Derry Londonderry Small Group Private Day Trip From Belfast

13 Reviews | Belfast, Northern Ireland

6 to 8 hours (Approx.)

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Overview

A Completely Unique Private Tour with a Professional Tour Guide including Private Transportation.This Tour is completely Unique in that it is not offered by ANY other company ANYWHERE in Northern Ireland.It is an amazing day out in beautiful ancient County Derry/Londonderry!This tour would suit previous visitors to Northern Ireland who have did all the other sights!
You will learn about the Battle of the Bogside,Operation Motorman and Bloody Sunday.Your guide will take you through the area in which those tragic events took place, show you where thirteen civil rights marchers where shot dead by the paratroopers of the British Army, your guide who is also a local historian as well as a political activist will also take you on your own private tour of the ancient city walls where you will learn about the siege and plantation as well as the politically charged murals and street art depicting various events related to the city and beyond as well as the historic canons dotted through city.

Description

Stop At: Free Derry Corner, Rossville Street/Fahan Street, Derry BT486AQ

We will visit the World Famous Free Derry Corner for some photograph opportunities.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: The Bogside Artists, 4 Union Hall Street, Derry BT489HH

We will visit "The Bogside" which is a majority Catholic/Irish republican area, and shares a border with the Protestant/Ulster loyalist enclave of the Fountain.The Bogside is a neighbourhood outside the city walls of Derry, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The large gable-wall murals by the Bogside Artists, Free Derry Corner and the Gasyard Féile are popular tourist attractions.

You will learn about The Battle of the Bogside which was a very large communal riot that took place from 12 to 14 August 1969 in Derry, Northern Ireland. The fighting was between residents of the Bogside area (organised under the Derry Citizens' Defence Association), and the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) along with local unionists.

The rioting erupted at the end of an Apprentice Boys parade which was passing along the city walls, past the Catholic Bogside. Fierce rioting broke out between local unionists and the police on one side and Catholics on the other. Rioting between police and Bogside residents continued for three days. The police were unable to enter the area and eventually the British Army was deployed to restore order. The riot, which sparked widespread violence elsewhere in Northern Ireland, is commonly seen as one of the first major confrontations in the conflict known as the Troubles.

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Republican Murals: Bloody Sunday, Westland Street, Bogside, Derry

You will learn about Operation Motorman which was a large operation carried out by the British Army (HQ Northern Ireland) in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. The operation took place in the early hours of 31 July 1972 with the aim of retaking the "no-go areas" (areas controlled by residents, usually Irish republican paramilitaries) that had been established in Belfast and other urban centres. In Derry Operation Carcan (or Car Can), initially proposed as a separate operation, was executed as part of Motorman.

Background

The Northern Ireland riots of August 1969 marked the beginning of the conflict known as "the Troubles". As a result of the riots, Northern Ireland's two main cities, Belfast and Derry, had become more segregated than before. Many neighbourhoods became entirely Irish nationalist or entirely unionist. In some places, residents and paramilitaries built barricades to seal off and protect their neighbourhoods from incursions by "the other side", the security forces or both. These became known as "no-go areas".

By the end of 1971, 29 barricades were in place to block access to what was known as Free Derry; 16 of them impassable even to the British Army's one-ton armoured vehicles.Many of the nationalist no-go areas were controlled by one of the two factions of the Irish Republican Army, the Provisional IRA and Official IRA. On 29 May 1972, the Official IRA called a ceasefire and vowed that it would not launch attacks except in self-defence.

On 21 July 1972, in the space of 75 minutes, the Provisional IRA detonated 22 bombs in Belfast. Eleven people (including two soldiers and a loyalist volunteer) were killed and 130 were injured. The attack prompted the British Government to implement Operation Motorman, just ten days later.

Preparations

Operation Motorman was the biggest British military operation since the Suez Crisis of 1956 and the biggest in Ireland since the Irish War of Independence. In the days before 31 July, about 4,000 extra troops were brought into Northern Ireland. Almost 22,000 soldiers were involved, including 27 infantry and two armoured battalions, aided by 5,300 soldiers from the local Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR). Several Centurion AVRE demolition vehicles, derived from the Centurion tank and fitted with bulldozer blades, were used. They were the only heavy armoured vehicles to be deployed operationally by the British Army in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. The tanks had been transported to Northern Ireland on board the amphibious landing ship HMS Fearless, and were operated with their turrets traversed to the rear and main guns covered by tarpaulins.

