WELCOME TO THE HISTORIC CITY OF DERRY aka LONDONDERRY
Derry is one of the longest continuously inhabited places in Ireland, and derives its name from the Irish 'Doire Calgach' meaning 'the oak grove of Calgach.‘ with a history going back to Saint Columba/Colmcille (521-597)
Calgach was a pagan warrior who had his camp on the 'island' of Derry in pre-Christian times. The name survived and the town grew until the tenth century when it became known as 'Doire Colmcille' in honour of St Columba. Over the following centuries this name became anglicised to Derrie or Derry.
The prefix London was added to the city's name when a group of London Guilds - The Honourable Irish Society - its official title, bestowed by a Royal Charter of James I in 1613, to oversee the Plantation and fortifications of Derry. It was their duty, under the Charter, to build and maintain the Derry Walls to help control the local Irish rebels. In return they were given large parcels of land in the region for themselves.
Situated on the scenic Foyle estuary, the town (the City on the west bank and Waterside on the east bank) has a population of around 110,000. It is the second largest city in Northern Ireland and described as the capital of the North-West region. The area has a lot to offer the visitor who wishes to explore its rich historical background and to enjoy all the amenities of a modern city.
Among the many historic monuments in Derry, are the massive City Walls on the west bank of the River Foyle. Built between 1614 and 1619, the original Walls are almost perfectly preserved today, making Derry one of the finest examples of a walled city in Europe. Despite sieges in both 1641 and 1649 and the Great Siege of 1689, these Walls were never breached, giving the town the additional title 'The Maiden City'.
In more recent times, during World War Two, the town was one of the major naval bases used by the Allied troops in the Battle of the Atlantic. The City being the most westerly base involved in the War became a deep-water port and safe anchorage for the allied forces.
The city was a thriving naval base and by 1942 had some 2,000 sailors of various nationalities based at the port together with bases including Crevagh and Springtown for the US Army and USMC. The city still retains historic links with both the US Navy and United States Marine Corp.
Derry’s selection for the surrender of the German U-boats fleet at Lisahally marked a symbolic period in the city’s history. On May 21st 1932 Derry was the point of landing for Amelia Erhart after her heroic solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean, making her the first woman to do so.
The City is also convenient to the Inishowen Peninsula in County Donegal, described as Ireland's best kept secret, and the World Heritage site of the Giants Causeway on the north coast. It is the ideal base for tourism with Belfast some 75 miles away and Dublin 155.
During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the port of Derry became an important embarkation point for Irish emigrants setting out for America. Some of these founded the colonies of Derry and Londonderry in the state of New Hampshire. Given the city's strategic North Atlantic location it was a main Irish port for transatlantic emigration to destinations such as Philadelphia and Charlestown, South Carolina in the United States of America. There was also direct emigration to Liverpool (England) and to Hobart (Australia) from 1820.
Emigration via Derry was one of the reasons for the growth of the city as a major port over the following years. In the 19th century two major industries, shipbuilding and shirt manufacturing began here and along with the existing distilling and bacon-curing industries, confirmed the importance of Derry as a trading port worldwide. After World War I the shipyard closed, the distilling industry declined and with partition of the island in 1922, Derry was cut off from part of its hinterland to the south.
mylesgee@eircom.net
