117-557: Foyle Valley Railway Museum is a museum in Derry , Northern Ireland. It is run by the charity Destined and is dedicated to the history of narrow gauge railways in the surrounding area. A heritage railway named Foyle Valley Railway previously ran from the museum. After the last remaining line of the County Donegal Railways Joint Committee (CDRJC) closed in 1960, an American airline businessman named Dr Ralph Cox bought
234-511: A London-born builder, who was rewarded with several grants of land. It is one of the few cities in Europe that never saw its fortifications breached, withstanding several sieges, including the famous Siege of Derry in 1689 which lasted 105 days; hence the city's nickname, The Maiden City . Derry is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in Ireland. The earliest historical references date to
351-598: A bill giving the Royal Ulster Constabulary powers to stop and search vessels on Lough Foyle. Cosgrave asserted all of Lough Foyle was Free State territory and that as such a bill of that nature would be rejected by the Free State and its introduction would create "a very serious situation". Cosgrave then raised the matter with the British government. Claims by The Honourable The Irish Society that its fishing rights in
468-707: A former member of the Democratic Unionist Party and then a Member of the European Parliament , told The Times that it would be "intolerable and preposterous if citizens of the UK had to present a passport to enter another part of the UK". In July 2008, the UK and Irish governments announced their intent to resume controls over their common border and the Common Travel Area in general. Each proposed to introduce detailed passport control over travellers from
585-567: A large number of its assets, including many pieces of rolling stock. He had plans to use these for a heritage railway in New Jersey, but the high cost of shipping prevented anything from crossing the Atlantic. The rolling stock stayed in situ at Strabane, Letterkenny and Stranorlor where it was exposed to the effects of the weather and vandalism. In 1970, the North West of Ireland Railway Society (NWIRS)
702-539: A large portion of County Tyrone to form County Londonderry . Planters organised by London livery companies through The Honourable The Irish Society arrived in the 17th century as part of the Plantation of Ulster and rebuilt the town with high walls to defend it from Irish insurgents who opposed the plantation. The aim was to settle Ulster with a population supportive of the Crown. It was then renamed "Londonderry". This city
819-612: A motion to change the official name of the city to Derry and to write to Mark H. Durkan , the Northern Irish Minister for the Environment , to ask how the change could be effected. The name Derry is preferred by nationalists and it is broadly used throughout Northern Ireland's Catholic community, as well as that of the Republic of Ireland, whereas many unionists prefer Londonderry ; however, in everyday conversation Derry
936-599: A new purpose-built building for the museum. This was on the site of a former goods yard of the Great Northern Railway (GNR) near what was previously Foyle Road station . The NWIRS rolling stock was returned to Derry and was joined by a few more items which had been at Strabane. Track for the Foyle Valley Railway was laid again, this time along the GNR trackbed towards Carrigans . The two railcars resumed running along
1053-421: A range of EU rules in order to forestall the need for border checks. This was opposed by the subsequent British government as producing an effective border between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In late October 2019, the UK and EU reached a Brexit withdrawal agreement which contains a revised Northern Ireland Protocol that commits the UK to maintaining an open border in Ireland, so that (in many respects),
1170-453: A red cross and sword on white. In the centre of the cross is a gold harp. In unofficial use the harp sometimes appears above the arms as a crest . The arms were confirmed by Daniel Molyneux, the Ulster King of Arms , in 1613, following the town's incorporation. Molyneux's notes state that the original arms of Derry were "the picture of death (or a skeleton) sitting on a mossie ston and in
1287-791: A scale over a substantial segment of Northern Ireland. A civil rights demonstration in 1968 led by the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association was banned by the Government and blocked using force by the Royal Ulster Constabulary . The events that followed the August 1969 Apprentice Boys parade resulted in the Battle of the Bogside , when Catholic rioters fought the police, leading to widespread civil disorder in Northern Ireland and
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#17328555336351404-565: A secret agreement between the Americans and the British before the Americans entered the war. It was the first American naval base in Europe and the terminal for American convoys en route to Europe. The reason for such a high degree of military and naval activity was self-evident: Derry was the United Kingdom's westernmost port; indeed, the city was the westernmost Allied port in Europe: thus, Derry
1521-738: A strange alliance of Roundhead troops under George Monck and the Irish Catholic general Owen Roe O'Neill . These temporary allies were soon fighting each other again however, after the landing in Ireland of the New Model Army in 1649. The war in Ulster was finally brought to an end when the Parliamentarians crushed the Irish Catholic Ulster army at the Battle of Scarrifholis , near Letterkenny in nearby County Donegal , in 1650. During
1638-467: A walkway around the inner city. They provide a unique promenade to view the layout of the original town which still preserves its Renaissance-style street plan. The four original gates to the Walled City are Bishop's Gate, Ferryquay Gate, Butcher Gate and Shipquay Gate. Three further gates were added later, Magazine Gate, Castle Gate and New Gate, making seven gates in total. The architect was Peter Benson ,
1755-573: A week's violence, a truce was negotiated by local politicians on both unionist and republican sides. (See: The Troubles in Ulster (1920–1922) ). In 1921, following the Anglo-Irish Treaty and the Partition of Ireland , it unexpectedly became a 'border city', separated from much of its traditional economic hinterland in County Donegal . During World War II , the city played an important part in
