Cup and the Ulster Junior Cup in 2009. Londonderry YMCA RFC is another rugby club and is based in the village ofDrumahoe which is on the outskirts of the city.
Basketball
The city's only basketball club is North Star Basketball Club which has teams in theBasketball Northern Ireland senior and junior Leagues.[188]
Artists and writers associated with the city and surrounding countryside include theNobel Prize-winning poetSeamus Heaney,[189] poetSeamus Deane, playwrightBrian Friel,[190] writer and music criticNik Cohn, artistWillie Doherty, socio-political commentator and activistEamonn McCann[191] and bands such asthe Undertones. The large political gable-wall murals of Bogside Artists, Free Derry Corner, the Foyle Film Festival, the Derry Walls, St Eugene's and St Columb's Cathedrals and the annual Halloween street carnival[192] are popular tourist attractions. In 2010, Derry was named the UK's tenth 'most musical' city byPRS for Music.[193]
Peace Flame Monument, unveiled in May 2013
In May 2013 a perpetual Peace Flame Monument was unveiled byMartin Luther King III and Presbyterian minister Rev. David Latimer. The flame was lit by children from both traditions in the city and is one of only 15 such flames across the world.[194][195]
Media
The local newspapers, theDerry Journal (known as theLondonderry Journal until 1880) and theLondonderry Sentinel, reflect the divided history of the city: theJournal was founded in 1772 and is Ireland's second oldest newspaper;[52] theSentinel newspaper was formed in 1829 when new owners of theJournal embracedCatholic emancipation and the editor left the paper to set up theSentinel.
There are numerous radio stations receivable: the largest stations based in the city areBBC Radio Foyle[196] and the commercial stationQ102.9.[197]
There was a locally based television station,C9TV, one of only two local or 'restricted' television services in Northern Ireland, which ceased broadcasts in 2007.
Nightlife
The city's nightlife is mainly focused on the weekends, with several bars and clubs providing "student nights" during the weekdays. Waterloo Street and Strand Road provide the main venues. Waterloo Street, a steep street lined with both Irish traditional and modern pubs, frequently has live rock and traditional music at night.
Events
In 2013, Derry became the first city to be designatedUK City of Culture, having been awarded the title in July 2010.[14][15] Culture Company 2013, who managed and delivered the cultural programme, branded the city as "Derry~Londonderry".[198]
The "Banks of the Foyle Hallowe'en Carnival" (known in Irish as Féile na Samhna) in Derry is a huge tourism boost for the city. The carnival is promoted as being the first and longest-running Halloween carnival in the whole of Ireland,[201][202] It is called the largest street party in Ireland by the Derry Visitor and Convention Bureau with more than 30,000 ghoulish revellers taking to the streets annually.[203]
In March, the city hosts the Big Tickle Comedy Festival, which in 2006 featuredDara Ó Briain andColin Murphy. In April the city plays host to theCity of Derry Jazz and Big Band Festival and in November the Foyle Film Festival, the biggest film festival in Northern Ireland.
The Instinct Festival is an annual youth festival celebrating the Arts. It is held around Easter and has proven a success in recent years.
Celtronic is a major annual electronic dance festival held at venues all around the city. The 2007 Festival featured the DJ,Erol Alkan.
TheMillennium Forum is the main theatre in the city; it holds numerous shows weekly.
On 9 December 2007 Derry entered the Guinness Book of Records when 13,000 Santas gathered to break the world record, beating previous records held by Liverpool and Las Vegas.[204]
Winner of the 2005Britain in Bloom competition (City category), and runner-up in 2009.
References in popular music
I was born in Londonderry I was born in Derry City too Oh what a special child To see such things and still to smile I knew that there was something wrong But I kept my head down and carried on.
In 1803 we sailed out to sea, Out from the sweet town of Derry, For Australia bound if we did not all drown, And the marks of our fetters we carried...
It is old but it is beautiful, and its colours they are fine. It was worn atDerry,Aughrim,Enniskillen and theBoyne. My father wore it as a youth in bygone days of yore. And on the Twelfth I love to wear the sash my father wore
...In the early morning the shirt factory horn called women from Creggan, the Moor and the Bog. While the men on the dole played a mother's role, fed the children and then walked the dog. And when times got tough there was just about enough. But they saw it through without complaining. For deep inside was a burning pride in the town I loved so well. There was music there in the Derry air, like a language that we all could understand...
^Kuusisto-Arponen, Anna-Kaisa (2001). "The end of violence and introduction of 'real' politics: Tensions in peaceful Northern Ireland".Geografiska Annaler: Series B, Human Geography.83 (3):121–130.doi:10.1111/j.0435-3684.2001.00100.x.JSTOR491073.S2CID145347509.
^Hawes-Bilger, Cordula (19 December 2023).War Zone Language: Linguistic Aspects of the Conflict in Northern Ireland. Lehmanns Media. p. 100.ISBN978-3-7720-8200-9.
^abMcCafferty, Kevin (2001).Ethnicity and Language Change: English in (London)Derry, Northern Ireland. Amsterdam:John Benjamins. p. 6.ISBN9781588110022.
^Davenport, Fionn; Beech, Charlotte; Downs, Tom; Hannigan, Des; Parnell, Fran; Wilson, Neil (2006).Ireland (7th ed.). London:Lonely Planet. p. 625.ISBN978-1-74059-968-9 – via Internet Archive.Derry name republic.
^abJohnson, James H. (1957). "The population of Londonderry during the Great Irish Famine".The Economic History Review.10 (2):273–285.doi:10.2307/2590863.JSTOR2590863.
^Hume, John (2002).Derry Beyond the Walls: Social and Economic Aspects on the Growth of Derry 1825–1850. Ulster Historical Foundation. p. 67.ISBN9781903688243.
^abIreland, Culture Northern (16 November 2005)."World War Two in Derry".CultureNorthernIreland.org.Archived from the original on 23 May 2013. Retrieved13 May 2012.
^Theblazon runs as follows:Sable, a human skeleton Or seated upon a mossy stone proper, and in dexter chief a castle triple-towered argent; on a chief also argent a cross gules, thereon a harp Or, and in the first quarter a sword erect gules.
^abLetters Patent certifying the arms of the City of Londonderry issued to Derry City Council, sealed by Garter and Norroy and Ulster Kings of Arms dated 30 April 2003
^abcdVinycomb, John (1895). "The Seals and Armorial Insignia of Corporate and Other Towns in Ulster".The Ulster Journal of Archaeology.1 (2):117–119.JSTOR20563546.
^'Geoghehan, Arthur Gerald (1864). "A Notice of the Early Settlement of Londonderry by the English, &c".The Journal of the Kilkenny and South-East of Ireland Archaeological Society.5 (1):155–156.JSTOR25502656.
^L E Rothwell,An inquiry initiated by Derry City Council into the ensigns armourial and related matters of the City of Londonderry
^Letters Patent ratifying and confirming the arms of the City of Londonderry sealed by Garter and Norroy & Ulster Kings of Arms dated 28 April 1952
^"Ulster University should be 'open and honest' about Magee student numbers".Derry Now. 11 February 2021.Archived from the original on 14 February 2021. Retrieved7 March 2021.UU Vice Chancellor Professor Paul Bartholomew said there are 4,498 students at Magee .... Meanwhile, Ulster University's Belfast campuses have over 15,000 students
