Derry GAA

File:Derry gaa.png
Irish:	Doire
Province:	Ulster
County colours:	Red and White
Ground(s):	Celtic Park, Derry
Dominant sport:	Gaelic football
Competitions
NFL:	Division 2
NHL:	Division 3A
Football Championship:	Sam Maguire Cup
Hurling Championship:	Christy Ring Cup
Ladies' Gaelic football:	Brendan Martin Cup
Camogie:	Jack McGrath Cup
Standard kit

The Derry team ahead of the 2009 National League final

The Derry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) (Irish: Cummann Lúthchleas Gael Coiste Contae Dhoire) or Derry GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland. It is responsible for Gaelic games in the GAA county of Derry, which covers virtually the same territory as the former administrative county of Londonderry. The county board is also responsible for the Derry inter-county teams.

Gaelic football is the dominant sport in the county and the Senior football team have won one All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (1993), six National League titles and seven Ulster Championships. The Senior hurlers have won the Ulster Championship on four occasions. The county are reigning National Football League champions and reigning Ulster Under 21 Hurling Champions.

Information[link]

History[link]

Although there were GAA clubs in Derry, Desertmartin and Magherafelt within a year of the GAA's foundation in 1884, and clubs in Ballinascreen and Dunamore (just over the Tyrone border) also date back to about that period,^[1] the administration of Gaelic sports in the county took some time to get properly organised. A Derry county board was established in 1888 and paid affiliation fees to the GAA Central Council, but by the following year, although there were some 14 clubs active, the then GAA President Maurice Davin told the national Congress that the county lacked enough clubs to have its own board. South Derry and North Derry regional boards were established in the 1890s. In the early decades (up to the 1930s), the Derry GAA competitions took in a number of clubs from Donegal and Tyrone, while at various times clubs in South Derry played in the Antrim or Tyrone leagues. The local Catholic Church's opposition to playing games on Sundays hampered growth in the 1890s, but there was something of a revival in the 1900s, especially in hurling. The county also competed sporadically in the Ulster Football Championship from 1904. After the disruption caused by political conflict in the 1910s and early '20s, the county board was re-established briefly in 1926, and definitively in 1929, since when it has remained in existence.^[1]

General[link]

Derry play their home games at Celtic Park in Derry City, which is the county ground.^[2] Home football games are also sometimes held in Watty Graham Park, Glen or Dean McGlinchey Park, Ballinascreen, which are regarded as secondary stadia.^[2] Hurling games are also held at Lavey or Fr McNally Park, Banagher. The current senior football manager is John Brennan of Lavey, while Ger Rogan has been appointed Derry senior hurling manager for the incoming season. Both managers also take charge of their respective Under 21 County teams. The Minor football manager is Barry Dillon, while Dee Doherty is in charge of the Minor hurlers.

Structure[link]

The County is administrated by a County Committee with a representative from each GAA unit in the County, a Management Committee and 22 sub-committees.^[3] The county administrative headquarters and centre of excellence is located at Owenbeg, Dungiven.^[3]

2008 County Committee[link]

As of 2008, according to the official website:^[4]

Publications[link]

Books published about Gaelic games in Derry include Oakboys: Derry's Football Dream Come True by Eoghan Corry.

Inter-county football[link]

In 1947 Derry won the National Football League. The group leaders were invited to play in the League semi-finals because heavy snow had disrupted the competition. Francie Niblock scored one of the finest goals in League history in Croke Park as Derry beat Clare. In 1958, the county won its first ever Ulster Senior Football Championship and caused a massive shock in that year's All-Ireland semi-final, beating Kerry thanks to a Sean O'Connell goal three minutes from the end. In the final, Derry scored a goal ten minutes into the second half through Owen Gribben, but Dublin secured victory with Paddy Farnan and Johnny Joyce goals.

In 1965 the Derry Minor team won the All-Ireland Minor Championship, and three years later at Under 21 the bulk of that team captured the All-Ireland Under 21 Championship. Derry won the Ulster Senior Championship three times in the 1970s (1970, 1975 and 1976), but failed to advance past the All-Ireland semi-final stage on each occasion. In 1973 Anthony McGurk became the first player from Derry to be awarded an All Star Award.

The 1980s saw the county win two further All-Ireland Minor Championships (1983 and 1989) and their fifth Ulster Senior Championship (1987).

