Bus tour in BELFAST

BUS TOUR IN BELFAST.

 When I roamed around the province (Ulster) in the sixties and seventies, I had no idea you could celebrate Christmas in the sun AND on the beach but for the last thirty years or so, I have managed to do just that.  I know some people return “home” at this time of year (from Australia) and from what I hear you all enjoy yourselves; even the colder weather.  I might try it sometime though not in this century.  Ah but I am reminiscing and that brings me back to my bus trip around Belfast; yeah the hap on hap off bus. Well I already told you all about the first half of the trip out to the Titanic Quarter, the Sydenham Road and Stormont. The second half of the trip proved to be much more daring.

We set off from Castle Place towards St. Anne’s Cathedral and the City Hall which like most buildings in Ulster has an interesting history. 

Plans for the City Hall began in 1888 when Belfast was awarded city status by Queen Victoria. This was in recognition of Belfast's rapid expansion and thriving linen, rope-making, shipbuilding and engineering industries. And where have they all disappeared to over the years you might well ask?

During this period Belfast briefly overtook Dublin as the most populous city on the island of Ireland. Interesting enough, (for all my South African readers) the city hall in Durban, South Africa is almost an exact replica of Belfast's City Hall. It was built some 20 years later in 1910 and designed by Stanley G. Hudson, who was inspired by the Belfast design. The Port of Liverpool Building, designed by Arnold Thornley and completed in 1913, is another very close relative. I am not sure this will help you all on quiz nights but you never know.

Our next stop was the Ulster Hall. Built in 1859 and opened in 1862. The hall's purpose was to provide the expanding city of Belfast with a multi-purpose venue of sufficient size to accommodate most acts.  It was designed by William J. Barre for the Ulster Hall Company and was opened on 12^th May 1862.  Obviously many famous artists entertained the Ulster public there but for me Bob Dylan was one of my favourites, followed closely by The Dubliners and The Clancey Brothers (not forgetting Tommy Makem of course).   

We then continued on to Shaftesbury Avenue and Queen’s University. We passed the Crown Bar Saloon where I remember having a decent pint before boarding the train for Dublin; once upon a time.  Eventually we headed up Divis Street towards the Internal Peace Wall with its 50 cultural murals.

And so onwards to the peace line situated between the Falls and the Shankill Roads.



As our well informed guide told us sarcastically; “All is well here in Belfast. It is one of the safest corners in the world. The peace treaty was signed some 15 years ago. Yet the peace wall was constructed 4 years ago!”  Well maybe they were trying to make up for the infamous Berlin Wall.

We then travelled down the Shankill Road complete with more murals.  Hey we really have some fine artists in the province.

 

And so back to the centre and the famous Albert clock. Belfast's most prominent timepiece was built from 1865-1870 in memory of Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, who died in 1862. Apologies are due here as I had actually forgotten who Albert was. The 43m-high landmark is famous as Belfast's very own leaning tower. Like many structures in the city, it was built on reclaimed land on the River Farset's somewhat marshy foundations and the clock tower currently leans 1.25m to the left or the right if you look at it from the other side! A two-year £multi-million restoration project saw craftsmen working 'round the clock' to spruce up its sandstone, polish its two tonne bell and add gold leaf to its four faces. I always thought that two-faced was bad enough.

It certainly was a whirlwind tour and I am sure if you had ever lived in Belfast and you took this tour, it would bring back many memories. I do hope most of them would be good ones.  And so to my sad end. The guide was genuinly humourous and entertaining but was also somewhat pessimistic. “We are just one bullet away from it all starting up again” he smilingly informed us.  I am so glad to report that so far he has been wrong.  

By the way, I only haped off once and no points for guessing where that was.  My favourite picture I took at the end of the trip in a friendly shop window opposite the famous Europa Hotel; the most bombed hotel in Europe.  Must be the only country in the world you can get a free guinness when you buy a loaf of bread.







Belfast

Back to Belfast after 40 years.

 

I remember reading George Orwell’s “1984” in 1965 and thinking would I ever see the year 1984. Well I did and that was thirty years ago. It seems we are all getting a little older. We can only reflect on how lucky we have been. So many of us have left the olde sod for a better life and we were not disappointed.I did a gig last week to celebrate the birthday of a beautiful Irish lass who had just become an octogenarian. She was the life of the party and along with her husband had many stories to tell. Thanks S. and M. for the invitation.   They invoked many memories of happy times I spent “back home!”