This quick military buildup alerted the Provisional IRA and Official IRA that a major operation was being planned. According to local MP Ivan Cooper and others, the IRA left Derry's no-go areas the day before the operation.

Operation

The operation began at about 4:00 a.m. on 31 July and lasted for a few hours. In "no-go areas" such as Free Derry, sirens were sounded by residents to alert others of the incursion.The British Army used bulldozers and Centurion AVREs to break through the barricades before flooding the no-go areas with troops in smaller, lighter armoured vehicles. The Provisional IRA and Official IRA were not equipped for open battle against such a large force and did not attempt to hold their ground.Small scale operations were carried out in other places like Lurgan, Armagh, Coalisland and Newry.

By the end of the day, Derry and Belfast had been cleared of no-go areas, but the Army remained cautious when operating in staunchly republican districts. Casement Park in Andersonstown, the main stadium of the Ulster GAA, was occupied by 19th Regiment Royal Artillery; it was returned in 1973/4.

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Bloody Sunday Memorial, Joseph's Place, Bogside, Derry

Bloody Sunday, sometimes called the Bogside Massacre, was an incident on 30 January 1972 in the Bogside area of Derry, Northern Ireland, when British soldiers shot 28 unarmed civilians during a protest march against internment. Fourteen people died: thirteen were killed outright, while the death of another man four months later was attributed to his injuries. Many of the victims were shot while fleeing from the soldiers and some were shot while trying to help the wounded. Other protesters were injured by rubber bullets or batons, and two were run down by army vehicles.The march had been organised by the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (NICRA). The soldiers involved were members of the 1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment, also known as "1 Para".

Two investigations have been held by the British government. The Widgery Tribunal, held in the immediate aftermath of the incident, largely cleared the soldiers and British authorities of blame. It described the soldiers' shooting as "bordering on the reckless", but accepted their claims that they shot at gunmen and bomb-throwers. The report was widely criticised as a "whitewash".The Saville Inquiry, chaired by Lord Saville of Newdigate, was established in 1998 to reinvestigate the incident. Following a 12-year inquiry, Saville's report was made public in 2010 and concluded that the killings were both "unjustified" and "unjustifiable". It found that all of those shot were unarmed, that none was posing a serious threat, that no bombs were thrown, and that soldiers "knowingly put forward false accounts" to justify their firing. On the publication of the report, British prime minister David Cameron made a formal apology on behalf of the United Kingdom. Following this, police began a murder investigation into the killings.

Bloody Sunday was one of the most significant events of "the Troubles" because a large number of civilians were killed, by forces of the state, in full view of the public and the press. It was the highest number of people killed in a single shooting incident during the conflict. Bloody Sunday increased Catholic and Irish nationalist hostility towards the British Army and exacerbated the conflict. Support for the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) rose and there was a surge of recruitment into the organisation, especially locally.

Duration: 20 minutes

Stop At: The Derry Walls, The Diamond, Londonderry BT48 6HW, UK

You will visit the Ancient City Walls as well as the Canon! Derry is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in Ireland. 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.

City walls

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. 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.

The Walls were built in 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 (1.6 km) in circumference and which vary in height and width between 3.7 and 10.7 metres (12 and 35 feet), 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 Gothic cathedral of St Columb (1633), 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 the famous Siege of Derry in 1689 which lasted 105 days, hence the city's nickname, The Maiden City.

The Siege of Derry was the first major event in the Williamite War in Ireland. The siege was preceded by a first attempt against the town by Jacobite forces on 7 December 1688 that was foiled when 13 apprentices shut the gates.
A walk around the walls in Derry~Londonderry reveals a splendid city crammed full of history, heritage, interest and a vibrant cultural scene.

This is the only remaining completely walled city in Ireland and one of the finest examples of Walled Cities in Europe. The Walls were built during the period 1613-1618 by the honourable, the Irish Society as defences for early seventeenth century settlers from England and Scotland.

