Introduction

Londonderry is a county of Northern Ireland that lies between Lough Neagh and the Atlantic northern coast of Ireland. Londonderry (aka Derry) is also the name given to the county’s chief town (population 52,205 in 1971 and 82,862 in 1981; now in excess of 100,000) which is also a little used port on the River Foyle.  The up-to-date Interactive Map or Interactive Map 2  should be useful and reliable. Old historical maps can also be accessed through a recent initiative by the University of Portsmouth and partners.

Londonderry, locally and historically Derry, Irish Doire, formally merged an old city area with a larger coextensive district in 1969 to later become one of Northern Ireland’s 26 districts in 1973. The city is officially referred to as Londonderry City although this was challenged unsuccessfully in a Judicial Review in 2006. The old city area of Londonderry occupied 4 sq miles (10.4 sq km) in 1971. Centred on a hill on the west bank of the River Foyle, it is partially contained by the well-preserved Derry Walls (completed in 1618) 1.2 mi (2.0 km) in circumference. It is about 4 miles upstream from where the Foyle widens into the broad Atlantic inlet of Lough Foyle.

Its locally popular name, Derry, comes from the Irish word doire,meaning “oak grove.”Londonderry district and city have an area of 148 sq mi and include rolling lowlands and valleys that gradually rise to the wooded slopes of the Sperrin Mountains in the southeast. It is bordered by the districts of Limavady to the east and Strabane to the south, the Irish Republic to the west and Lough (inlet of the sea) Foyle to the north. Salmon are fished in the tidal portions of the River Foyle although this is rapidly becoming only a cottage industry as Lough Foyle is almost entirely fished out for commercial purposes. However, details of the good fishing for sport which is well-maintained and widely available can be found at Derry and Donegal Gateway

By popular request, Paddy Reilly’s version of Carrickfergus is also posted here so that visitors can decide who renders this classic song better, him or Orla Fallon. Trivial Pursuit question – who unearthed this beautiful song and saved it for posterity? Answer: Peter O’Toole, the famous actor who played Lawrence of Arabia, who gave it to Dominic Behan (brother of Brendan the playwright) who put English words to it.