Saturday, May 16th, 2026
Our first stop after a ride around Derry was the Guildhall. It is located in the heart of Derry since 1887. It was built by the Irish Society.
Guidhall was the scene of many bombings during the Northern Ireland Troubles. One IRA (Irish Republican Army) bomb in 1972 destroyed the artwork. Original plans were still on file and the shattered windows were duplicated.
The main hall was set up for a wedding that was occurring later in the day. It is a gorgeous space.
The Guidhall is also home to the City’s Council’s chamber and Mayor’s parlour.
A time capsule was found during the Guildhall restoration. It was a sealed glass container that dates back to 1887. It contained documents and coins.
In the hallway was a statue of Queen Victoria created by Francis John Williamson. It was unveiled in 1898 and carved from marble. During the “Troubles” in June, 1972 it was damaged in two IRA (Irish Republican Army) bombings. She lost her crown, sceptre and hands. You can still see shrapnel marks on her side!
Above I mentioned the Troubles. It was a violent sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland between the Protestant unionists (loyalists) and the Roman Catholic nationalists (republicans) that lasted from the 1960s to 1998. This will be discussed later in this post when we visited the Free Derry Museum.
Our guide for the Guildhall was Chris. He was excellent. He also was an artist and four postcards in the gift shop were of his work. We purchased two that we have framed and displayed in our home.
John Hume was an Irish nationalist politician in Northern Ireland. He was an instrumental figure in the Good Friday Agreement signed in 1998 that ended 30 years of sectarian conflict also known as the Troubles. He won the Nobel Peace Prize among other awards for his non-violence approach to ending the conflict.
The Peace Bridge is a cycle and foot bridge that connects the two sides of the River Foyle. It opened on June 25th, 2011 and is 771 feet long. It is a symbol of triumph over adversity and is a symbol of peace.
Below is the Harbour House or Harbour Commissioner’s Office. It is a sandstone building from 1882 and now is the headquarters of the Derry City Council’s Heritage and Museum Service.
The Derry Girls mural is located on the side of Badger’s Bar and Restaurant. The mural features the popular cast of the award winning show, Derry Girls (it is available on Netflix). The show follows five secondary school students and how they navigate their teen years in the 1990s amid the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
We met our guide for a walking tour of the Derry Walls Heritage Trail near the Diamond War Memorial. It was erected in 1927 and located on The Diamond in the center of Derry. It is dedicated to those citizens who lost their lives during WW1.
The walls were built between 1613-1619 as fortification and protection. The walls are one mile in circumference and provide an elevated vantage points to view the Renaissance style streets and the Bogside.
The Free Derry Museum tells the story of the working-class community, long oppressed, rose up to demand justice and equality. It has up to 20,000 items related to this critical period. The museum wants visitors to see the struggle for human and civil rights. It honors the memory of those who fought and died for their rights. It discusses the parallel between the civil rights movement in the United States and in Derry. It is a moving museum.
The sign below was first painted by a local activist in 1969 after sustained attacks on the Bogside community. Bogside was home to Catholic workers since the 19th and 20th centuries. It represented a “no go” zone for the British authorities and the Royal Ulster Constabulary from 1969-1972. It is a symbol of social justice.
There are twelve Bogside murals that are painted in the Bogside area of Derry. The murals have become known as “The People’s Gallery. We have photos of all but two, The Hunger Strike Mural and the Tribute to John Hume Mural.
Petrol Bomber Mural– “The mural depicts some scenes from the ‘Battle of the Bogside’ which took place the Bogside area of Derry in August 1969. The mural shows a young boy in a gas mask – which he used to try to protect himself from the CS gas used by the RUC – holding a petrol bomb. The mural was painted in 1994.” -© the bogside artists
site developed by: Martin Melaugh
Bloody Sunday Mural– was painted in 1997 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday” on January 30th, 1972.
The Saturday Matinee Mural– it was completed in January, 1999 on the 27th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday”. It contains the portraits of the 14 people who were killed by the British Army. Each oak leaf symbolizes one of the victims.
Bernadette Mural– was painted in 1996 and depicts Bernadette McAliskey (Devlin in 1969) addressing the crowds on the streets of Bogside. She was later sentenced to prison.
Death of Innocence– The girl in the mural, Annette McGavigan, was 14 years old when she was killed on September 6th, 1971. She was shot by a British soldier while standing on the street where she lived. The mural was unveiled in September, 1999. The artists added some finishing touches in 2006.
The Civil Rights Mural– It was unveiled in 2004. It commemorates the beginning of Derry’s struggles for democratic rights.
Peace Mural– It was completed in 2004 and it commemorates the hope for continued peace.
Operation Motorman– The mural was completed in 2001 and depicts some of the events that happened during “Operation Motorman” on July 31st, 1972.
The Saturday Matinee Mural– This mural was started in 2001 and depicted a typical riot scene and many times these occurred on Saturday afternoons.
The Runner Mural– This mural was the last created and was unveiled in July, 2006. It shows tear gas being released and it was used a lot during the Troubles.
Besides the “People’s Gallery” of murals, the Bogside serves as an open-air museum with multiple poignant memorials to activists who were killed, hunger strikers who died and those who perished fighting for their civil rights. Please go through this slide show to see what Martin, our guide, explained to us as walked the area.
After a busy and emotional day in Derry the eleven of us gathered in the hotel bar for a drink. One person tried our hotel’s craft beer, “the Barking Bishop”! It’s an IPA crafted in collaboration with the Bishop’s Gate Hotel which is where we were staying. You can only buy it at the hotel.
We met in the lobby with snacks and drinks and relaxed. It was a great way to unwind after our day in Derry!