One of them occurred quite recently.  Well it was a lovely autumn day (for Ulster) 15 degrees and a little sun. The wife and myself were on our last day in the province before heading down to Dublin and Dubai. We had had a memorable flight from Barcelona to Belfast!
“Why don’t you go on the Belfast bus ride” my wife said to me. I had just left the rented car back to the airport so we were sort of stranded for the remainder of the day.  “I don’t think so” I said. “Remember I lived here for all of my youth.”   “Go on” she insisted, “I went on it yesterday and you might even enjoy it!”   Well in the end I went and I did; enjoy it that is.

It consisted of two parts. So to keep you in suspense, I will describe the first part here and the second in the next blog.       The bus was some minutes away so I chatted to the guide for some minutes in my still-Ulster accent. He looked at me doubtfully when I tried to explain to him I was an Australian.   “Oh yeah?” he said. “And what would yew be doing back here in this neck of the woods?”  I couldn’t think of a suitable reply so I asked him how things were in this neck of the woods.  “Not so good” he remarks.  “Sure we are just one bullet away from it all starting up again.” 

The bus arrived at this time so I happed on.   Well it was described aptly in the brochure as a hap on hap off bus! (Apologies for the accent here) I proceeded to a good seat and was gratified to find that they now have traffic wardens in Belfast. See photograph above. In my day you did not leave your car anywhere near the city centre. Why not I hear you ask?  Well it would probably have been blown up just in case it was a car bomb!  
  And a few minutes later we set off down Castle Place towards the Albert clock, over the Queens Bridge, towards the docks, Harland and Wolff  and the Titanic Quarter which I have already mentioned in detail in previous articles.  Then a long trip towards Holywood and then to Stormont.
Our guide was in full swing by now and even the Japanese and Greek couples (despite their economy) on board were laughing at his sense of humour.  It was not easy to distinguish truth from fiction.   “Belfast has recently been voted the safest city in the world” He boomed through his microphone. “And why is that?” he proceeded.   “Because the criminals of yesteryear are now all in government!” was his rhetorical answer.  Great laughter from the passengers until we realised he was probably not joking.  

The buildings at Stormont (photo above) he went into in great detail especially about the effect the pigeons were having on the roof and of course the statue of Edward Carson.  “The funeral of George Best was here” our good guide informed us. “Tens of thousands lined the road right down as far as you can see.”  And off we set again returning to the city centre via the Newtownards road.  We passed over the Lagan once again where I noticed a weird sculpture. (Almost as weird as the communist’s statues I mentioned in my last article) It was designed (apparently) to represent the latest progress in peace.   I quote our good guide once again.

“Coming up on the left side of the bus you can see the latest in Ulster art. It was designed to represent the peace process but in usual Ulster humour   - she is known as many things: The Thing with the Ring; The Nuala with the Hula (Nuala a common Irish girl's name); or simply The Doll on the Ball.” Of course he failed to tell us what the real name was.
Above you can see my picture on this fine autumn day of the “Doll on the Ball” from the bus. Back then to the city centre where our guided reminded us that this was just the first half. The second half was much more exciting as we would be travelling to the Shankill and Falls and would be able to see the peace wall and the many murals.  Well it’s back down to earth for me after remembering the cool time (in both senses) I had on the bus. Of course I will reveal all in the next article. 

Forty five years ago I picked up Leon Uris’ book “Trinity”. I read the first few pages and scanned a few more. I did not like the idea of an American writing about Ireland. Last month I ordered it from the library and was informed it had been sent to the archives but they did manage to obtain an old copy for me. What a history we had and I am truly disappointed to say that it is on-going.  OK so it is not all factual but it is a reasonable story.   

I have lived a long time out of Ulster but for a bit of devilment, I booked an appointment with my Irish doctor on the 12^th July. He is from Ulster, so he knows a bit about a thing or two.  “Happy Twelfth” I greeted him but of course he had completed forgotten or more likely blocked it out of his mind. “I would love if both sides could celebrate together on the same day” he mused.  Some wish that I thought to myself. He really has been out here too long!   And sure enough, they were at it again as I am sure you have heard and I certainly do not want to write about it here.