The 1990s was the county's most successful decade ever. They won the county's second National League title in 1992, before winning the Ulster Championship and the county's first ever All-Ireland Senior Football Championship in 1993. Derry won back-to-back National Leagues in 1995 and 1996, and the Under 21s won the 1997 All-Ireland Under 21 Championship. In 1998 Derry won another Ulster Senior Championship. The Derry side of the 1990s has been rated as one of the best of the last 20 years and would have achieved more only a couple of shock defeats such as Down in 1994, Tyrone in 1995 and Cavan in 1997.^[5]

Derry won the 2000 National League and the county's Minors won their fourth All-Ireland Minor Championship in 2002. Derry won the 2008 National League; their sixth in all. In recent years they have been overshadowed in the Ulster Senior Championship by the emergence of Tyrone and Armagh.

Honours[link]

For more details on this topic including team line-ups, see here

Senior[link]

Players' honours[link]

Footballer of the Year[link]

Two Derry players have been awarded the prestigious Texaco Footballer of the Year accolade. Ballymaguigan's Jim McKeever won the inaugural award in 1958, while Henry Downey of the Lavey club received player of the year for his performances in helping Derry win the 1993 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship.

All Stars[link]

Since the 1960s there has been a tradition of annually selecting the best footballer in each position, to create a special team of the year. Between 1963 and 1967 these players received what was known as Cú Chulainn awards. In 1971 these awards were formalised into the annual All Star Awards. Including Sean O'Connell's Cú Chulainn award in 1967, Derry have received 28 All Stars.

• A. ^ Cú Chulainn Award

GPA Gaelic Football Team of the Year[link]

Since 2006 the Gaelic Players Association have chosen their own team of the year.

2007: Paddy Bradley

International Rules representatives[link]

A number of Derry players have been selected to play International rules football for the Ireland team against Australia; both in the test games (1984, 1986, 1987 and 1990) and since the commencement of the International Rules Series in 1998. Note the table is incomplete.

Players[link]

Current football panel[link]

2009 National League panel, according to the official website.^[6]

Manager: Damian Cassidy
Backroom team: Kevin Madden, Martin McConnell and Brendan McCrory.

As of National League game 1 February 2009 against Mayo

Notable players[link]

For details on former players, see List of Derry Gaelic footballers and Category:Derry Gaelic footballers.

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Managerial History[link]

Hurling[link]

Derry City was a hotbed of early GAA activity, winning the Ulster Senior Hurling Championship in 1902/3? and 1908. However, soon after Gaelic football become the dominant sort and hurling activity declined (especially in the city).

It was the 1970s before Derry claimed any more major hurling honours. The county won two Ulster Junior Championships in 1974 and 1975, as well as the 1975 All-Ireland Junior Championship. The Minors also won the Ulster Minor Championship twice during the decade in 1973/4? and 1979, before going on to win the next four at the start of the 1980s (1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983); giving the county five Ulster Minor titles in a row. Derry also won another Ulster Junior (1984) and All-Ireland Junior Championship (1982), with Rory Stevenson still holding a record of his own, as the youngest person ever to play in a Final in Croke Park, that year (1982), playing for Kevin Lynch's Hurling Club Under 14 All-Ireland Féile na nGael Winning team.

The 1990s started with Derry claiming back-to-back Ulster Minor titles in 1990 and 1991. The Under 21 side won two more Ulster Under 21 Championships in 1993 and 1997. Derry won the All-Ireland 'B' Senior Hurling Championship in 1996 and the Ulster Intermediate Championship the following year.

In 2000 Derry won their first Ulster Senior Hurling Championship in 92 years, and successfully defended it the following year. The county also won the Ulster Minor Championship in 2001. The Seniors won the Nicky Rackard Cup in 2006, defeating Donegal in the final. Derry Under 21s claimed back-to-back Ulster Under 21 titles in 2007 and 2008.^[7]

Honours[link]

Senior[link]

Club Scene[link]

Derry has 40 affiliated clubs; 32 football, 2 hurling and 6 dual.^[3] Many, or even most Derry GAA followers taken a keener interest in the club scene than the inter-county scene,^[8] which can adversely affect attendances at Derry senior matches. The Derry Senior Football Championship is an annual club competition between the top Derry clubs. It is recognised as one of the hardest club championships to get out of successfully in Ireland, as there are so many teams like, Ballinderry, Bellaghy, An Lúb, Slaughtneil, Dungiven and Glenullin who have a realistic chance of success each year. Attendances at matches are particularly high, with many neutrals from County Tyrone also going to matches, as many view it as the highest standard of club football in Ulster. The winners of the Derry Championship qualify to represent their county in the Ulster Senior Club Football Championship and if they win, go on to the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship. The current (2010) Derry County Champions are Coleraine who defeated Ballinderry in the final. Bellaghy, Lavey and Ballinderry have won the All Ireland Club Championship, St Columbs and St Pats Maghera won the Hogan Cup, while St Pius have more recently won the MacLarnon and All Ireland B at senior level.

