Londonderry
A Brief History
Londonderry is one of the longest continuously inhabited places in Ireland. Historical references show that a Monastery was founded there in the sixth century A.D. but archaeological sites indicate that there has been people living there long before the sixth century.
The City was built on a hill surrounded for the most part by the river and for the remainder by bog land. This made the City very defensible against attack. Down through the years there have been many battles in and around the City. Originally called Derry the City was fortified in the 17th Century and laid out with four main streets. The City was surrounded with Walls 18 feet thick and about a mile round. These Walls are still there today and they alone are an important part of the history of the City.
After the plantation of Ulster the City was renamed to Londonderry in honour of the association the City had with the London Companies. The City with its four main streets and its fortified Walls remains almost intact to this day.
The most memorable of all the battles that took place in and around Londonderry was actually a Siege that lasted 105 day's. The Siege of Londonderry is still celebrated today and there is a world wide organisation called The Apprentice Boys of Derry who organise the celebrations which take place in December and August each year. In December they celebrate the shutting of the Gates signifying the start of the Siege and in August they celebrate the Relief of the City signifying the end of the Siege. The Celebrations take the form of a religious Service in St. Columbs Cathedral followed by a street parade.
This was an important Siege in that the result of this particular Siege was felt all over Europe and possibly beyond even that. Down through the years there have been a vast number of books written about the Siege of Londonderry.
The History of the City is long and I would not attempt to go into it in any great depth. I have put a collection of images together showing different parts of the City, which I hope you will enjoy seeing.
|