Now I apologise as I am going to be a little bit of a school teacher here. Yeah, I am going to remind you of my last three articles in case you are in need of a reminder of what Ulster is like now compared with what it was like when you left it. Or what you can look forward to when you next visit it!

Apparently, Lonely Planet, (sorry which planet?) the world’s largest travel guide publisher, (believe it or not)  has placed Northern Ireland in its Top 10 European travel destinations for 2013. (I would love to know how they arrived at that conclusion!)

 “Scenic, historic and on the rise: Northern Ireland is ripe for exploration in 2013”, says editor Andy Murdock, whose piece also recommends the UK City of Culture, Derry~Londonderry, the new Titanic Belfast experience, as well as famous attractions such as the iconic Giant's Causeway and Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge.    (Well, if you read this column regulary, you would know all about these famous places!)

    

“The UK City of Culture for 2013, Derry~Londonderry  (Can’t we just call it Donder, 3 letters from both names or some such thing for short!) is undergoing a renaissance, with a year full of cultural events and a new 235m pedestrian Peace Bridge over the River Foyle designed to resemble a handshake between the traditionally Protestant and Catholic sides of the city. (No comment here but it sure sounds good!)  Derry~Londonderry is the only surviving walled city in Ireland and a walk around the walls is a must for any visitor,” the piece goes on to say. (Just do not fall off and duck if you here any suspicious noise.)

  

It adds: “Northern Ireland’s charms extend well beyond the cities (which, coincidentally, fans of Game of Thrones (oops, never heard of it. Is it like Robin Hood?) will know from the lush scenery used throughout the show). The Giant’s Causeway with its picturesque rambling hexagonal columns of basalt spilling into the sea, is connected by an unforgettable 16 km coastal walk along the Causeway Coast to the swaying Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge (20 m long, only 1 m wide, bouncing 30 m above rocks and water) with cliffs, islands, beaches, ruins and seabirds along the way.”

 

The listing caps an incredible couple of years for Northern Ireland, which has received accolades and recommendations for its tourism offering in the travel and mainstream press around the world. (OK, will take your word for it!)

In June the picturesque lakelands of County Fermanagh hosted the ‘most peaceful and friendly ever’ G8 Summit placing the world spotlight on Northern Ireland once again. (Well I ask you, who was going to go to Enniskillen to protest anything!)

And this August the country is braced to welcome over 7,000 competitors and their friends and family to the World Police and Fire Games, as it stages the third largest multisport event in the world. (If you lived there you would know about police and fire …. well wouldn’t you?)

This year over 60 cruise ships – once an unthinkable proposition in Northern Ireland – will dock in Belfast harbour next to Titanic Belfast, which stands at the head of the slipways where the ship was launched and last year welcomed over 800,000 visitors (including yours truly) from 111 countries.  (Maybe Tony could send his boats there…….sorry I won’t joke about that.)

As the first ever UK City of Culture, Derry~Londonderry, the third largest city in Ireland, has also been labelled one of the hottest destinations of 2013 – number four in the world according to a separate top 10 Lonely Planet listing of top cities in the world to visit, and ahead of the likes of Beijing (over crowded) and Montreal (too cold).       (Now I am not sure with what reference HOTTEST means here but the word itself gives us plenty of scope. All I know it was NOT referring to the weather.)

The Editors Footnote was as follows:

 

In June Australian’s outshone European markets to become the third highest ranking international visitors to the Titanic Experience – after UK and USA!

 

I wonder how they derived that piece of info.    Maybe it was my accent but they never asked me where I came from!  
“Sure we know where you come from we lad.”   I quietly sneaked my Aussie passport back into my pocket where it belonged.

David MacConnell

       A good friend of mine who lived in Northern Ireland some time ago once remarked to me. “Sure it was something terrible to live there (N.I) in the 60’s. We never went anywhere in those days.”  Now I did not entirely agree with him but I have to admit that I was only in Enniskillen twice and that was only because I was going to Galway and Enniskillen was on the way.

Well you all probably know by now. Enniskillen is now on the map. Yeah the Big Map!  On June 17^th – 18^th they hosted the G8 talks.  (“Well thank God he’s going to write something politically orientated” I can hear Fred say. Fred is the editor as if you didn’t know by now. He’s almost as famous as Gerry   em   em  what’s his name!)