The Walls, which are approximately 1.5km in circumference, form a walkway around the inner city and provide a unique promenade to view the layout of the original town which still preserves its Renaissance Style street plan to this day.

The four original gates to the Walled City are Bishop’s Gate, Ferryquay Gate, Butcher Gate and Shipquay Gate. Three further gates were added - magazine Gate, Castle Gate and New Gate.

The Walls vary in width between 12 and 35 feet.are the most complete in Ireland and one of the finest examples in Europe of Walled Cities. The city claims Europe’s largest collection of cannon whose origins are known precisely. Many of them thundered in anger over the two seventeenth century sieges. In 2005 the surviving 24 cannon were restored, and under expert supervision and often by hand, craftsmen, cleared the barrels of centuries of rubbish, stripped off layers of paint and corrosion and bathed, sponged and waxed the cannon back to their former glory. The cannon are displayed throughout the City Walls with the impressive Roaring Meg located on the double bastion.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Guildhall, Guildhall Shipquay Place, Derry BT486DQ

Derry's original 17th-century Guildhall was located in the Diamond area of the Walled City. Its name reflected the status of the city as being founded by the City & Guilds of London. This building was destroyed by fire in Victorian times and it was decided to turn the site of the former Guildhall into a city square. Work started on the new Guildhall in 1887 and it was opened in July 1890. The new building was originally titled "Victoria Hall", reflecting the wider vogue in the British Empire at that time to name landmarks after the reigning monarch. Other landmarks in the city named for Victoria include Victoria Market, the Queen's Quay and Queen's Street. The name "Victoria Hall" was discovered on foundation stones found during recent restoration works financed by Derry City Council. The reason for retaining the Guildhall name is presently unclear. The City Hall was financed by The Honourable The Irish Society and cost £19,000. It was badly damaged by fire in Easter 1908 with only the clock tower surviving the fire intact. The whole building was re-built and renovated after the fire and re-opened in 1912.

During The Troubles the Guildhall was the focus of multiple terror attacks. The building was badly damaged by two bombs in 1972, but was restored at a cost of £1.7m and reopened in 1977.On 23 September 1980 the Field Day Theatre Company presented its first production, the premiere of Brian Friel's Translations, here.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Peace Bridge, Queens quay, Derry

The Derry Peace Bridge over the River Foyle bridges a 400 year old physical and political gap between two sides of a once, bitterly divided community. Designed by Wilkinson Eyre Architects in London and funded to the tune of £14 million by the European Regional Development Fund for Peace it is a very impressive and elegant piece of architecture. With two structural arms heading in opposite directions, symbolizing the unification of both communities from the opposite sides of the Foyle river, the Protestant Waterside and the Nationalist Bogside, these two opposed and independent arms are now united in a symbolic handshake across the river. Opened in 2011 this 235 metre long, 4 metre wide curved footpath, track and cycleway stretches from the Guild Hall in the city centre of Derry City to Ebrington Square and St Columb’s Park on the far side of the River Foyle.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Peace Flame, Foyle Street, Opposite Peace Bridge, Derry

The Peace Flame in conjunction with Dr Martin Luther King and the end of the conflict in the north of Ireland

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Tower Museum, Union Hall Place, Derry BT486LU

The Tower Museum is a must see visitor attraction. Permanent exhibitions at the museum include the Story of Derry and An Armada Shipwreck - La Trinidad Valencera. The museum also boasts the only open air viewing facility in the heart of the city centre with stunning panoramic views of the city and River Foyle.
Temporary exhibitions are also displayed throughout the year and a warm welcome awaits you from our team.
The Tower Museum is also home to the Museum Service which includes Education & Learning and the Archive & Genealogy Service.
Price list. Adult - £4.00. Child Rate - £2.00. Concession Rate - £2.40.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Museum of Free Derry, 55 Glenfada Park, Derry BT489DR

The Museum of Free Derry is a museum located in Derry, Northern Ireland that focuses on the 1960s civil rights era known as The Troubles and the Free Derry Irish nationalist movement in the early 1970s. Located in the Bogside district, the museum's exhibits include photographs, posters, film footage, letters and personal artefacts.
The main signature project of the Bloody Sunday Trust remains the Museum of Free Derry. The Museum of Free Derry opened in 2007 in order to tell the story of what happened in the city during the period 1968 – 1972, popularly known as ‘Free Derry’, and including the civil rights era, Battle of the Bogside, Internment, Bloody Sunday and Operation Motorman.