1872-784: Is also Londonderry, New South Wales and the associated Londonderry electorate . Derry is the only remaining completely intact walled city in Ireland and one of the finest examples of a walled city in Europe. The walls constitute the largest monument in State care in Northern Ireland and, as part of the last walled city to be built in Europe, stand as the most complete and spectacular. The Walls were built in 1613–1619 by The Honourable The Irish Society as defences for early 17th-century settlers from England and Scotland. The Walls, which are approximately one mile (1.5 kilometres) in circumference and which vary in height and width between 3.7 and 10.7 metres (12 and 35 feet), are completely intact and form
1989-519: Is called Derry/Londonderry at other stations. The council changed the name of the local government district covering the city to Derry on 7 May 1984, consequently renaming itself Derry City Council. This did not change the name of the city, although the city is coterminous with the district, and in law the city council is also the Corporation of Londonderry or, more formally, the Mayor, Aldermen and Citizens of
2106-469: Is close to the border with County Donegal , with which it has had a close link for many centuries. The person traditionally seen as the founder of the original Derry is Saint Colmcille , a holy man from Tír Chonaill , the old name for almost all of modern County Donegal, of which the west bank of the Foyle was a part before 1610. In 2013, Derry was the inaugural UK City of Culture , having been awarded
2223-439: Is marked with a yellow, usually broken, line. The same marking in Northern Ireland is white and usually continuous. In Northern Ireland, roads use A (major) and B (minor) route prefixes, whereas Ireland's route prefixes are M (motorway) N (major, standing for national ) and R (minor, standing for regional ). Road signs in both the Republic and those in Northern Ireland are mainly black/white/red triangles or circles (the same as
2340-457: Is mostly limited to fuel, livestock and a seasonal trade in illegal fireworks, which are strictly regulated in Ireland – in both countries there are restrictions on the types which can be used and a licence is required to possess or use fireworks, but in Ireland such licences are seldom issued to private individuals. While it still exists de jure , the border presents no impediments to traffic in either direction. The Common Travel Area between
2457-562: Is often dated as the starting point of the Troubles . On Sunday 30 January 1972, 13 unarmed civilians were shot dead by British paratroopers during a civil rights march in the Bogside area. Another 13 were wounded and one further man later died of his wounds. This event came to be known as Bloody Sunday . The conflict which became known as the Troubles is widely regarded as having started in Derry with
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#17328555336352574-842: Is politically disputed [between] Ireland [and the] UK (Lough Foyle, Carlingford Lough—quiescent) During Dáil debates on the Carlingford Fisheries Bill, a contributor to the debate stated that he welcomed "the Bill's aim of defining the area of jurisdiction over the Foyle". However, the Irish Foyle and Carlingford Fisheries Act 2007 does not mention this issue; neither does the virtually identical British "Foyle and Carlingford Fisheries (Northern Ireland) Order 2007": each merely refers to "the Commission's waters". The UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office underlined its view in 2009: The UK position
2691-661: Is that the whole of Lough Foyle is within the UK. We recognise that the Irish Government does not accept this position [...] The regulation of activities in the Lough is now the responsibility of the Loughs Agency, a cross-border body established under the Belfast Agreement of 1998. A corresponding statement was made by Conor Lenihan, then an Irish Government Minister: there has never been any formal agreement between Ireland and
2808-563: Is used by most Protestant residents of the city. Linguist Kevin McCafferty argues that "It is not, strictly speaking, correct that Northern Ireland Catholics call it Derry, while Protestants use the Londonderry form, although this pattern has become more common locally since the mid-1980s, when the city council changed its name by dropping the prefix". In McCafferty's survey of language use in the city, "only very few interviewees—all Protestants—use
2925-503: The de facto border is the Irish Sea . As well as immigration and trade, a range of other issues of cross border cooperation, such as on health, were raised. The border is extremely irregular. Its irregularities were inherited from well-established county boundaries. The 499 km (310 mi) border is not explicitly described in statute but only implicitly inferred from the territorial definition of Northern Ireland as contained in
3042-620: The Battle of the Atlantic . Ships from the Royal Navy , the Royal Canadian Navy and other Allied navies were stationed in the city and the United States military established a base. Over 20,000 Royal Navy , 10,000 Royal Canadian Navy and 6,000 United States Navy personnel were stationed in the city during the war. The establishment of the American presence in the city was the result of
3159-656: The British Army from Catholic and Protestant families. During the Irish War of Independence , the area was rocked by sectarian violence, partly prompted by the guerilla war raging between the Irish Republican Army and British forces, but also influenced by economic and social pressures. By mid-1920 there was severe sectarian rioting in the city. Many people died and in addition, many Catholics and Protestants were expelled from their homes during this communal unrest. After
3276-539: The European Union . As the two states share a Common Travel Area and (as of 2021 ) Northern Ireland (the only exception within the UK and only in some respects) and the Republic of Ireland are participants in the European Single Market , the border is essentially an open one , allowing free passage of people since 1923 and of goods since 1993. There are circa 270 public roads that cross the border. Following
3393-604: The Glorious Revolution , only Derry and nearby Enniskillen had a Protestant garrison by November 1688. An army of around 1,200 men, mostly " Redshanks " ( Highlanders ), under Alexander MacDonnell, 3rd Earl of Antrim , was slowly organised (they set out on the week William of Orange landed in England). When they arrived on 7 December 1688 the gates were closed against them and the Siege of Derry began. In April 1689, King James came to