The Derry Senior Club Hurling Championship is the hurling equivalent, with Kevin Lynch's the defending champions (2008).

Click here for a list of Gaelic Athletic Association clubs in Derry.

Ladies' Gaelic football[link]

This section requires expansion.

History[link]

Honours[link]

Camogie[link]

History[link]

As early as 1934, there were 10 camogie clubs in Derry.^[9] Derry drew with Antrim in the Maguire Cup in 1954, and built on this progress to beat Antrim in that year's Ulster Senior Camogie Championship final by 5-02 to 2-02 - the county's first Ulster Senior Camogie Championship title.^[9] They went on to defeat Mayo and London on route to the All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship final.^[9] However they were beaten by an impressive Dublin side, who had not lost a competitive match since 1947, on a scoreline of 10-04 to 4-02.^[9] Theresa Halferty, Carrie Rankin, Patsy McCloskey and Pat O'Brien from this team were chosen on the Ulster team for the inaugural Gael Linn Cup inter-provincial series, but Derry's appearance in the 1954 All-Ireland decider did little to further the game in the county.^[9] Derry won the Ulster championship and contested the All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship final in 1954. They had previously defeated Antrim in the first round of the 1948 championship, but then surprisingly lost to Down.

Derry reached the final of the All Ireland intermediate championship in 2001, and won the All-Ireland Junior Camogie Championship four times, in 1969, 1978, 2000 and 2007. Derry dominated the new under-16 B championship after its introduction in 2006, winning the finals of 2006,^[10] 2007^[11] 2008^[12] and 2010^[13] They followed up by winning the Minor B championship in 2010^[14]

Derry won further Ulster Senior Camogie Championships in 1989, 1990, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2006.^[15] The county have also won Ulster Junior Camogie Championships 1960, 1967, 1969, 1978, 1986, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006 and 2007.^[16] The minor camogie side have won the Ulster Minor Championship on nine occasions (1990, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003).^[17]

Swatragh qualified for the final of the All-Ireland Senior Club Camogie Championship in 2001. Lavey won the 2009 All Ireland junior club title.^[18]

Under Camogie’s National Development Plan 2010-2015, “Our Game, Our Passion,”^[19] five new camogie clubs are to be established in the county by 2015.^[20]

Notable players include All Star award winners^[21] Aisling Diamond and Grainne McGoldrick.

Honours[link]

Notes: The above list of honours may be incomplete. Please add any other honours you know of.

Players' honours[link]

All Stars[link]

The Camogie All Star Awards were first introduced in 2004^[22] and Aisling Diamond of Bellaghy won became the first winner from Derry in 2007.^[23]

Handball[link]

This section is empty. You can help by adding to it.

See also[link]

• Derry Senior Club Football Championship
• Derry Senior Club Hurling Championship
• List of Gaelic Athletic Association clubs in Derry

References[link]

External links[link]

• Derry GAA site
• Derry on Hoganstand.com
• National and provincial titles won by Derry teams
• Club championship winners
• Derry Club Championships Roll of Honour

Coordinates: 54°59′45″N 7°18′27″W / 54.9958°N 7.3074°W / 54.9958; -7.3074

Derry / Londonderry
Scots: Derrie / Lunnonderrie
Irish: Doire / Doire Cholmcille
Maiden City
From top, left to right: An aerial view of Derry, Guildhall, Murals in the Bogside, Derry walls, Hands Across the Divide sculpture, the Waterfront.
Vita Veritas Victoria "Life, Truth, Victory" (Adapted from a decoration on the Craigavon Bridge)
Derry / Londonderry shown within Northern Ireland
Population	Derry 85,016  Urban 93,512  Metro 237,000  2008 est.
Irish grid reference	C434166
District	Derry City
County	County Londonderry
Country	Northern Ireland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LONDONDERRY[1]
Postcode district	BT47 BT48
Dialling code	028
Police	Northern Ireland
Fire	Northern Ireland
Ambulance	Northern Ireland
EU Parliament	Northern Ireland
UK Parliament	Foyle
NI Assembly	Foyle
Website	www.derrycity.gov.uk
List of places: UK • Northern Ireland • County Londonderry

Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland^[2][3] and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland.^[4] The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille, (Old Irish "Dhoire") meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille". In 1613, the city was granted a Royal Charter by King James I and the "London" prefix was added, changing the name of the city to Londonderry. While the city is more usually known as Derry,^[5][6] Londonderry is also used and remains the legal name.