The story is told from the point of view of those who were most involved in and affected by these events – the Free Derry community, and the Museum is situated in the heart of where these events took place, in a once-derelict housing block in Glenfada Park, in the middle of what was the Bloody Sunday killing zone. Three men were shot and wounded outside this housing block, and two more - William McKinney and Jim Wray - were murdered there. Jim Wray was already lying on the ground, wounded and paralysed by the first burst of fire, when a soldier from the 1st Battalion of the Parachute Regiment shot him twice in the back at point blank range. Poignantly, he died just in front of his grandparents home. The museum's story is told directly by people whose lives were changed by these events.

On Sunday 30 January 1972, as an anti-internment march in Derry drew to an end, British paratroopers attacked the marchers, shooting dead 13 unarmed civilians, six of them still legally children, and wounding another 18, one of whom subsequently died. This marked the end of the civil rights campaign in Northern Ireland.

As the Report of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry (widely referred to as the Saville Report) acknowledged, it led directly to a massive upsurge of violence, death and destruction which did not come to an end until the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

WHY IT EXISTS
The Museum of Free Derry exists to remember and understand the local history of the city and its contribution to the ground breaking civil rights struggle which erupted in Derry in the mid-1960s and culminated in the massacre on Bloody Sunday.

It puts the Free Derry period into a wider Irish and international context so that visitors see the events depicted not just in relation to the communal conflict in the North or the conflict between Britain and Ireland. They are invited to make comparisons with the civil rights movement in the USA as well as other massacres such as Wounded Knee, Sharpeville and Fallujah.

Our international commitment is underscored by our membership of the International Coalition of the Sites of Conscience. The Coalition is a global network of historic sites, museums, and memory initiatives connecting past struggles to today’s movements for human rights and social justice. It has over 185 members.

Our focus is not just to share our history, but to encourage those who come to the Museum to see the struggle for human and civil rights as an ongoing contemporary undertaking.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: St. Columb's Cathedral, London St., Londonderry, Derry

History
The original site of the diocesan cathedral was in Templmore (Irish: An Teampalll Mór or "the Big Church"). Due to the violence of the Nine Years' War, the church was destroyed. It was first damaged by an accidental explosion on 24 April 1568, the church having been appropriated for the storage of gunpowder. On 16 April 1600, Sir Henry Docwra entered Derry with a force of 4,000 soldiers. He tore down the ruins of the Big Church and used its stones to build the walls and ramparts of the city.[2] A small square stone tablet from An Teampall Mór is today fixed into the porch of the present structure. The Latin inscription reads "In Templo Vervs Devs Est Verec Colendvs" ("The True God is in His Temple and is to be truly worshipped").
The present structure, located close to the original, was completed in 1633 by William Parrot, in the Planter's Gothic style. Also in the porch is an inscription:
If stones could speake
then London's prayse
should sound who
built this church and
cittie from the grounde.
St. Columb's has in its possession many documents dating back from the Siege of Derry. They have portraits of William of Orange and the original keys of the city.
The Cathedral also contains a memorial to Valentine Munbee McMaster VC.
St Columb's is the first cathedral to be built by the Anglican church after the Reformation in the British Isles and the first non-RC cathedral to be built in Western Europe

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Derry Girls Mural, 18 Orchard Street, Derry

See the World Famous Derry Girls Murals and get a Selfie for Facebook and Instagram!

Duration: 20 minutes

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13 reviews

Average 5.00 out of 5 stars based on 13 traveler reviews collected by Cool Destinations and partner sites such as Trustpilot, Viator, and TripAdvisor

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Product code: C-102681P9

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Derry Londonderry Small Group Private Day Trip From Belfast

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Overview

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Still have questions?

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