So which is it, Londonderry or Derry? Both! It’s a bit awkward to pronounce, but it’s very historical and politically correct (as far as I know). What does the city have to offer, apart from an difficult name? Find out here…
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Intro
In my youth, which goes back a few decades, namely in the 1980s, I was a big fan of the band U2. The music was playing in every disco and was totally infectious. The chorus ‘Sunday – bloody Sunday…’ still rings in my ears today.
In the news at home, which I watched rather subconsciously as a child, there were repeated reports over the years of unrest and bomb attacks in Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland conflict in general. That must have been in the early 1970s.
But it was only when we visited Londonderry-Derry and researched the topic of the Northern Ireland conflict that I really realised the connections. It just so happened that a Protestant Unionist holiday was being celebrated during our stay. Orange-coloured flags could be seen everywhere in the city and the British Union Jack could also be seen in many places.
What was particularly noticeable, however, was the high police presence throughout the city: patrols by officers in bulletproof vests and machine guns caused mixed feelings – ‘are riots expected here, or can we feel particularly safe precisely because of the police presence?’
There were no riots and I really enjoyed visiting the city – even though I’m not really a city person! But this city has so many great historic buildings that you simply have to take photos!
By the way, Londonderry-Derry has a well-preserved city wall, on which you can walk around the historic city centre in about 1-2 hours – on top of the wall! I did this and really enjoyed it! You can find my article about it here: https://ireland-insider.com/a-walk-on-the-city-walls-of-derry-londonderry/.
In the aforementioned article, I also go into a little more detail about the history. In this article, I would like to give you a whole range of tips on what you can see and do in Londonderry-Derry – and that’s quite a lot…
Sightseeing
City Walls: On a walk along the well-preserved city walls from the 17th century, you can see a lot of the old town and its highlights. See my article on this: https://irland-insider.de/die-mauern-von-derry-londonderry/.
Museum of Free Derry: In this interactive museum you will find the early days of the Northern Ireland conflict. Depicted in the 1960-1970s. See: https://museumoffreederry.org.
Peacemaker Museum: This museum looks at how, after many years of conflict in Northern Ireland, it was finally possible to create peace. See: https://www.peacemakersmuseumderry.com.
Guildhall: The old town hall of Derry/Londonderry is magnificent – neo-Gothic architecture and colourful stained glass windows and an interesting exhibition inside. See: https://www.derrystrabane.com/guildhall.
Tower Museum: Explore the history of the city from the Stone Age to the present day and other interesting exhibitions in this historic tower. See: https://towermuseumcollections.com.
The Siege Museum: Hier wirst du in das 17. Jahrhundert versetzt, als die protestantische Stadt von katholischen Truppen der Jacobiten belagert wurde und die Mauern von Derry/Londonderry eine große Rolle spielten. Siehe: https://www.thesiegemuseum.org/siege-timeline.
St. Columb’s Cathedral: Am westlichen Ende der City Wall liegt die älteste Kirche der Stadt. Siehe: https://www.stcolumbscathedral.org/visit-us.
St Eugene’s Cathedral: This is the second cathedral in the city. See: http://www.steugenescathedral.com.
Amelia Earhart Theatre Show: In 1932, Amelia was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic – from America to Northern Ireland. Here, in the Derry Information Centre, you can experience her exciting story: https://www.visitderry.com/things-to-do/amelia-earhart-theatre-show-p774451.
Music and Culture
Centre for Contemporary Art: Here you will find exhibitions of contemporary art. See: https://www.ccadld.org.
Nerve Centre: Visit concerts, comedy and film screenings at this cultural centre. See: https://nervecentre.org.
Void Art Centre: You can find even more contemporary art at this art centre. See: https://www.derryvoid.com.
Foyle Film Festival: Attend this annual film festival if you’re there at the right time.
Walled City Music Festival: Annual big festival in March with classical music concerts. See: https://walledcitymusic.com/wcmf/. There is also a Summer Festival and a Festival of Choirs to be found via the same link.
The Playhouse: Is a very interesting theatre with great performances. See: https://www.derryplayhouse.co.uk.
Echoecho Dance Theatre Company: As the name suggests, there is dancing and dance theatre here. See: https://www.echoechodance.com.
Studio 2: Here, too, there is dancing, as well as drama, music and visual arts in workshops and performances. See: https://www.studio2derry.com.
