Peadar O’Donnell’s, the home of live traditional music in Derry. Peadar’s is known throughout the world and is a must visit location for the many tourists that flock to Derry in ever increasing numbers.
We are famous for, among other things, our live music which is largely organised but has regular impromptu sessions from either local musicians or visiting performers. You are always guaranteed a warm welcome, a good time and the best pint of Guinness in Derry!
The Gift Box has been on Shipquay Street in Derry for the past 30 years. If you need help finding the perfect gift for a loved one, it's our mission to make sure its the most thoughtful and unique gift going. You can browse through our cosy, relaxed shop and select any of the items that take your fancy
Whatever you are looking for whatever occasion we'll be sure to find you the perfect gift to express yourself!
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DESIGN
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PRODUCTION
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ACCOUNTS
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SALES
National Accounts Manager
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This publication, its title and content, is wholly owned by and the copyright of Kingfisher Media Ltd. It is independent and does not endorse, and is not endorsed by, any official or private body or organisation. Reproduction in whole or in part by any means without written permission from the publisher is strictly forbidden. The publisher accepts no responsibility for errors, omissions or the consequences thereof. The publishers cannot accept responsibility for the views expressed by contributors, or for the accuracy of claims made by advertisements appearing in this publication.
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“When
“When you support a local business you support a local business you are supporting a dream” you are a
History of Derry
Exclusive to us our History of Derry Jewellery range was first launched in 2004. With eight of the most prestigious symbols that identifies the city. The range has grown over the years and now includes necklaces, bracelets, charms and more.
Over 40 years in business
We are a family run business located in the heart of Derry on Shipquay Street. Danny first opened in 1979 with over 50 years in the jewellery business. Danny sadly passed away in November 2022 and the shop is now run by daughter Brenda who has been in the business since she was 16 and grand-daughter Erin.
Diamond Rings
Our show-stopping collection of diamond rings has it all. With exquisite designs to suit all tastes, our range combines timeless style with effortless beauty. Whether you want the classy elegance of a white gold band or the traditional richness of yellow gold, we have plenty of options for you
Each piece of our Irish jewellery is individually designed, drawing inspiration from Ireland’s rich heritage and unique icons such as the Claddagh, the Celtic Knot, the Shamrock, the Harp and the Celtic Cross
22-24 Shipquay Street 02871 362984 Email - info@cooleyjewellers.co.uk
This part of Northern Ireland is a foodie’s paradise with a host of fantastic restaurants, cafés and pubs – so make sure you bring a healthy appetite.
Only here for the weekend? Fear not! Here are some ideas for a memorable short break.
Culture vultures assemble! This county offers the perfect mix of galleries, museums, exhibitions and festivals.
The night-time economy is thriving, packed with clubs, pubs, bars and music venues.
Although there’s more than enough to keep you busy here, a journey further afield can make for an exciting new adventure.
Bennigan’s bar is a small venue pub that showcases the best of the local music and comedy scene. You can expect to hear a broad range of acts and styles in a relaxed and friendly environment that won’t leave your ears buzzing afterwards. We have a great selection of whiskeys, cocktails and draught beers to enjoy while you listen to some music, have a giggle at the comedy or scratch your brain at the quiz. For more info visit bennigansbar.com
Try our newly opened Pizza Slicery in our popular beer garden while admiring historic walls of the city or chillout at our jazz session with owner John Leighton and his trioSaturdays at 5.30pm.
P.s Guinness drinkers, we are known as one of the best stouts in town. You have to try it! Recently awarded ‘Pub of the year 2024’ by Restaurant Awards Ireland in the Ulster division OPEN FROM 5PM DAILY Renowned Derry Bar & Music Venue showcasing the finest talent across the Island and
This wonderful county draws visitors back like a magnet year after year
Welcome, visitor!
Whether it’s a weekend break to sample some of the best nightlife in Northern Ireland, days out with the children or a taste sensation at an outstanding restaurant, Derry-Londonderry has got it all.
