Derry

Photo: (Clockwise) Derry's 17th century cannons remain along the wall; the view from Derry's Walls on Market Day; history of the cannons is mounted on the wall.

Ever wonder where the song "Danny Boy" originated? In 1851, deep in the Roe River Valley countryside of County Londonderry, a local woman, Jane Ross, heard a tune played by an itinerant fiddler and then penned the "Londonderry Air," now known worldwide as "Danny Boy."

Throughout this corner of Northern Ireland, there are still great musical and literary traditions carried on today, especially in the county's chief town, the city of Derry. Most recently, Derry was the inspiration for Phil Coulter's awarding winning song, "The Town I Loved So Well."

Perched on a hillside overlooking the Foyle Estuary, Derry is one of Ireland's oldest and most beautiful locations. It is also one of Europe's finest examples of a walled city. Originally founded by St. Columba in the 6th century, Derry has had a long and poignant history.

The best way to learn about Derry is to take a walking tour. Guided walks are conducted every day, departing from the Derry Visitor & Convention Bureau at 44 Foyle St.

Here are some of the highlights that await you:

The Walls of Derry are this city's pride and joy — 18-foot-thick walls that enclose the entire inner city with a one-mile-long raised terrace walk, lined with seven arch gates, six bastions, and many canons. Built between 1614 and 1619, the walls provide a great platform to view the entire city — both inside and outside the walls, from a panoramic height. Walk the entire circuit on your own or with a guided tour.

The Tower Museum, Union Hall Place (tel. 028-7137-2411), depicts the story of Derry. Enter through a stone and brick tunnel, one of the original 17th century passageways of the city, and proceed through a series of exhibits, life-size figures, holograms, tableaux, audio-visual displays, historical artifacts, and re-enactments. The tour ends with the screening of "In Our Lifetime," a well-documented film chronicling "The Troubles" of the past 30 years. Open daily in July-August and Tuesday through Saturday during rest of year. Web site: www.derrycity.gov.uk/museums

The Guildhall, Guildhall Square (tel.028-7137-7335), is one of Derry's most significant buildings outside the walls — a richly decorated Tudor Gothic sandstone structure, with mullioned and transomed windows, and topped by a four-faced chiming spire clock. The interior offers a feast of stained glass windows, each depicting a different segment in the long history of the city. Open weekdays only; free guided tours in July-August. Web site: www.derrycity.gov.uk/guildhall.htm

St. Columb's Cathedral, London St. (tel. 028-7126-7313), is Derry's ecclesiastical focal point. Built on the highest ground within the walled city, this church is named after Derry's founder, St. Columb, also known as Columbkille and Columba (521-597), who built a monastery here in 546. Although he went on to found other monasteries in Ireland and Scotland, this place is synonymous with him. The present Anglican cathedral was the first in the British Isles to have been built after the Reformation and is a fine example of Planters Gothic. Open Monday-Saturday. Web site: www.stcolumbscathedral.org

The County of Londonderry is also "Seamus Heaney Country" — the homeland of Ireland's Nobel Prize-winning poet. Travel into the countryside to Bellagy Bawn to learn all about Seamus Heaney. Click here to visit Bellaghy Bawn.

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