"My Stay in the Heart of Derry's Bogside" Top 5 Page for this destination Derry by BillNJ

Derry Travel Guide: 265 reviews and 490 photos

An Overview of the Bogside from Inside the Walls

The Site of the Bloody Sunday Massacre

I was only in Derry for a little over a day. Yet, this city had a very powerful impact on me. I stayed at a bed and breakfast in the heart of the Bogside section of the city where the Bloody Sunday massacre occurred on 30 January 1972. This event was the inspiration for both the U2 song "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and the 2002 film "Bloody Sunday" that was written and directed by Paul Greengrass.

While in Derry, I grew in admiration for the courageous civil rights activists who sacrificed (sometimes with their lives) to help effect political change for the better. While Derry still has a ways to go, it is now much closer to the Jeffersonian ideal of equal rights for all, special privileges for none.

The Walled City

A View of the River Foyle from Inside the Walls

After my arrival, I quickly learned that the history of Derry is much more than the recent Troubles. Derry has a rich history as one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in Ireland. Furthermore, Derry is the only remaining completely intact walled city in Ireland -- and one of the finest examples of a walled city in Europe.

One of the highlights of a visit to Derry is walking along the walls that surround the city. I went on a walking tour with Derry City Tours that covered parts of the walls and city centre. Even with the heavy rain, it was one of the most fascinating and entertaining tours that I've ever taken. Highly recommended!

Parts of the Derry City Centre Are Very Hilly

A Hilly Pedestrian Zone on Waterloo Street

The Derry City Centre is compact and very walkable. However, it should be noted that parts are very hilly. Therefore, be sure to bring your walking shoes!

Pros and Cons

Pros:Rich History; the Walls; Friendly People; Ulster Fry Breakfasts
Cons:Dangerous during Unionist parades; Political tensions remain high
In a nutshell:Thankfully, Derry is now a safe and vibrant city for tourists to visit!

Last visit to Derry: Nov 2009
Intro Updated Dec 1, 2009
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Reviews (24)

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Comments (15)

globetrott Nov 19, 2010 at 1:01 AM Report Abuse

Thats an excellent page with a lot of historical details that I did not know, and I also did not know about the medieval walls.
nicolaitan Jan 22, 2010 at 9:44 AM Report Abuse

wonderful educational and historic page with very nice supporting photographs. well done. enjoyed reading thru this. no gargantuan fried breakfast for me. n.
mikelisaanna Dec 22, 2009 at 3:18 PM Report Abuse

Great Derry page. I learned a lot about the city and its history, without having to pay any tuition!
janetanne Dec 17, 2009 at 1:26 PM Report Abuse

Hi Bill, thanks for visiting my Crete pages. I wish I had been in Ireland with you! I once worked in the Irish Embassy in Athens, but have never been to Ireland! So, I will visit your pages:):) Janet
Henrik_rrb Dec 6, 2009 at 8:50 PM Report Abuse

Great page, Bill! I had even less time than you on my Derry visit, so unfortunately I never had a chance to take the walking guiding. Sounds great though!
Nemorino Dec 6, 2009 at 4:44 AM Report Abuse

Hi Bill, I enjoyed reading your informative tips on Derry. Glad to hear it is now a safe tourist destination except for one or two days a year. The B&B sounds great, but I think I would take the cereal and fruit option instead of the Ulster Fry.
MalenaN Dec 6, 2009 at 4:30 AM Report Abuse

Must say I didn't know very much about Derry, except of the Bloody Sunday. Sounds like you had a nice visit!
sourbugger Dec 1, 2009 at 4:45 AM Report Abuse

great stuff. glad you enjoyed the walking tour. obviously you must try the one i do in galway sometime !
HORSCHECK Nov 30, 2009 at 10:20 AM Report Abuse

Bill, outstanding page with very detailed information. "Sunday bloody sunday" has always been one of my favourite U2 songs. The B&B really seems to be a good find. I have never heard of the Ulster Fry, but it seems to be a good alternative to pizza. ;-)
yumyum Nov 30, 2009 at 7:22 AM Report Abuse

Hope that you have been to Belfast too. I really found Belfast very interesting but then I had an excellent guide. Unfortunately, I missed out on Derry and went to Dublin instead which I thought very commercial after Belfast's history lesson. Great page!