You can get a taste for fine dining at the end of a hard day’s shopping. Browse the local produce at the picturesque towns and villages offering all the temptation presented by independent retailers.
Derry-Londonderry is also a staple in the cultural hub that makes up Northern Ireland. The city was celebrated in 2013 as
the very first City of Culture. Its landscape is magnificent too. Recognised as a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the mountainous valleys of the Sperrins are threaded with rivers, streams, forest lakes and shady glens.
Derry-Londonderry is packed with historical interest but, as you’ll see, it’s also a thriving region. Whether visiting for business or pleasure, you can be sure to find something exciting to do, tasty to eat or interesting to explore. So whatever you do during your visit to the region, please come back soon! ■
The old walled city lies on the west bank of the River Foyle
Derry-Londonderry offers an abundance of things to do with days out and top attractions for the whole family to enjoy
Great days out
They don’t call it ‘LegenDerry’ for nothing. A little over a decade after its UK City of Culture year, Derry-Londonderry is in great shape, and full of surprises. The first surprise comes on the Waterside near the railway terminus, where the former army parade ground at Ebrington Square has been transformed into a modern city plaza, tastefully remodelled to breathe new life into the city’s eastern bank. It has some great eateries, including Stitch & Weave and the famous Walled City Brewery, and a park nearby. But this is just the start.
To experience the heart of the Walled City, cross the Foyle on the Peace Bridge walkway, which swerves invitingly across to the Peace Flame and has connected the Maiden City’s
To experience the heart of the city, cross the Foyle on the Peace Bridge walkway
communities like never before. Now you’re ready to explore the historic riches of the city centre.
Here, the city’s Guildhall is worth a visit. It has stood proud here since its foundation in 1890 (the 17th-century Guildhall was located in the Diamond), giving a certain elegance to the Derry-Londonderry waterfront. The name reflects the construction of ‘Londonderry’ (as it was renamed in 1623) by the City and Guilds of London, although the initial name for the new Guildhall was actually Victoria Hall. Whatever its moniker, the building is one of the city’s architectural jewels, and provides a sumptuous backdrop to the renovated and award-winning Guildhall Square.
Cross the River Foyle on the Peace Bridge walkway, which swerves invitingly across towards the Peace Flame
It also provides the perfect entree to the Walled City. Derry has the only complete circuit of city walls in Ireland, and they are among the finest in Europe. Built between 1613 and 1618 as defences for English and Scottish settlers, the walls are up to 35 feet in width, and as high as a two-storey building in places. The walls include such attractions as the Artillery Bastion, and contain seven gates and 24 cannons – one of the biggest collections in Europe – including the famous Roaring Meg.
To understand the particular place the walls hold in the city’s history, visit the Tower Museum, which documents Derry’s journey from its ancient early-Christian beginnings, to the O’Dohertys and the Confederate Wars, to the 109-day Siege of Derry and beyond. It houses two permanent exhibitions – one centring on the story of Derry – and the second on La Trinidad Valencera, a shipwreck from the Spanish Armada, which sank off the Donegal coast in 1588 but was recovered in 1971. The four original gates were Bishop’s Gate, Ferryquay Gate, Butcher Gate and Shipquay Gate, and each are decorated with tasteful, informative displays.
The Tower Museum’s fifth floor offers an open-air viewing point across the city, perfect for a clear day. The walls are open until
sundown, and well worth a gentle stroll along their 1.5km circumference, with a panoramic view over many of the city’s sights – including two areas harbouring very different historical and political views: the tiny, but staunchly Loyalist, Fountain, and the densely packed nationalist Bogside and Creggan areas.
If you only do one other thing in DerryLondonderry apart from exploring the city walls, visit the historic Free Derry Corner in the city’s Bogside. This is best experienced on one of the many excellent, inexpensive guided tours from outside the Guildhall, starting at £10 per person, and tours available at the Museum of Free Derry, a short walk from the city centre.