3510-455: The Parliament of Northern Ireland exercised its right to opt out of the Free State on 7 December 1922. The partition of 1921 created only a provisional boundary; a Boundary Commission met in 1924–25 to fix a permanent border between the two jurisdictions "in accordance with the wishes of the inhabitants, so far as may be compatible with economic and geographic conditions". The manner in which
3627-641: The United Kingdom's exit from the European Union , this border is also the frontier between the EU and a non-member country. The Brexit withdrawal agreement commits all involved parties to maintaining an open border in Ireland, so that (in many respects) the de facto frontier is the Irish Sea between the two islands . Originally intended as an internal boundary within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland ,
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3744-460: The euro , advertised prices for service stations and shops will change currency on crossing, although many places along the border will accept cross-border currency informally (albeit usually at a rate favourable to the trader). Other typical signs of crossing a European border are also noticeable. These include subtle differences in the paving materials of road surfaces and pavements, sometimes with visible differences in colour between materials across
3861-498: The single market . There are no longer any operational customs posts along either side of the border. Except during a brief period during World War II , it has never been necessary for Irish or British citizens to produce a passport to cross the border. However during the 1970s troubles , security forces regularly asked travellers for identification. During the Troubles in Northern Ireland, there were British military checkpoints on main border crossings and UK security forces made
3978-519: The (Protestant, formerly-established) Church of Ireland (now combined with the bishopric of Raphoe) and in the Roman Catholic Church. Most companies within the city choose local area names such as Pennyburn, Rosemount or Foyle from the River Foyle to avoid alienating the other community. Derry~Londonderry railway station is often referred to as Waterside railway station within the city, but
4095-539: The 17th-century evidence. Irish border The Republic of Ireland–United Kingdom border , sometimes referred to as the Irish border or British–Irish border , runs for 499 km (310 mi) from Lough Foyle in the north-west of Ireland to Carlingford Lough in the north-east, separating the Republic of Ireland from Northern Ireland . Border markings are inconspicuous, in common with many inter-state borders in
4212-561: The 19th century, it became a destination for migrants fleeing areas more severely affected by the Great Famine . One of the most notable shipping lines was the McCorkell Line operated by Wm. McCorkell & Co. Ltd. from 1778. The McCorkell's most famous ship was the Minnehaha , which was known as the "Green Yacht from Derry". During World War I , the city contributed over 5,000 men to
4329-519: The 6th century and the 11th century, Derry was known primarily as a monastic settlement. The town became strategically more significant during the Tudor conquest of Ireland and came under frequent attack. During O'Doherty's Rebellion in 1608 it was attacked by Sir Cahir O'Doherty , Irish chieftain of Inishowen , who burnt much of the town and killed the governor George Paulet . The soldier and statesman Sir Henry Docwra made vigorous efforts to develop
4446-426: The 6th century when a monastery was founded there by St Columba or Colmcille, a famous saint from what is now County Donegal , but for thousands of years before that people had been living in the vicinity. Before leaving Ireland to spread Christianity elsewhere, Colmcille founded a monastery at Derry (which was then called Doire Calgach ), on the west bank of the Foyle. According to oral and documented history,
4563-559: The Battle of the Bogside. The Civil Rights Movement had also been very active in the city. In the early 1970s, the city was heavily militarised and there was widespread civil unrest. Several districts in the city constructed barricades to control access and prevent the forces of the state from entering. Violence eased towards the end of the Troubles in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Irish journalist Ed Maloney claims in The Secret History of
4680-957: The Boundary Commission clause was drafted in the Anglo-Irish Treaty was only explicit in its ambiguity. Amongst politicians in Southern Ireland, there was remarkably little attention paid to the clause during the debates on the Treaty. The Republican activist Seán MacEntee was a "lone voice" in warning that the commission would involve an exercise "in transferring from the jurisdiction of the Government of Northern Ireland certain people and certain districts which that Government cannot govern; and by giving instead to Northern Ireland, certain other districts—unionist districts of Counties Monaghan , Cavan and Donegal , so that not only under this Treaty are we going to partition Ireland, not only are we going to partition Ulster, but we are going to partition even
4797-538: The Cavan-Fermanagh section could the border be said to accord with any significant physical impediments to movement. There are around 270 road border crossings, with some roads traversing the border several times. Similarly, before its closure in 1957, a section of one railway line between Clones and Cavan crossed the border six times in 13 km (8 mi), initially with customs checks at each crossing. Further railways including Great Northern Railway crossed
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4914-625: The City of Londonderry . The form Londonderry is used for the post town by the Royal Mail ; however, use of Derry will still ensure delivery. The city is also nicknamed "the Maiden City" by virtue of the fact that its walls were never breached despite being besieged on three separate occasions in the 17th century, the most notable being the Siege of Derry of 1688–1689. It was also nicknamed " Stroke City" by local broadcaster Gerry Anderson , owing to
5031-527: The External Common Travel Area Border", it was signed in Dublin on 20 December 2011 by the UK's immigration minister, Damian Green and Ireland's Minister for Justice, Alan Shatter . The border is linked with 268 (often approximated as "up to 275") border crossing points. Every month approximately 177,000 lorries, 208,000 vans, and 1,850,000 cars cross the border. Around 30,000 people cross
