Derry

     I really loved the town of Derry.  I was intensely interested in it before arriving since it is the site of the Bloody Sunday events (I cannot explain why I have a huge interest in The Troubles of Northern Ireland.  I have no personal connection, and there are certainly many other US and worldwide events of equal or greater magnitude, but I have always been intrigued). I had a vision of Derry as dark and dejected, but it surprised me.  The town is anything but.  The people are lovely, friendly, and the town is full of promise.  They are anxious to put The Troubles behind them.  There is an attractive riverfront area on the Foyle, with a brand new pedestrian peace bridge joining the two sides.
     We had a short bus/walking tour on Saturday morning lead by Martin McCrossan who apparently, is the "go-to" guy in the area. He was informative, charming and passionate (and a major name dropper - he has guided tours for major politicians and celebrities). He provided an overview of the city history and layout, and spent a fair amount of time describing progress in recent years in Catholic / Protestant interactions.  After this tour, the group boarded the bus for their trip to the Giant's Causeway, while I stayed behind to spend more time in Derry.
     I walked back to the bogside (site of the Bloody Sunday events), walked the whole area,  took photos of all the murals, and toured the Museum of Free Derry.  This museum was excellent, providing a detailed account of Bloody Sunday and related events. It has sobering memorabilia on display, including clothes worn by some of the victims when they were shot, and a banner that was used to cover some of the victims' bodies on that terrible day.
     While I am fascinated by all this history, many people in Derry have moved on.  An interesting happening:  When I was looking for the Free Derry Museum, I got a little lost (as usual).  I was standing near a corner where, by my figuring, the museum should have been, but I couldn't see it.  Just then, two youngish women came walking out of a housing complex, apparently on the way to do their shopping, so I asked them for help. I showed them the brochure from the museum and they looked confused and one said "I have no idea."  I showed her the address (which was for the street we were standing on) and then suddenly she realized and pointed me around the corner where she thought it was.  She was correct, but I was struck that she lives in view of  Free Derry corner, and about 100 feet from the museum, but is little affected.
     After my museum visit, I walked the old city walls, had a wonderful salad lunch, and cruised through the local shops. The weather was miserable (hail!), but otherwise, I really enjoyed my solo day.  When the group returned, we had another potato laden dinner and left Derry on Sunday morning headed for a drive-through of Belfast, on the way to our stay at the restored Cabra Castle.

Here are photos of Derry.

a recent article

U2's  Bloody Sunday