I was half way along a great wee article about Belfast, my favourite city, when I got a call from my famous editor (Yeah you guessed it …Fred) telling me that he had an idea! “Prime Minister”, I thought to myself, “An idea!”   “Yeah” he said laconically. “Write something about Derry”. Well it so happened that I did mention that Derry was named the UK city of Culture for 2013 in my last article.

Of course I had been to Derry in my youth but only to pass through on our way to Donegal. Yeah, we were a so called rugby team at the time. Few of us knew anything about the city and anyway we were going to have great craic in Donegal, so what was the point in stopping!

When I visited it last year, I did not rate it as a city of culture but since then I have learned more and much to my astonishment it was also (apparently) named as ‘One of the Top Ten Cities in the World to visit in 2013’ by the Lonely Planet’s ‘Best in Travel Guide 2013’. They say in their brochure that:

 “Derry / Londonderry, is a city pulsing with life, resonant with centuries of heritage and passion, yet fresh as an Atlantic breeze.”  I can only ask myself who writes that kind of stuff and wonder if they have actually visited the city! Only kidding. Sure it’s a grand place and it’s only a few miles from the South where the most northerly part of Ireland exists. You might like to explain that to any foreigners who read this column.

 

The first name for this ancient city was Daire Calgach, meaning ‘oak grove’ which is still an apt description as there are sturdy oak trees scattered across the city. The name Derry is an anglicisation of this.
It is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-largest city on the island of Ireland. In 1613, the city was granted a Royal Charter by King James I and the "London" prefix was added, changing the name of the city to Londonderry. While the city is more usually known as Derry, Londonderry is also used and remains the legal name.

 

The old walled city lies on the west bank of the River Foyle, which is spanned by two road bridges and one footbridge. The city now covers both banks (Cityside on the west and Waterside on the east). The city district also extends to rural areas to the southeast. The population of the city proper (the area defined by its 17th-century charter) was 83,652 in the 2012 Census, while the greater area had a population of 105,066.

I was told (who by you might ask?) it’s an old city with a young heart. Derry / Londonderry’s population is one of the youngest in Europe and as such there are plenty of lively pubs, clubs and nightspots, world-class restaurants and an impressive arts and music scene to discover.

Unfortunately, I arrived there on a Sunday when most of these impressive places were closed. So I missed out in more ways than one.   Derry is a compact city and easy to explore. There are great walking opportunities along the historic 400 year-old walls. Still intact and retaining the original gateways, this is the best-preserved walled city in Ireland. Guilds from the City of London financed the walls, hence the origins of the name Londonderry. The Maiden City title is derived from the unconquered walls’ status. The walls were never broken, withstanding several sieges.

The city’s history and evolution, is explained in The Story of Derry at the Tower Museum. This permanent exhibition is the city’s journey through many centuries from its geological origins through its Christian, maritime, emigration, economic and more recent political events.

Within the walls is a progressive, dynamic arts environment where new writing, film and dramatic arts flourish. The Verbal Arts Centre, Nerve Centre, the Millennium Forum, Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin and The Playhouse are venues for artistic expression by local and international writers, singers, dancers and theatre groups.

 

 

The city is bulging with galleries and art spaces, such as the Void, and Centre for Contemporary Art, along with a number of smaller galleries including Context, Gordon, Eden Place and Cowley Cooper.

Now what about this city of culture idea? Well, with a bit of research I found out the following.
 UK City of Culture is a designation given to a city in the U.K. for a period of one year. The aim of the initiative, which is administered by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is to "build on the success of Liverpool’s year as European Capital of Culture 2008, which had significant social and economic benefits for the area".  Well it did not seem to help their soccer team did it?

A total of 14 cities applied for the honour including Birmingham, Norwich and Sheffield and (wait for it)              The winner is ….em        Derry!          And very well done to you boys up there!

“Was there any trouble here recently?” I asked a local.  “Nat a tall”, she replied. “Don’t we have lots of wee peace monuments now!” she related as she pointed out one of them to me. (see below).

 

 

 

 So, put it on your itinerary for your next trip. It looks like I will have to return. I simply missed out on all the action.