5148-637: The Foyle were being violated by poachers from the Donegal side led to the 1952 creation of the Foyle Fisheries Commission under the joint authority of the Dublin and Belfast governments, which solved problems of jurisdiction without addressing the sovereignty question. The commission was superseded by the Foyle, Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission established after the Good Friday Agreement under
5265-437: The Government of Ireland Act 1920. It states that "Northern Ireland shall consist of the parliamentary counties of Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry and Tyrone, and the parliamentary boroughs of Belfast and Londonderry, and Southern Ireland shall consist of so much of Ireland as is not comprised within the said parliamentary counties and boroughs." The border has some distinctive features. Firstly, how irregular it is:
5382-503: The Ho'ble Cittie of London, in memorie whereof it is hence forth called and knowen by the name of London Derrie." Local legend offers different theories as to the origin of the skeleton. One identifies it as Walter de Burgh , who was starved to death in the Earl of Ulster 's dungeons in 1332. Another identifies it as Cahir O'Doherty himself, who was killed in a skirmish near Kilmacrennan in 1608 (but
5499-413: The IRA that republican leaders there negotiated a de facto ceasefire in the city as early as 1991. Whether this is true or not, the city did see less bloodshed by this time than Belfast or other localities. The city was visited by an orca in November 1977 at the height of the Troubles; it was dubbed Dopey Dick by the thousands who came from miles around to see him. From 1613 the city was governed by
5616-455: The Irish land border. The Times reported that another consultation paper was to be published in the autumn of 2008 on whether people travelling between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom should be subject to further checks. One proposal is expected to suggest extending the electronic borders scheme, requiring travellers from Northern Ireland to provide their personal details in advance. This would mean residents of one part of
5733-407: The Law Officers have actually considered this question, and that they have given a decision in favour of the theory that the territorial waters go with the counties that were included in the six counties of Northern Ireland? In response the Attorney General, Sir Douglas Hogg , said that "I have considered the question, and I have given an opinion that that is so [i.e. the territorial waters do go with
5850-474: The Londonderry Corporation. In 1898 this became Londonderry County Borough Council, until 1969 when administration passed to the unelected Londonderry Development Commission. In 1973 a new district council with boundaries extending to the rural south-west was established under the name Londonderry City Council, renamed in 1984 to Derry City Council , consisting of five electoral areas: Cityside, Northland, Rural, Shantallow and Waterside . The council of 30 members
5967-435: The Merchant Navy taking part in the convoys that supplied the UK and Russia during the war. The border location of the city and the influx of trade from the military convoys allowed for significant smuggling operations to develop in the city. At the conclusion of the Second World War, eventually some 60 U-boats of the German Kriegsmarine ended in the city's harbour at Lisahally after their surrender. The initial surrender
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#17328555336356084-483: The Parliament of the United Kingdom be constructed or maintained by a local harbour authority)". When the territory that initially was Southern Ireland ultimately became a separate self-governing dominion outside the United Kingdom known as the Irish Free State , the status of the territorial waters naturally took on a significance it had not had before. Northern Ireland's Unionists were conscious of this matter from an early stage. They were keen to put it beyond doubt that
6201-445: The Republic of Ireland-Northern Ireland border an external EU border . The Irish government, the UK government and EU representatives, all stated that they did not wish for a hard border in Ireland due to the sensitive nature of the border. In order to forestall this, and to prevent a backdoor into the European Single Market , the UK proposed a backstop agreement within the Withdrawal Agreement that would put Northern Ireland under
6318-552: The Republic use the name Derry , those in Northern Ireland bear Londonderry (sometimes abbreviated to L'derry ), although some of these have been defaced with the reference to London obscured. Usage varies among local organisations, with both names being used. Examples are City of Derry Airport , City of Derry Rugby Club , Derry City FC and the Protestant Apprentice Boys of Derry , as opposed to Londonderry Port , Londonderry YMCA Rugby Club and Londonderry Chamber of Commerce. The bishopric has always remained that of Derry, both in
6435-565: The Troubles, Irish republican militants, including the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA), had a measure of "safe haven" over the border. The PIRA also raised money in the Republic, mostly through bank robberies, and undertook "cross border raids". Difficulty in patrolling parts of the border and large taxation/currency differences (particularly during the 1980s) led to widespread smuggling. However, greater European integration led to roughly similar tax rates on most items and easing of restrictions on cross-border trade. Smuggling nowadays
6552-420: The UK and Ireland, EU integration and the demilitarisation of the border following the 1998 Good Friday Agreement resulted in an open border by default. Following the Northern Ireland peace process , military electronic surveillance and permanent vehicle checkpoints have been replaced by routine PSNI patrols. The UK voted to leave the European Union in a referendum on 23 June 2016 . Their withdrawal made
6669-412: The UK being treated differently from others when travelling within the country, something to which Unionists would object. However, in 2011, the governments renewed the 'de facto' agreement. 2011 marked the first public agreement between the UK and Irish governments concerning the maintenance of the Common Travel Area. Officially entitled the "Joint Statement Regarding Co-Operation on Measures to Secure