Well politics in Ulster for me when I was young was very basic. It was black and white. It was orange and green. You were one or the other! I wonder if it has changed. Those that did - marched.  Those that didn’t - stayed at home and watched those that did on the television!     Was this marching why they chose Fermanagh as the location of the 2013 G8 summit?  Let me tell you a LITTLE about it.

The Group of Eight (G8) is a forum for the governments of the world's eight wealthiest countries. The forum originated with a 1975 summit hosted by France that brought together representatives of six governments: France, West Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, thus leading to the name Group of Six or G6. The summit became known as the G7 the following year with the addition of Canada.  In 1997, Russia was added to the group which then became known as the G8. The European Union is represented within the G8 but cannot host or chair summits.

There can surely be no better location for a summit of world leaders seeking to make decisions that affect the harmony and sustainability of the world in which we live than The Fermanagh Lakes; home to places that have been used for reverie and contemplation for hundreds of years.

Just down the road from the Lough Erne Resort is Devenish Island where St. Molaise founded a
monastery in the 6th Century. With one of the finest round towers in Ireland, the Devenish monastery is emblematic of the significance of Lough Erne and its environs for learning and spirituality.    The area is rich with heritage and history and also provides a sensational backdrop to fishing and water sports for the increasing number of tourists who seek out Fermanagh.

The talks will take place in the Lough Erne Resort,  a five star hotel, spa and championship golf course situated on a 600 acre estate between Castle Hume Lough and Lower Lough Erne.     The resort boasts a banqueting hall and two championship golf courses.  Ideally located only minutes from Enniskillen town centre and St Angelo Airport for private jet arrival, the resort is within a 2 hour drive of Dublin International Airport, Belfast International Airport (Aldergrove), Belfast City Airport (George Best), Sligo and City of Derry Airport as well as Belfast & Dublin ports.  In Irish terms that is remote.

Lough Erne Resort has 5 helipads for helicopter arrivals, or arrivals by seaplane on Castle Hume Lough, which the resort buildings directly overlook.  I must bring my helicopter the next time I visit. A team can arrange transfers to the resort whether you require a chauffeur driven car, limousine or car hire. Bicycles and small cars are not encouraged.  Sorry only kidding.   The 18th hole by the shores of Lough Erne is only a par three. But from the Championship tee, 228 yards from the green, it is totally intimidating.  (Well not for me I should add. It is not on my bucket list to drive off any Championship tees on any course!)    Hit it right, the ball goes into the water and sinks into the lough; go left and you could brain an unsuspecting imbiber on the terrace; too short or too long, you are in the reeds; even a near-perfect shot can embed itself in a gully. Frankly, all the options look horrible.

If the Group of Eight presidents and prime ministers who gathered on Monday at the Lough Erne resort have a moment even to look, they might see this as a metaphor for the political choices they face. To stand the slightest chance of making a viable decision and executing it well, they need hard heads, soft hands – and a lot of luck. But that is one thing we Irish seemingly have. (Well, I am not so sure nowadays)

 

 

 

Lough Erne is an appropriate venue in another respect. The reality of this sumptuous-looking setting is all too similar to most of the countries the leaders represent. Beneath the surface luxury, the operation is broke. It went into administration two years ago and is up for sale for a knock-down £10m. The purpose of the G8 summit may be unclear to most people including me before I started writing this article. Now it is just hazy. But apparently it is clear enough to the people around Fermanagh!  It is the biggest property marketing exercise in history …Honest!

Lough Erne must be the second-most improbable setting in the 38-year sequence of these events. I have forgotten what the first one was. The South Pole maybe or the top of Mt. Everest! Even a few years ago, the political atmosphere made this border region feel too dangerous for any world leader – most golfers too accept those with handicaps over 30.  But a local entrepreneur had a vision: a five-star resort in the middle of nowhere. This vision subsequently turned out to be a nightmare. In late 2008 it became reality, just as the Irish and global economies caved in. Less than two years later the bankers pulled out of Ireland, north and south, and called in their loans. Now how mean was that?