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 city district also extends to rural areas to the southeast. The population of the city proper (the area defined by its 17th century charter) was 83,652 in the 2001 Census, while the Derry Urban Area had a population of 90,663.^[7] The Derry City Council area had a population of 107,300 as of June 2006.^[8] The district is administered by Derry City Council and contains both Londonderry Port and City of Derry Airport.

The Greater Derry area, that area within about 20 miles (32 km) of the city, has a population of 237,000.^[9] This comprises the districts of Derry City and parts of Limavady district, Strabane district, and North-East Donegal.^[10]

Derry 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 c. 1600). Derry and the nearby town of Letterkenny form the major economic core of north west Ireland.

In 2013, Derry will become the first city to be designated UK City of Culture, having been awarded the title in July 2010.^[11][12]

Name[link]

Road-sign in Northern Ireland with the reference to London obscured

Road-signs in the Republic of Ireland use Derry only

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 January 2007 when Derry City Council sought guidance on the procedure for effecting a name change.^[13][14] The council had changed its name from "Londonderry City Council" to "Derry City Council" in 1984;^[15] the court case was seeking clarification as to whether this had also changed the name of the city. The decision of the court was that it had not but it was clarified that the correct procedure to do so was via a petition to the Privy Council.^[16] Derry City Council since started this process and were involved in conducting an equality impact assessment report (EQIA).^[17] Firstly it held an opinion poll of district residents in 2009, which reported that 75% of Catholics and 77% of Nationalists found the proposed change acceptable, compared to 6% of Protestants and 8% of Unionists.^[18] Then the EQIA held two consultative forums, and solicited comments from the general public on whether or not the city should have its name changed to Derry.^[19] A total of 12,136 comments were received, of which 3,108 were broadly in favour of the proposal, and 9,028 opposed to it.^[19]

Despite the official name, the city is more usually known as simply Derry,^[5][6] which is an anglicisation of the old Irish Daire, which in modern Irish is spelt Doire, and translates as "oak-grove/oak-wood". The name derives from the settlement's earliest references, Daire Calgaich ("oak-grove of Calgach").^[20] The name was changed from Derry in 1613 during the Plantation of Ulster to reflect the establishment of the city by the London guilds.^[21][22]

The name "Derry" is preferred by nationalists and it is broadly used throughout Northern Ireland's Catholic community,^[23] as well as that of the Republic of Ireland, whereas many unionists prefer "Londonderry";^[24][25] however in everyday conversation Derry is used by most Protestant residents of the city.^[26] Apart from this local government decision, the city is usually^[23] 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.^[27] 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.^[28] Whereas official road signs in 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.^[25] 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.^[29] 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. Londonderry railway station is often referred to as Waterside railway station within the city but 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.^[30] 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 the City of Londonderry".^[31] 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 during the Siege of Derry in the late 17th century.^[32] It is also nicknamed Stroke City by local broadcaster, Gerry Anderson, due to the 'politically correct' use of the oblique notation Derry/Londonderry ^[23] (which appellation has itself been used by BBC Television^[33]). A recent 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".

The name Derry is very much in popular use throughout Ireland for the naming of places, and there are at least six towns bearing that name and at least a further 79 places. The word Derry often forms part of the place name, for example Derrymore, Derrybeg and Derrylea.

The name Derry/Londonderry is not limited to Ireland. There is a town called Derry situated right beside another town called Londonderry in New Hampshire in the United States of America. There are also Londonderrys in Yorkshire, England, in Vermont, USA, in Nova Scotia, Canada, and in northern and eastern Australia. Londonderry Island is situated off of Tierra Del Fuego in Chile.

Derry is also a fictional town in Maine, USA, used in some Stephen King novels.^[34]

City walls[link]

A portion of the city walls of Derry.