6786-665: The UK side, placed there by the Northern Ireland Roads Service. This can make identifying the border difficult for those unfamiliar with landmarks known to locals as the crossing point. At some crossings, there are signs welcoming visitors to the relevant local government authority district or, occasionally, reminding motorists of the need to ensure that their insurance is valid in the relevant jurisdiction. Generally, signposts in Ireland which indicate distances to destinations are bilingual (in Irish and English) and give distances in kilometres while such signposts in Northern Ireland are only in English and give distances in miles. On larger roads,
6903-493: The United Kingdom concerning Lough Foyle (and similarly Carlingford Lough ) remains disputed in principle. As recently as 2005, when asked to list those areas of EU member states where border definition is in dispute, a British Government minister responding for the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs stated: Border definition (ie the demarcation of borders between two internationally recognised sovereign states with an adjoining territorial or maritime border )
7020-444: The United Kingdom on the delimitation of a territorial water boundary between the two states. In the context of the Good Friday Agreement, a decision was taken to co-operate on foreshore and other issues that arise in the management of the lough It is estimated that there are 300 major and minor crossings along the 499-kilometre (310-mile) border. The border is marked only by a small number of "Welcome To Northern Ireland" road signs on
7137-398: The accuracy of the earlier leak. The interim boundary was formalised in December 1925 by an inter-government agreement that was ratified by the three parliaments in London, Dublin and Belfast, without changes from the 1920 demarcation lines. The border agreement was then lodged with the League of Nations on 8 February 1926, making it a matter of international law . The Irish Free State
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#17328555336357254-471: The approximate location of the border can be determined by signs reminding the driver of the change in units. In Northern Ireland, place-name and street/road-name signs are usually (but not always) English-only and street/road-name signs are more standardised and extensively used. There are other immediate indicators when crossing the border: differences in the design of road signage and a change in road markings. The hard shoulder on non-motorway roads in Ireland
7371-546: The border area in south County Armagh was dominated by British Army surveillance posts. Derry , the second-largest city in Northern Ireland, is close to the border with County Donegal . This meant that there was a heavy security presence around the city, often impeding traffic and general movement between Derry City and County Donegal. Despite these measures, the border was simply too long and had too many minor access roads to enable control of all cross-border movements. British Prime minister Margaret Thatcher stated that there
7488-447: The border daily to commute. The Troubles in Northern Ireland required that attempts were made from the early 1970s until the late 1990s to enforce border controls. Many smaller cross-border roads were cratered or blockaded by the British Army with the intention of making them impassable to regular traffic. Bridges were also destroyed to prevent access at unauthorised border crossings (known officially as "unapproved roads"). In particular,
7605-399: The border does it align with the provincial boundary of nine county Ulster between Fermanagh-Leitrim and Armagh-Louth. And lastly, as the border skirts Tyrone to the west and again to the south east, it encompasses County Fermanagh on three sides. As a remnant of 17th-century county limits, the border's physical profile indicates that it follows many watercourses but only in the highlands of
7722-418: The border is about four times the straight-line distance between Lough Foyle and Carlingford Lough. Second, County Donegal is only connected to the rest of the Republic of Ireland by a territorial isthmus 9 km (6 mi) wide, making it more convenient for some journeys from Donegal to other parts of the Republic of Ireland to pass through Northern Ireland. Third, for only two relatively short sections of
7839-447: The border several times. Between 270 and 300 roads cross the border, with some roads crossing the border more than once. While some roads cross the border twice or three times, the N54 / A3 road crosses the border four times within 10 km (6.2 mi). The larger and busier border crossings include national primary (N) roads in the Republic of Ireland which connect to primary route (A) roads in Northern Ireland. As of 2007,
7956-430: The border was created in 1921 under the United Kingdom Parliament 's Government of Ireland Act 1920 . Prior to this, a separatist Irish parliament had been established in Dublin, which did not recognise the Government of Ireland Act, and was actively engaged in the Irish War of Independence . The Act was intended to deliver Home Rule in Ireland, with separate parliaments for Southern Ireland (which included three of
8073-450: The border, changes to street lighting when crossing the border, (though these also vary across inter-county borders), and changes in the colour of postboxes (green in Ireland, red in Northern Ireland). By rail, there is no immediate sign of crossing the border, but the trackside mileage markers change from Irish-style markers at the 59.75-mile (96.16 km) post (from Dublin Connolly railway station ) to black-on-yellow markers, common to
8190-440: The busiest such roads were the N1 / A1 route (Dundalk/Newry), N13 / A2 route (Letterkenny/Derry) and N15 / A38 route (Lifford/Strabane). A 1988 treaty demarcates the boundary of the exclusive economic zones across the continental shelf from the south Irish Sea southwest to the Celtic Sea . The exact division of territorial waters between Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland ('Southern Ireland' being coterminous with
8307-407: The centre. The modern city preserves the 17th-century layout of four main streets radiating from a central Diamond to four gateways – Bishop's Gate, Ferryquay Gate, Shipquay Gate and Butcher's Gate. The city's oldest surviving building was also constructed at this time: the 1633 Plantation Gothic cathedral of St Columb . In the porch of the cathedral is a stone that records completion with
8424-410: The charity Destined took out a 50-year lease on the building in 2016. After being renovated, the museum reopened in 2023. The museum contains several preserved railway vehicles, most of which are from the former County Donegal Railways Joint Committee , arranged around a mock station platform. Costumed tour guides are available to show visitors around. Destined plans to lease more land to the south of