This little museum is real gem, and has great archival material from the early Troubles era, when the city was the cockpit for the struggle for Catholic Civil Rights and, ultimately, clashes between the local Catholic population and British forces. Many of the tour guides of the Bogside will be related to some of the 13 innocent civilians shot dead in January 1972 by the Parachute Regiment, and offer a moving account of the events of that day. This area is also home to the People’s Gallery, huge murals painted on Rossville St by the Bogside Artists.
It was here, in July 1969, that the l
The Guildhall
to Derry-Londonderry. Sponsored by Sproules Jewellery
Martin McCrossan City tours have been operating tours of Derry-Londonderry for over 25 years. Public tours operate daily at 10am, 12 noon, 2pm and 4pm (March until November - please call or email for out of season operation hours)
Costing £6pp
• We are the ONLY Tourism NI approved 5 star tour of Derry/Londonderry.
• Our knowledgeable, local and professional tourist guides give visitors a full background of the city’s history from the monastic settlement of St Columba in the 6th Century to the Modern day political history of the troubles. The tour lasts roughly 1 hour 15 minutes and will give you plenty of ideas of where to explore in the city next!
• There is no need to book our public tours - all you have to do is show up!
• Private tours also available on request - contact us to check availability.
• Tour meeting point - 11 Carlisle road.
We also offer public Derry Girls tours every Saturday at 12 noon for only £10pp (April - October) The Derry girls tour lasts roughly 1 hour 30 minutes and must be booked in advance by email derrycitytours@icloud.com
Founded in 1912, City of Derry Golf Club is a traditional members’ golf club situated on the banks of the River Foyle close to the Historic Walled City of Derry ~ Londonderry.
Over the years, the Club has matured into one of the Premier Parkland courses in the North West of Ireland.
The Prehen course offers a challenging test of parkland golf for golfers of all standards, with lush green fairways threading their way through mature woodland.
The course offers stunning picture-perfect views of the Foyle valley and hills of Donegal from many vantage points during your round.
A true test of golf for over 110 years... 49 Victoria Road, Prehen, Derry ~ Londonderry, BT47 2PU +44 028 7134 6369 info@cityofderrygolfclub.com cityofderry.intelligentgolf.co.uk
Situated in Davagh Forest, the true definition of a hidden gem, OM Dark Sky Park, Northern Ireland’s only International Dark Sky Park, allows you to connect with the ancient past and experience a magical link between astronomy and archaeology.
OM Dark Sky Park lies approximately 14 miles northwest of Cookstown, in an Area of Outstanding Beauty. It offers a unique network of walking and mountain bike trails that cater for all abilities, perhaps you might spot one of the local red squirrels or sika deer on your journey.
You can follow the giant spirit through the Sperrin Sculpture Trail and meet one of the Giant’s Ceoldán, who has been created by internationally renowned Artist Thomas Dambo.
Enjoy a tour of Beaghmore Stone Circles where the link between a Neolithic observatory and our modern-day observatory, connecting this unique dark sky with the heritage and landscape around you.
Star hop across the universe on one of our daily guided tours observe the moon as you have never seen before or stand under the darkest of dark skies to experience a night-time, outdoor film screening
Troubles saw its first victim: Samuel Devenney, a victim of RUC (the former Northern Irish police) attacks on Catholic homes earlier that year. Those attacks sparked the self-policed area of Free Derry, which at one point had a perimeter patrolled by the first British troops on the streets of Northern Ireland. The various incarnations of Free Derry ended in 1972.
The nearby Brandywell area, meanwhile, is home to the sporting heart of DerryLondonderry on Lone Moore Road. Try and catch a Gaelic football match at Celtic park, or visit the Brandywell, home to the city’s two football (soccer) teams.
If you’re a fan of historic churches and cathedrals, meanwhile, it’s bonanza time: few cities of this size offer such a wealth of religious architecture, although confusingly many are named after various spellings of St Colmcille (Columba in Latin), who founded a monastic settlement here in the 6th century.
