Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Months of negotiations and a grinding 105-day siege followed, during which a third of
the 20,000 refugees and defenders crammed into the city perished. The siege was finally
broken in 1689, when supply ships broke through a boom stretched across the River Foyle.
The sacrifice and defiant survival of the city turned the tide in favor of newly crowned
Protestant King William of Orange, who arrived in Ireland soon after and defeated James
at the pivotal Battle of the Boyne.
To fully appreciate the walls, take a walk on top of them (free and open from dawn to
dusk). Almost 20 feet high and at least as thick, the walls form a mile-long oval loop that
you can cover in less than an hour. But the most interesting section is the half-circuit fa-
cing the Bogside, starting at Magazine Gate (stairs face the Tower Museum Derry inside
the walls) and finishing at Bishop's Gate.
• Enter the walls at Magazine Gate and find the stairs opposite the Tower Museum. Once
atop the walls, head left.
Walk the wall as it heads uphill, snaking along the earth's contours like a mini-Great
Wall of China. In the row of buildings on the left (just before crossing over Castle Gate),
you'll see an arch entry into the
Craft Village,
an alley lined with a cluster of cute shops
and cafés that showcase the economic rejuvenation of Derry (Mon-Sat 9:30-17:30, closed
Sun).
• After crossing over Butcher Gate, stop in front of the grand building with the four
columns to view the...
First Derry Presbyterian Church:
This impressive-looking building is the second
church to occupy this site. The first was built by Queen Mary in the 1690s to thank the
Presbyterian community for standing by their Anglican brethren during the dark days of
the famous siege. That church was later torn down to make room for this stately Neoclas-
sical, red-sandstone church finished in 1780. Over the next 200 years, time took its toll on
the structure, which was eventually closed due to dry rot and Republican firebombings.
But in 2011, the renovated church reopened to a chorus of cross-community approval (yet
one more sign of the slow reconciliation taking place in Derry). The
Blue Coat School
ex-
hibit behind the church highlights the important role of Presbyterians in local history (free
but donation expected, May-Sept Wed-Fri 11:00-16:00, closed Sat-Tue, closed Oct-April,
tel. 028/7126-1550).
• Just up the block is the...
Apprentice Boys Memorial Hall:
Built in 1873, this houses the private lodge and
meeting rooms of an all-male Protestant organization. The group is dedicated to the
memory of the original 13 apprentice boys who saved the day during the 1688 siege. Each
year, on the Saturday closest to the August 12 anniversary date, the modern-day Appren-
tice Boys Society celebrates the end of the siege with a controversial march atop the walls.