8541-512: The city and summoned it to surrender. The King was rebuffed and the siege lasted until the end of July with the arrival of a relief ship. The city was rebuilt in the 18th century with many of its fine Georgian style houses still surviving. The city's first bridge across the River Foyle was built in 1790. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the port became an important embarkation point for Irish emigrants setting out for North America. Also during
8658-511: The city at this time, Maydown, Eglinton and Ballykelly. RAF Eglinton went on to become City of Derry Airport . The city contributed a significant number of men to the war effort throughout the services, most notably the 500 men in the 9th (Londonderry) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, known as the 'Derry Boys'. This regiment served in North Africa , the Sudan, Italy and mainland UK. Many others served in
8775-405: The complaints about housing and regional policy and a disproportionate amount of the charges about public and private employment come from this area. The area – which consisted of Counties Tyrone and Fermanagh, Londonderry County Borough and portions of Counties Londonderry and Armagh – had less than a quarter of the total population of Northern Ireland yet generated not far short of three-quarters of
8892-462: The complaints of discrimination...The unionist government must bear its share of responsibility. It put through the original gerrymander, which underpinned so many of the subsequent malpractices, and then, despite repeated protests, did nothing to stop those malpractices continuing. The most serious charge against the Northern Ireland government is not that it was directly responsible for widespread discrimination, but that it allowed discrimination on such
9009-557: The counties do not include adjacent territorial waters and, therefore, according to our claim these territorial waters were retained by the Irish Free State. A particular dispute arose between the Government of the Irish Free State of the one part and the Northern Ireland and UK governments of the other part over territorial waters in Lough Foyle . Lough Foyle lies between County Londonderry in Northern Ireland and County Donegal in
9126-420: The counties of Ulster." The commission recommended parcels of land be transferred in both directions, primarily "in accordance with the wishes of the inhabitants". The data was partially leaked to the press in 1925. Westminster urged the commissioners to suppress the rest of the document, and so no exchanges of land ultimately took place. The full report was not published until 1969- which did eventually confirm
9243-508: The counties]". However, this interpretation that the territorial waters went with the counties was later disputed by Irish governments. On 29 February 1972, the then Taoiseach, Jack Lynch , summarised the Irish position during a Dáil debate on the legal status of HMS Maidstone , a prison ship which was moored in Belfast Harbour at the time: [W]e claim that the territorial waters around
9360-535: The current site to use as a community garden. There are tentative plans to rebuild some of the railway to link this with the museum. 54°59′31″N 7°19′18″W / 54.99197°N 7.321529°W / 54.99197; -7.321529 Derry Derry , officially Londonderry , is the largest city in County Londonderry , the second-largest in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest on
9477-469: The dexter point a castle". To this design he added, at the request of the new mayor, "a chief, the armes of London". Molyneux goes on to state that the skeleton is symbolic of Derry's ruin at the hands of the Irish rebel Cahir O'Doherty and that the silver castle represents its renewal through the efforts of the London guilds: "[Derry] hath since bene (as it were) raysed from the dead by the worthy undertakinge of
9594-538: The district was merged with the Strabane district to form the Derry City and Strabane district, with the councils likewise merged. According to the city's Royal Charter of 10 April 1662, the official name is Londonderry . This was reaffirmed in a High Court decision in 2007 . The 2007 court case arose because Derry City Council wanted clarification on whether the 1984 name change of the council and district had changed
9711-463: The establishment of the city by the London guilds . Derry has been used in the names of the local government district and council since 1984, when the council changed its name from Londonderry City Council to Derry City Council . This also changed the name of the district, which had been created in 1973 and included both the city and surrounding rural areas. In the 2015 local government reform ,
9828-755: The inscription: "If stones could speake, then London's prayse should sound, Who built this church and cittie from the grounde." During the 1640s, the city suffered in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms , which began with the Irish Rebellion of 1641 , when the Gaelic Irish insurgents made a failed attack on the city. In 1649 the city and its garrison, which supported the republican Parliament in London, were besieged by Scottish Presbyterian forces loyal to King Charles I . The Parliamentarians besieged in Derry were relieved by
9945-555: The island of Ireland . 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 population of the city was 85,279 in the 2021 census, while the Derry Urban Area had a population of 105,066 in 2011. The district administered by Derry City and Strabane District Council contains both Londonderry Port and City of Derry Airport . Derry
10062-543: The nine counties of Ulster ) and Northern Ireland . Six of the thirty-two counties of Ireland were assigned to Northern Ireland, and the rest of Ireland comprising 26 counties to Southern Ireland. The conclusion of the Irish War of Independence , and the subsequent signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty , led to the creation of the Irish Free State – a dominion established for the whole island of Ireland on 6 December 1922. The border became an international frontier after
10179-531: The official form". Apart from the name of the local council, the city is usually known as Londonderry in official use within the UK. In the Republic of Ireland, the city and county are almost always referred to as Derry , on maps, in the media and in conversation. In April 2009, however, the Republic of Ireland's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin , announced that Irish passport holders who were born there could record either Derry or Londonderry as their place of birth. Whereas official road signs in