Live music in the pub: There are many options in this lively city. A few of them are: https://rockingchairbar.com, or: https://thethirstygoatderry.com, or: https://bennigansbar.com.
St. Columb’s Hall: What sounds like a church is actually a great venue in an imposing classical building with a mixed programme, including live music. See: https://www.saintcolumbshall.com.
Food and Drink
Walled City Brewery: Once over the Peace Bridge – on the other side of the River Foyle you’ll find this craft brewery and good food. See: https://www.walledcitybrewery.com.
Pyke ‘N’ Pommes: Not just fries, but super tasty food on the harbour – see: https://www.pykenpommes.ie.
Browns in Town: Fine dining – recommended by Michelin. See: https://brownsintown.com.
Quay West Winebar & Restaurant: Delicious and informal dining with a view of the river. See: https://quaywestderry.com.
Spaghetti Junction: The name says it all – there are Italian dishes. See: https://spaghettijunctionderry.com.
Claude’s Café: In the heart of the city there is good coffee – see: https://claudescafe.com.
Hidden City Cafe: A ‘hidden gem’: brunch, lunch and coffee. See: http://www.hiddencitycafe.co.uk
The Sandwich Co: Good cafe-restaurant chain with three shops in the city. See: https://thesandwich.co.
Tours and Outdoor Activities
Martin McCrossan City Tours: Informative, guided walking tour through the city. See: https://www.derrycitytours.com. For series fans: There is also a Derry Girls Tour. And for foodies: There is also a food tour.
Bogside History Tours: Learn a lot about the Northern Ireland conflict on this guided walking tour of the city. See: https://bogsidehistorytours.com.
Far and Wild Freedom Cycles: Take a self-guided bike tour through the city. See: https://farandwild.org/freedom-cycles/. There is also a foodie city cycle tour and you can also do city tours on blades (rollerblades) and boom boards (skateboards). And there is also kayaking and paddleboarding on the river.
Derry Guided Tours: Here you will also find walking tours on various topics around Derry/Londonderry. See: https://www.derryguidedtours.com/derry-guided-tour-information/.
Foyle Adventures: Floating round trip by boat on the River Foyle. See: https://foyleadventuresandboattours.co.uk.
Peace Bridge: Walk across this iconic pedestrian bridge that connects the neighbourhoods on the other bank.
Playing golf: Golf courses around the city, overlooking the River Foyle, can be found here: https://www.cityofderrygolfclub.com, and here: https://www.foylegolfcentre.co.uk. This one is nearby, but not directly on the river: http://faughanvalleygolfclub.co.uk.
Walking: A couple of nice options can be found here: https: //stcolumbsparkhouse.org – you can continue along the Waterside Greenway on the eastern bank of the river. Alternative here: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk, or you can follow the Foyle River Greenway on the south-west bank.
More Activities
Inishowen Maritime Museum: this is located at Greencastle harbour, just outside Derry at the mouth of the bay. Here you will find lots of interesting facts about the history of seafaring in Northern Ireland – and there is also a planetarium. See: https://inishowenmaritime.com/themes/.
Ulster American Folk Park: Just outside Omagh, south of Derry/Londonderry, you will find this leisure park. It tells the story of Ulster emigrants who emigrated to America. See: https://www.ulsteramericanfolkpark.org.
I can definitely recommend a tour around the beautiful Inishowen Peninsula! I’ve linked my article here: https://irland-insider.de/malin-head-und-die-inishowen-peninsula/.
The town of Letterkenny is not far away and may be on your route. You can find my article here https://irland-insider.de/die-stadt-letterkenny-sehenswuerdigkeiten-und-aktivitaeten/.
Conclusion
The split city of Londonderry-Derry is a very exciting city! There is so much you can see, do and experience here. I hope I’ve been able to give you a brief overview with this article.
If you plan a day or two for Londonderry-Derry and its surroundings on your round trip, you’ll soon realise that that’s far too little time! But you’ll definitely get a good first impression of this great city – and then you can do what I did: just come back again!
With this in mind, I wish you a very exciting stay in Londonderry-Derry!
More interesting articles for you
A walk on the city walls of Derry / Londonderry
Malin Head and the Inishowen Peninsula
Fanad Head Lighthouse – in the far north of Ireland
The town of Letterkenny – things to do and see
Cover picture: Double Bastion Londonderry-Derry, photo: Ulrich Knüppel-Gertberg (https://irland-insider.de, https://ireland-insider.com)
