Described as "one of the longest continually inhabited places in Ireland", Derry has a fascinating if complicated history. Archaeological evidence
suggests human presence since the Mesolithic period,
while written sources recount the foundation of the
sixth-century Columban monastery.
Situated within the last stronghold of the old Gaelic
Order, Derry's fate and that of the Gael were sealed with
the defeat and Flight of the Earls in 1607. This was followed by the Ulster Plantation and the building of the Protestant walled city of Londonderry.
The walls helped the city to resist two major sieges, the
second of which, in 1688-89, has political and religious
significance which reverberates down to the present.
Outstanding contribution to addressing the fruits of this
contentious period of history and the need for reconciliation between competing loyalties has been made by Westminster and European MEP John Hume, who has
earned the title "Statesman of the Troubles". The Nobel
Peace Prize was bestowed upon him in recognition of
his efforts.
Derry people have also made distinctive contributions
to Irish Culture. The work of Derry's second Nobel
prize-winner (for literature), Seamus Heaney, is celebrated world-wide as is that of author Seamus Deane and playwright Brian Friel.
The Derry Air or Danny Boy is the best known piece of
music associated with Derry, while Phil Coulter looms
large in the popular music scene. Derry connections
with the Eurovision Song Contest were established with
the winning contributions from Phil Coulter, Dana and
Johnny Logan.
The Oakgrove
Doire, the Irish word for oak-grove (Daire in old Irish), described the "Island" settlement, later to be known in its English form as Derry. The name first appears in the Annals Daire Calgach and later as Doire Colmcille when it had become a monastic site, which claimed Colmcille as its founder.
Monastic Derry
The sith-century monastic foundation in Derry was part of the Columban federation of monasteries, which included Swords, Durrow and Kells. Colmcille's departure from Derry to Iona, his part in founding the monastery there and his contribution to the spread of the Christian message, is well known.
The Derry Air
Ó Catháin's Lament, from which The Derry Air (Danny Boy) is derived, was composed by Irish chieftain and harper, Dónal Mór Ó Catháin, whose lands on the east bank of the Foyle were confiscated during the Plantation of Ulster. It would be difficult to disagree with the opinion that the haunting air reflects the sense of loss felt by its composer, not only of material possessions, but of a whole way of life which the Gaelic order was then experiencing. It has, nevertheless, a universal appeal evident its worldwide popularity.
The Walled City
The submission of Irish chieftain at Kinsale in 1603, which ended the Nine Years War, signalled the end of Gaelic rule in Ireland and the ushering in of the Ulster Plantation. The city of London became involved and the Irish Society was formed to oversee the plantation plan for Derry which included the building of a walled city to defend the new colonial initiative. The charter for the new city acknowledged the part plated in its conception by the city of London. London was prefixed to the ancient name of Derry thereby bestowing the name Londonderry.
The Siege of Derry
Although Derry was briefly invested in 1641 and besieged in 1649, it is the Siege of 1688-89 which has left the most telling heritage. When James II, a Catholic, succeeded to the throne in 1685, he began replacing Protestants in high office in Ireland with Catholics. When an attempt was made to install Catholic troops in the Protestant city in December 1688, local residents became alarmed and 13 "apprentice boys" closed the gates in protest. The appearance of King James himself before the city walls on 18 April 1689 did not impress the citizens, who opened fire on his party. A siege, prosecuted by Jacobite troops and lasting 105 days, ensued, which caused much suffering, hardship and death for the defenders. It was finally relieved by the breaking of the boom across the River Foyle on 28 July 1689, thus preserving the city in the interest of the Protestant cause.
The influence of the siege is incalculable where its legacy informs the present. The "siege mentality" has been identified as "the defining myth of Ulster Unionism". From it come the slogans "No Surrender" and "Not an inch" which sustain much of Ulster Loyalism in its determination to reject compromise. However, in the cockpit that is Derry, conciliatory initiatives between inheritors of both traditions have seen the emergence of a willingness to appreciate divergent cultures and a determination to respect the differences inherited from history.
Emigration
Derry's early prominence in the emigration trade can be linked to its proximity to an area of Ulster Scots settlement, the Ulster Scots Presbyterians providing the first substantial numbers of emigrants from the port, in the early eighteenth century. The tragedy of the Great Famine saw a vast increase in Catholic emigration and the arrival of emigration as a familiar experience for most Irish families.
The Battle of the Atlantic
At the start of the Second World War, Derry's position as Britain's most Westerly port and its access to the North Atlantic were to play an important role in the outcome of the War.
"The Battle of the Atlantic" refers to the crucial struggle to keep open the supply lines between America and Canada and their European allies in the face of the U-boat menace. Derry became the base for destroyers and corvettes, employed to protect convoys, and four new airfields were constructed on the east bank of the Foyle. Navy and airforce were thus enabled to launch a combined successful anti-submarine offensive. In recognition of this success, at the end of the war a number of U-boats were required to surrender formally at Lisahally, a few miles downstream from the city.
Free Derry Corner
The slogan "You Are Now Entering Free Derry" was painted on a Bogside gable wall the day after police abuse of residents in the wake of riots which were, in turn, a response to an attack on a civil rights march at Burntollet on 4 January 1969. The slogan caught the mettle of Bogside residents, who threw up barricades and organised vigilantes to replace the police. Now, with the blessing of planning authorities, the city has another icon, which may be seen to represent that period when the campaign for civil rights for all its citizens is finally being realised. Situated as it is within sight of the walls, Free Derry Corner can provide a stimulus for viewers who wish to consider both as icons representing opposing loyalties and, in the process, foster mutual understanding
