Marker Logo HMdb.org THE HISTORICAL
MARKER DATABASE
“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
Derry-Londonderry in Derry And Strabane, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom — Northwestern Europe (the British Isles)
 

The Walled City

 
 
The Walled City Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., September 18, 2012
1. The Walled City Marker
Inscription.

If 'stones could speak', what a story they would have to tell. Their voices still echo on the walls and in the city streets.

According to tradition St. Colm Cille chose the oak grove on top of the hill for his monastery in 546 AD. His community became a beacon of light and learning throughout Europe. Around it grew a settlement with a stronghold, cathedral and port.

In 1610 the City of London Companies agreed to build a new city on the Foyle in return for land in King James I's new plantation. Their legacy is Ireland's most complete town walls with their 'roaring cannon' and the first post-Reformation cathedral in the British Isles. The accents of Planter and Gael still shape the city's culture and traditions.

The fertile banks of the Foyle have been disputed territory since prehistoric times. The city withstood two sieges, each of over a hundred days. In 1689 it was caught up in the struggle between James II and William III for the English throne. By the time the siege was reli[e]ved, the citizens were starving but their indomitable spirit remained unbroken.

In succeeding centuries the city prospered, expanding beyond the walls and across the river. Industries like shirt making and whisky distilling flourished while the port became a leading centre of international trade. From the
Paid Advertisement
Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.
Click or scan to see
this page online
18th century many thousands of emigrants left from the quaysides to start a new life in North America. They transplanted their traditions to new territories. During the Second World War, convoys left the Foyle to help win the Battle of the Atlantic and sailors from many parts of the globe spent their shore leave in the city.

The city played its part in the civil rights movement of the 1960s and experienced its share of conflict and tragedy during the Troubles. By 1980 a third of the buildings within the walls had been damaged or destroyed. Yet the people's spirit was undefeated, expressed in a burst of creativity from poetry to punk.

With the return of peace, the city reinvented itself again as a regional city, University campus, a fusion of Irish and British culture and an international tourist destination.

The city is still making history today. Experience it.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: DisastersForts and CastlesSettlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1610.
 
Location. 54° 59.621′ N, 7° 19.49′ W. Marker is in Derry-Londonderry, Northern Ireland, in Derry And Strabane. Marker is on Bishop Street just north of Orchard Row, on the left when traveling north. Marker is adjacent to the exterior of Bishop's Gate. Touch for map.
The Walled City Marker at Bishop's Gate image. Click for full size.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., September 18, 2012
2. The Walled City Marker at Bishop's Gate
Marker is in this post office area: Derry-Londonderry, Northern Ireland BT48 6PL, United Kingdom. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Bishop's Gate (here, next to this marker); a different marker also named Bishop's Gate (here, next to this marker); Double Bastion (within shouting distance of this marker); Verbal Arts Centre (within shouting distance of this marker); George Farquhar (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Double Bastion (within shouting distance of this marker); Demi-culverin Cannon (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named The Walled City (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Derry-Londonderry.
 
Also see . . .
1. The Siege of Derry (1689). (Submitted on January 1, 2014, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
2. The Troubles, 1963-1985. (Submitted on January 1, 2014, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on September 7, 2022. It was originally submitted on January 1, 2014, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 420 times since then and 3 times this year. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on January 1, 2014, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Share this page.  
Share on Tumblr
m=71026

CeraNet Cloud Computing sponsors the Historical Marker Database.
This website earns income from purchases you make after using our links to Amazon.com. We appreciate your support.
Paid Advertisements
Mar. 18, 2024