Architecturally, the place is a bit forbidding: a grey mix of Scottish baronial and army barrack. But it has two matchless advantages: the lough-side scenery and the warmth of the locals. Ulster people may well be the friendliest on earth (except  of course to each other). Apparently people there are ridiculously trustworthy, or so I have been told. That trust includes the local belief that this struggling area will somehow gain some benefit from this shindig.
There have already been some pluses: a few road improvements;  beefed-up broadband and 3G coverage; and a major wash and brush-up for Enniskillen. “There’s not a painter unemployed for 200
miles round,” it was reported. There weren’t many painters for 200 miles around anyway, I thought
  to myself. They are all in Australia! It’s great to be a cynic these days. “It’s 26 000 miles from Perth to
Enniskillen! “ I sang and reminded myself of the recent article about Donaghadee.  (Oh get on with it
man I can hear you say….   Sorry!)

You couldn't get more Ulster when it comes to food for this famous event.  Chefs at Fermanagh's Lough Erne Resort have been working on the menus for four months. Yeah a long time to write out a menu!     On the Friday before the great event, the last details were still being finalised at the luxury resort. Extra equipment has been bought, new uniforms brought in and all the resort's kitchen utensils upgraded. (Who told me that?  And new teaspoons!)   Staff in Lough Erne's four kitchens have undergone around 100 hours additional training each. It begs the question what they knew before doesn’t it?

Exactly what the G8 leaders will eat is being kept secret …perhaps because they are still working on the menu as I mentioned above.  A range of up to 25 dishes – including vegan and vegetarian delicacies – will be offered…. and accepted one hopes.

The ingredients will be drawn from across Ireland – except, perhaps, for the lemons. (What   No Irish lemons. I am sure I’ve seen a few when I was there last!)  Comber spuds, Glastry ice-cream from Co Down and fresh fish from Donegal's Killybegs port are all expected to appear on the menus – beside cheeses from Fivemiletown, beef from Lisnaskea firm Kettyles, (if I only knew what they were) and black bacon and corned beef from Enniskillen's renowned butchers.

Local delicacies will include yellowman ice-cream with a dulse garnish, (I honestly never knew that was a delicacy!)  Toomebridge eels with a sweet red onion marmalade and local oatcakes. (What no Irish stew or Guinness pie?)

And, of course, the Ulster fry with black and white pudding. (Well I would hope so!) Thank goodness there was no gammon steak and pineapple on the menu. It used to be in ALL the menus and it was why I left Ulster 40 years ago!

The choice for the venue was made partly on security grounds. The resort is largely surrounded by water; six miles of fence and thousands of policemen will do the rest of the job. But David Cameron appears to be making another statement: that here is an area transformed from a war zone into a holiday destination.

As is customary, the protesters  at the G8 will be trying to draw attention to various issues but the main themes for the locals are likely to be youth emigration and fracking. No, you don’t have to reread that.  I wrote Fracking!

Plans for fracking near the border village of Belcoo are drawing strong opposition. But against that, there is not much in Belcoo, although there is an Italian deli with an enticingly open door. It’s fake, or so I was told but it is the best of several that have gone up on vacant shops in the vicinity. Who is it designed to fool, though? Maybe a passing Italian prime minister, or the locals pointing at a non-existent prosperity? This is Ireland, and one can never be quite sure who is kidding whom or if they are actually kidding at all! If Ulster was in the South, we could just blame it all on the “Celtic Tiger!”

Still, Fermanagh should enjoy the fun and attention. They would bring out the flags, except that this is Ulster, and the flag (that new four lettered word I mentioned a while back) you fly – Union Jack or Irish tricolour – is a provocative statement. The council wants them taken down instead. Have you ever asked someone to take down his flag? Things could get nasty!

Now if you want to know what actually happened, well I will let you all Google it for yourselves. The headlines are not so different from what I hinted at above.  One sure thing, the leaders of the G8 countries will not be reading this article and even if they did, I am sure they would not understand it.  I know you will.  As my Irish friend from that well known school in Sorrento would say, “Sure it’s as clear as mud!”

 

 

Well if you are reading this and you are under 50 (ish) you might remember that the wife and myself went back for a holiday to the olde sod.  Now her good self is from Dublin.  Four she tells me. (It must be the golfer in her that says that every time I mention Dublin.)  She has never lived in Ulster but like any good woman she knows all about it and like any good wife, she is always right.