10296-563: The official name of the city and what the procedure would be to effect a name change. The court clarified that Londonderry remained the official name and that the correct procedure to change the name would be via a petition to the Privy Council . Derry City Council afterwards began this process and was involved in conducting an equality impact assessment report (EQIA). Firstly it held an opinion poll of district residents in 2009, which reported that 75% of Catholics and 77% of Nationalists found
10413-535: The ordinary territorial waters, extending three miles out from the shore. It has been asserted in some quarters that the Parliamentary counties only extend to low water mark. That has been exercising the minds of a good many people in Ulster, and I shall be glad if the Government in due course will inform the House what is their opinion on the subject and what steps they are taking to make it clear. ... Am I to understand that
10530-641: The other state, where travel is by air or sea. However, the land border will be 'lightly controlled'. In a joint statement, Jacqui Smith , the British Home Secretary, and Dermot Ahern , the Irish Justice Minister, said: It is crucial that our two countries work closely together to ensure our borders are stronger than ever. Both governments fully recognise the particular circumstances of Northern Ireland. Both governments reaffirm that they have no plans to introduce fixed controls on either side of
10647-801: The place name, for example, Derrybeg, Derryboy, Derrylea and Derrymore. Londonderry, Yorkshire , near the Yorkshire Dales , was named for the Marquesses of Londonderry , as is Londonderry Island off Tierra del Fuego in Chile. In the United States, twin towns in New Hampshire called Derry and Londonderry lie about 75 miles from Londonderry, Vermont , with additional namesakes in Derry, Pennsylvania , Londonderry, Ohio , and in Canada Londonderry, Nova Scotia and Londonderry, Edmonton, Alberta . There
10764-456: The politically correct use by some of the dual name Derry/Londonderry (which has itself been used by BBC Television ). A later addition to the landscape has been the erection of several large stone columns on main roads into the city welcoming drivers, euphemistically, to 'the Walled City'. Derry is a common place name in Ireland, with at least six towns bearing that name and at least a further 79 places. The word Derry often forms part of
10881-486: The process. In a statement to Dáil Éireann , the Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern assured the House that "British authorities have no plans whatsoever to introduce any controls on the land border between North and South. I want to make that clear. All they are looking at is increased cross-border cooperation, targeting illegal immigrants." This immediately raised concerns north of the border. Jim Allister ,
10998-408: The proposed change acceptable, compared to 6% of Protestants and 8% of Unionists. The EQIA then held two consultative forums and solicited comments from the general public on whether or not the city should have its name changed to Derry. A total of 12,136 comments were received, of which 3,108 were broadly in favour of the proposal, and 9,028 opposed it. On 23 July 2015, the council voted in favour of
11115-451: The railway in 1993, which reached a final length of 2 miles 20 chains (3.6 km). In October 2000, the council made a decision to take over the running of the museum and railway from the NWIRS due to health and safety concerns. The running of trains was ceased and the two parties entered into a public dispute. The museum was then council-run, albeit with some periods of closure, until
11232-497: The remaining crossings impassable. By about 2005, in phase with implementation of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement , the last remaining controls were definitively removed. In October 2007, details began to emerge of a British Government plan that might end the Common Travel Area encompassing the United Kingdom and Ireland (and also the Isle of Man and Channel Islands) in 2009, possibly creating an anomalous position for Northern Ireland in
11349-560: The remit of the North/South Ministerial Council . For as long as both states remain members of the EU (and thus the Common Fisheries Policy ), the territorial waters are not disputed in practice between the two states. Their respective exclusive economic zones (EEZs) begin beyond their territorial waters and the boundary between them was agreed in 2014. but the precise maritime boundary between Ireland and
11466-414: The rest of the European Union ). Signs have subtle differences in colouring and fonts. One notable exception to this is that hazard warning signs in the Republic are amber diamonds. Since the adoption by Ireland of metric speed limits, warning signs have been placed on either side of the border to alert motorists to the change to or from miles or kilometres per hour . As the United Kingdom does not use
11583-406: The site was granted to Colmcille by a local king. The monastery then remained in the hands of the federation of Columban churches who regarded Colmcille as their spiritual mentor. The year 546 is often referred to as the date that the original settlement was founded. However, it is now accepted by historians that this was an erroneous date assigned by medieval chroniclers. It is accepted that between
11700-602: The skeleton "[is] purely symbolic and does not refer to any identifiable person". The 1613 arms depicted a harp in the centre of the cross, but this was omitted from later depictions of the city arms, and in the 1952 letters patent confirming the arms to the Londonderry Corporation. In 2002 Derry City Council applied to the College of Arms to have the harp restored. Garter and Norroy & Ulster Kings of Arms issued letters patent to that effect in 2003, having accepted
11817-595: The territorial waters around Northern Ireland would not belong to the Irish Free State. In this regard, James Craig , the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland put the following question in the British House of Commons on 27 November 1922 (the month before the establishment of the Irish Free State): Another important matter on which I should like a statement of the Government's intentions, is with regard to
11934-526: The territorial waters surrounding Ulster. Under the Act of 1920, the areas handed over to the Governments of Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland respectively, were defined as the six Parliamentary counties of Northern Ireland and the twenty-six Parliamentary counties of Southern Ireland. I understand there is considerable doubt in the minds of lawyers and others as to whether these Parliamentary counties carry with them