Founding saint
A good place to explore these riches – and the story of the city’s founding saint – is St Columba’s Long Tower Church, built in 1784 as the city’s first Catholic post-Reformation church. It was built on the site of the medieval Great Church (Tempeall Mór) built in 1164, but plundered in the 1600s.
Long Tower has a heritage centre offering an exhibition on the extraordinary, controversial life of the city’s founding father, along with artefacts and manuscripts including a copy of the Book of Kells, which is also known as the Book of Columba. For true aficionados, head down the Lecky Road and visit the nearby St Columb’s Well, the site of the saint’s feast day in June 9. In medieval times three wells here were dedicated to Colmcille and his successors; today there is a decorative pump, erected in 1897.
Just around the corner, meanwhile, lies the magnificent Protestant St Columb’s Cathedral, the first post-Reformation church erected in these islands and the city’s oldest surviving building. Continue on with a visit to St Eugene’s Cathedral, built in the wake of the Great Famine. On the site of Colmcille’s monastery, meanwhile, you’ll find the Anglican St Augustine’s Church, formerly known as the Black Church.
Continue on to visit the First Derry Presbyterian Church, and St Brecan’s at St Columb’s Park – the only surviving medieval church in the city today. I think you’ll agree that Colmcille left his mark on the city – even Derry’s most famous school, St Columb’s
College, was named after him. It was here that one of Ireland’s most famous poets, Seamus Heaney, was educated. He was born in 1939, near Bellagh in the countryside of southeastern county Derry, near Lough Neagh, and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1995.
Near by Downhill
Strand and Downhill
Demense you can marvel at Mussenden Temple
Today his birthplace is home to a newlyopened interpretive centre called Heaney HomePlace, giving an introduction to the region’s most famous literary figure, who was buried here in 2013. The centre includes a 191-seat performance space, a library, education spaces, a community annex, cafe and shop. It’s well worth a visit, and is a splendid book-end to any journey into the region’s countryside.
It’s here that you’ll find DerryLondonderry’s unrivalled coastal and mountain scenery. Between DerryLondonderry and Lough Neagh – Ireland’s largest lake – lies the Sperrin Mountains Area of Outstanding National Beauty. Follow the northern walking route from the thriving little town of Garvagh, and prepare for a treasure trove of natural wonders.
Legavannon Pot (the “hollow of the soul”) is a glacial meltwater feature between Garvagh and Dungiven, while the route also brings you to the impressive ruined 11th-century Banagher Old Church (burial place of St Muiredach O’Heney) and the hiking paradise of the steep, wooded Banagher Glen.
For an easier stroll, walk along the Derrynoid Wood Trail. There is also a succession of ancient structures in this part of the county, testament to the area’s antiquity. There is the Tirnony Dolmen, a tomb up to 6,000 years old – and, most enticingly, the Tirkane Sweathouse – the Gaelic forerunner of today’s Turkish bath. In Germany, they are known as Irish baths, suggesting their introduction by Irish missionaries during the medieval period. Visit the Aghascrebagh Ogham Stone, upon which the ancient pregaelic ogham alphabet is carved; and the wedge tombs galore.
To explore the coast, the epic railway tunnels at Portvantage and the nearby cliffs are a good place to start. If you’re a Game of Thrones fan you might recognise Benone Strand, the scene of the Burning of the Seven, while on nearby Downhill Strand and Downhill Demense you can marvel at Mussenden Temple, built in 1785 and offering great vistas of the Donegal coast. From here
you can visit the seaside town of Portstewart, popular among students and families alike, and with its golden sandy beach, and excellent surfing. It’s also a model for seeing how freely the two main communities mix in most parts of Northern Ireland.
Portstewart is also where the Bann – the longest river in Northern Ireland by some distance – empties into the sea, via the Barmouth of the Bann. City, coast, river, mountain and lake – you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to Derry-Londonderry. ■
L Mussenden Temple I St Columb’s Cathedral
DON’T MISS
Our
top things
to see and do when visiting this picturesque region
1
The landscape I Enclosed by two great rivers, the Bann and the Foyle, you are entering a region steeped in natural variety, from the beaches of Portstewart to the sweeping cliffs overlooking Downhill Strand, and from the old-growth forests of the Sperrin Mountains to the literary village of Belaghy and the shores of Lough Neagh.