We drove down from Co. Antrim through Belfast and into Co. Down where we met my sister in Bangor. She had arrived via Holyhead and Dublin and had driven up to Bangor the night before. This was where I lived my late teen age years and it brought back lots of memories, most of which I cannot share with you here.

The B & B where we were booked into was some 200 metres from where my first girl-friend lived. (what has that got to do with the price of soap you might well ask?).   Like most towns around the world, Bangor has expanded and has discovered that if you put in lots of roundabouts, (in this case cheap roundabouts i.e. painted circles in the middle of the road)  it seems to slow the traffic down quite a bit. Perth discovered this phenomena lately as well. 

The first night was I suppose a typical Ulster night. Strong winds combined with some sort of water which could have been from the waves or the sky. Either way it was wet. Our host at the boarding house suggested various eating houses and for a nostalgic reason I chose to go to Donaghadee, some seven miles down the coast as you can see from the map above. (Did Phil Coulter get it wrong when he wrote the words “It’s six miles from Bangor to Donaghadee”…. Maybe he knew a short cut!)

Well off we set through the town in our big car with the Dublin plates and I was able to negotiate all of the circles in the middle of the road despite the poor visibility. We had travelled some 2 miles out of the town when I noticed a blue light (flashing) in my rear mirror. I looked at the speedometer which of course was in kilometres per hour (Other parts of Ireland use the metric system) and my back seat driver quickly converted to Miles per hour. “You are well under the speed limit” he stated hurriedly.   “What should I do”, I asked slowing down even more and just after a nasty siren noise became audible over the noise of the storm. 

For the first time that I can recall, there was no response from the two backseat drivers who had up to this point virtually driven the car on their own!  “Keep going!” stated the front seat passenger. “There is no place to pull in here!” And with no alternative suggestions, I did just that. After a mile or so I rethought this as the siren was becoming unbearable. I signalled the car behind to pass and slowed down to a walking pace. This seemed to work as we could no longer hear the blasted thing. Nothing seemed to be happening so I gradually accelerated.  Whoa. This had an instant effect. The car behind (OK you guessed it) was a speedy police car and it passed me rapidly if not dangerously and pulled in very smartly in front of me. 

Normally I jump out of the car at this stage as I hate policemen looking down at me but the weather was the deciding factor so I stayed put as the copper jumped out and put on his hat: a sure sign that he was not going to inquire about my health.  At the last minute I pushed the button to slide down the window a fraction to be greeted by a torch peering into the car.

“Any chance you got your licence with you?” he enquired in a clear Co. Down accent.
“Sorry no” I replied in an equally clear Co. Down accent. “I left my wallet at the hotel”.
“And where are you all off to?” he enquired.
Well as we were on the road to Donaghadee, I decided my smart answer was inappropriate. “Donaghadee” I replied laconically.

“Why didn’t you stop when you saw us behind you?” he asked.

“I was trying to” I said, “But I just could not see anywhere to pull in safely”.

“I see” he said. “We stopped you because you seemed to be unsure at all the roundabouts you went around”.

“You are quite correct” I said. “I used to live here some forty years ago and they were not here then and also the weather was making driving difficult!”

“I suppose you are right” he replied. “I don’t smell any drink” (the Ulster equivalent of the breathalyser!)    Well he wouldn’t as we were on our way THERE!

“All right” he said, “Just follow us and I will see you safely into Donaghadee”, whereupon he returned swiftly to his car and promptly did a U-turn. So much for following him!

Different from when I was stopped in the seventies I thought to myself. And so we had a great meal in a pub in Donaghadee despite being the only customers who were eating.  We put it down to either the economic climate or the real climate!

The lighthouse at Donaghadee dates from 1836. The tower is built of cut limestone, fluted, and in its early days was unpainted in natural grey colour. The tower, including the lantern and dome, is now painted white with a black plinth since some time 1869 and 1875.

Conversion to an unwatched electric lighthouse was made in 1934 and this made it the first Irish lighthouse to be converted to electric.

 

 

The next day was equally bad weatherwise (what’s new) so we decided to go and visit the Titanic Quarter in Belfast. This visit was very high on my agenda as I had written about it during the 100^th anniversary of its sinking in April. I was not disappointed as you will be able to see if and when you read my next blog.

 

 

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.