12051-423: The territory of the modern-day Irish state) was a matter of some controversy from the outset. The Government of Ireland Act 1920 did not explicitly address the position of territorial waters although Section 11(4) provided that neither Southern Ireland nor Northern Ireland would have any competence to make laws in respect of "Lighthouses, buoys, or beacons (except so far as they can consistently with any general Act of
12168-505: The then Irish Free State. A court case in the Free State in 1923 relating to fishing rights in Lough Foyle held that the Free State's territorial waters ran right up to the shore of County Londonderry. In 1927, illegal fishing on Lough Foyle had become so grave that Northern Ireland Prime Minister James Craig entered into correspondence with his Free State counterpart, W. T. Cosgrave . Craig indicated to Cosgrave that he proposed to introduce
12285-454: The title in 2010. Despite the official name, the city is also commonly known as Derry , which is an anglicisation of the Irish Daire or Doire , which translates as ' oak -grove/oak-wood'. The name derives from the settlement's earliest references, Daire Calgaich ('oak-grove of Calgach'). The name was changed from Derry in 1613 during the Plantation of Ulster to reflect
12402-498: The town, earning the reputation of being "the founder of Derry"; but he was accused of failing to prevent the O'Doherty attack and returned to England. What became the City of Derry was part of the relatively new County Donegal up until 1610. In that year, the west bank of the future city was transferred by the English Crown to The Honourable The Irish Society and was combined with County Coleraine , part of County Antrim and
12519-518: The whole island of Ireland are ours and our claim to the territorial waters around Northern Ireland is based on the Government of Ireland Act of 1920. This Act is so referred to in the 1921 Treaty that the Northern Ireland which withdrew from the Irish Free State is identical with the Northern Ireland defined in the Government of Ireland Act, 1920, and defined as consisting of named counties and boroughs. It is, I think, common case between us that in English law
12636-410: Was "no way we can patrol the 500 miles [of border]". During the period, authorised crossing-points on the border remained open to civilian traffic in both directions at all times although vehicles and their occupants were subject to detailed searches while some crossing points were closed to vehicle traffic at night when customs posts were unstaffed. Despite measures taken by the Irish government during
12753-413: Was a crucial jumping-off point, together with Glasgow and Liverpool, for the shipping convoys that ran between Europe and North America. The large numbers of military personnel in Derry substantially altered the character of the city, bringing in some outside colour to the local area, as well as some cosmopolitan and economic buoyancy during these years. Several airfields were built in the outlying regions of
12870-409: Was a focal point for the nascent civil rights movement in Northern Ireland. Catholics were discriminated against under Unionist government in Northern Ireland, both politically and economically. In the late 1960s the city became the flashpoint of disputes about institutional gerrymandering . Political scientist John Whyte explains that: All the accusations of gerrymandering, practically all
12987-521: Was attended by Admiral Sir Max Horton , Commander-in-Chief of the Western Approaches , and Sir Basil Brooke , third Prime Minister of Northern Ireland . The city languished after the second world war, with unemployment and development stagnating. A large campaign, led by the University for Derry Committee , to have Northern Ireland's second university located in the city, ended in failure. Derry
13104-454: Was given the name Foyle Valley Railway and there were plans to extend it along the CDRJC trackbed to as far as Prehen Park, however it only ever reached a length of 300 metres (330 yd). In December 1978, a retailer bought the station site and the museum was forced to hastily close. The rolling stock found a new temporary home at Shane's Castle Railway . In 1986, Derry City Council constructed
13221-408: Was popularly believed to have wasted away while sequestered in his castle at Buncrana ). In the days of gerrymandering and anti-Catholic discrimination, Derry's Catholics often claimed in dark wit that the skeleton was a Catholic waiting for a job and a council house. However, a report commissioned by the city council in 1979 established that there was no basis for any of the popular theories and that
13338-464: Was re-elected every four years. The council merged with Strabane District Council in April 2015 under local government reorganisation to become Derry and Strabane District Council . The councillors elected in 2019 for the city are: The devices on the city's arms are a skeleton and a three-towered castle on a black field, with the " chief " or top third of the shield showing the arms of the City of London:
13455-575: Was renamed Ireland ( Irish : Éire ) by the 1937 constitution , and the Republic of Ireland Act 1948 formally declared that the state was a republic with the official description Republic of Ireland while not changing its name, which remains Ireland . Customs controls were introduced on the frontier on 1 April 1923, shortly after the establishment of the Irish Free State. These controls were maintained, with varying degrees of severity, until 1 January 1993, when systematic customs checks were abolished between European Community member states as part of
13572-544: Was set up to acquire and preserve what remained of Dr Cox's collection. It leased Victoria Road station in June 1972 and opened it as a museum in March of the following year. Between August and November of 1974, five pieces of rolling stock were moved to the museum (nos. 6, 12, 14, 18 and 19). A short section of track was relaid and the two railcars (nos. 12 and 18) began running in May 1975. This
13689-470: Was the first planned city in Ireland: it was begun in 1613, with the walls being completed in 1619, at a cost of £10,757. The central diamond within a walled city with four gates was thought to be a good design for defence. The grid pattern chosen was subsequently much copied in the colonies of British North America. The charter initially defined the city as extending three Irish miles (about 6.1 km) from
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