Bishops Street Gate

Derry is the only remaining completely intact walled city in Ireland and one of the finest examples of a walled city in Europe.^[35][36][37] The walls constitute the largest monument in State care in Northern Ireland and, as the last walled city to be built in Europe, stands as the most complete and spectacular.^[38]

The Walls were built during the period 1613-1619 by The Honourable The Irish Society as defences for early 17th century settlers from England and Scotland. The Walls, which are approximately 1 mile (1.5 km) in circumference and which vary in height and width between 12 and 35 feet (4 to 12 metres), are completely intact and form 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. Historic buildings within the walls include the 1633 Gothic cathedral of St Columb, the Apprentice Boys Memorial Hall and the courthouse.

It is one of the few cities in Europe that never saw its fortifications breached, withstanding several sieges including one in 1689 which lasted 105 days, hence the city's nickname, The Maiden City.^[39]

History[link]

St Columb's Cathedral

Early history[link]

Derry is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in Ireland.^[40] The earliest historical references date to 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, Columba founded a monastery in the then Doire Calgach, on the east side of the river Foyle. According to oral and documented history, the site was granted to Columba by a local king.^[41] 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.^[40] It is accepted that between the 6th century and the 11th century, Derry was known primarily as a monastic settlement.^[40]

The town became strategically more significant during the Tudor conquest of Ireland and came under frequent attack, until in 1608 it was destroyed by Cahir O'Doherty, Irish chieftain of Inishowen.^[42]

Plantation[link]

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 built the city of Londonderry across the Foyle from the earlier town, with walls to defend it from Irish insurgents who opposed the occupation. The aim was to settle Ulster with a population supportive of the Crown.^[22]

This Derry was the first planned city in Ireland: it was begun in 1613, with the walls being completed 5 years later in 1618, at a cost of £10,757.^[43] 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.^[44] The charter initially defined the city as extending three Irish miles (about 6.1 km) from 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 the inscription: "If stones could speake, then London's prayse should sound, Who built this church and cittie from the grounde."^[45]

17th-century upheavals[link]

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 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 in nearby Donegal in 1650.

During 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 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.

18th and 19th centuries[link]

Map of County Londonderry 1837

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. Some of these founded the colonies of Derry and Londonderry in the state of New Hampshire.

Also during the 19th century, it became a destination for migrants fleeing areas more severely affected by the Irish Potato Famine.^[46][47] One of the most notable shipping lines was the McCorkell Line operated by Wm. McCorkell & Co. Ltd. from 1778.^[48] The McCorkell's most famous ship was the Minnehaha, which was known as the "Green Yacht from Derry".^[48]

Early 20th Century[link]

World War I[link]

The city contributed over 5,000 men to the British Army from Catholic and Protestant families.

Partition[link]

The war memorial in The Diamond, erected 1927^[49]

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.^[50][51] Many lives were lost and in addition many Catholics and Protestants were expelled from their homes during this communal unrest. After a week's violence, a truce was negotiated by local politicians on both unionist and republican sides.

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.

World War II[link]

During World War II the city played an important part in the Battle of the Atlantic.^[52] 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 American Navy personnel were stationed in the city during the war.^[53] The establishment of the American presence in the city was the result of a secret agreement between the Americans and the British before the Americans entered the war.^[54] It was the first American naval base in Europe and the terminal for American convoys on 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 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 the city at this time, Maydown, Eglinton and Ballykelly. RAF Eglinton went on to become City of Derry Airport.

The city contributed 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 the Merchant Navy taking part in the convoys that supplied the UK and Russia during the war.

The border location of the city, and 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.^[55] The initial surrender was attended by Admiral Sir Maxwell Horton, Commander-in-Chief of the Western Approaches and Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, Sir Basil Brooke.^[54]

Late 20th Century[link]

1950's and 1960's[link]

The city languished after the second world war, with unemployment and development stagnating.

The Civil Rights Movement[link]

Derry was a focal point for the nascent civil rights movement Northern Ireland.

The Bogside area viewed from the walls

Catholics were discriminated against under Unionist government in Northern Ireland, both politically and economically.^{[56][57][58][59]} 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 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 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 a scale over a substantial segment of Northern Ireland.^[60]

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.^[59] 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 is often dated as the starting point of the Troubles.

On Sunday January 30, 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.

Troubles[link]

The "Free Derry" sign in the Bogside: "You are now entering Free Derry"