City of Londonderry

The City of Londonderry is the second largest city in Northern Ireland and the inaugural holder of the UK City of Culture in 2013. It is one of the oldest continuously Inhabited places in Ireland and a monastery was founded there in the sixth century by St Colmcille.

Derry is an anglicisation of the old Irish – Daire or Doire, meaning Oak Grove and was changed by Royal Charter to Londonderry in 1662 to reflect the establishment of the city by the London Guilds.  The city is the only complete intact walled city in Ireland and contains four of the original gates built between 1613 and 1619.  

It is a city rich in history including the siege of Derry in 1689-1690, and it has the first cathedral (St Columb's) that was built after the reformation.

Its port and harbour played an important part in the Battle of the Atlantic when the city become an important shelter for the British, USA and Canadian ships and the personnel who were stationed there. The formal surrender of the German U Boats took place in the city's harbour at Lisahally at the conclusion of the war. A former RAF base (Eglinton) is now the site for the City of Derry Airport. The city is also famous for its shirt factories, and at its peak there were 44 factories which employed over 8,000 people. The city has a wealth of musical talent from Dana to Phil Coulter, and the famous hymn writer Mrs Frances Cecil Alexander. The first general hospital to be built after the second World War was built in the City and is still in operation today (Altnagelvin).

The city is divided by the River Foyle and in 2011 the Peace Bridge connecting the old Ebrington Barracks (formally a naval base and military establishment) to the city's Guildhall was opened.