2
The culture
With an innumerable pubs playing traditional music seven nights a week, to the rock, jazz and DJ scene, and the plethora of artistic venues, organisations and events, few cities have as much going on after 10pm on a weeknight.
3
The people A place apart due to its close
associations with Donegal, and its large nationalist population, the city has a huge proportion of the population under 25. Yet life proceeds at an unhurried pace here. It’s a city with the atmosphere of a particularly fun and exciting village.
4
The Architecture
A newly-developed waterfront and Guildhall area, the pedestrian Peace Bridge, the Foyle Bridge and the tasteful remodelling
of Ebrington Square means the city has never looked so good. Add in the uniquely well-preserved walls, cathedrals, and the Millennium Forum, and you’re aesthetically spoilt.
5
The history k
From the ancient earlyChristian beginnings at the time of Colmcille, to the Siege of Derry, the Battle of Bogside and Bloody Sunday, surely no small city has witnessed such seismic
Surely no small city has witnessed such seismic events that have affected so many across these islands
events that have affected so many across these islands. Allow the people of Derry help you explore it with their customary candour, sensitivity and wit.
6
The border-town feel I Derry-Londonderry is sitting on what is soon to be a border between the United Kingdom and the European Union. It also sits at the confluence of Ireland’s two great coastal routes: the Causeway Coastline, and the Wild Atlantic Way. The
influences that come from the surrounding counties are palpable.
7
The food
With gastropubs, street food and contemporary cuisine using local produce at every turn, Derry is the culinary capital of the North West.
8
The street art K
The Bogside Murals, the Waterside Murals and the
Fountain are visually striking street art, testament to how the communities of the city have channelled their historic identities in a visual way.
9
The names
So nice they named it twice, Derry-Londonderry has had more alter egos than David Bowie, from Doire Calgaigh to Doire Colmcille, from Derry to Londonderry, from Maiden City and the Walled City to Foyleside. Before The Troubles, most locals used Derry in everyday
speech, while many unionists continue to do so. Today, the local government district containing the city is called Derry and Strabane, while city politicians use the inclusive Derry-Londonderry.
10
The sport
The city is unique in having its football (soccer) team playing in the Republic of Ireland’s premier division. Yet it is nonsectarian, with Derry City FC due to groundshare with Institute FC, drawn from the unionist east of the city. ■
SHOPPING
Shopaholics will love Derry-Londonderry for its eclectic mix of boho-chic boutiques, high-street staples and quirky independents
to Derry-Londonderry. Sponsored by Sproules Jewellery
Derry-Londonderry is the fashion mecca of the North West, with plenty of retail therapy on offer amid the city’s trademark relaxed atmosphere, a nice variety to allow you to browse the city’s independent retailers and the high-street names you’d expect in Ireland’s fifth-largest city.
The city was built upon the fashion and textile trade – and in its heyday from the 1850s until partition in the early 1920s was recognised as the ‘shirt-making capital of the world’. And it packs a lot of shopping into its historic centre, but before taking in the excellent high street fashion offered by the city’s huge city centre malls, take some time to appreciate the craftsmanship and home-made produce of the city’s jewellers, designers and woolworkers.
For cutting-edge homeware and quirky design, you’re in the right spot, with a mixture of the best of contemporary Irish, British and European design on show. A great place to start is the Craft Village on Shipquay Street, Derry’s delightfully Dickensian cultural centre. Here you’ll find Sass & Halo, creating bespoke hand-made crowns. Yes, crowns.
Also in the Craft Village is Number 19 Craft and Design, showcasing an eclectic mix of contemporary and traditional homemade crafts. Unlike with the long manufacturing chains of today’s consumer society, everything you see in Number 19 has been designed and made locally, with every penny going directly to the producers. The shop formed as a pop-up during the 2012 Clipper Festival, before transforming into the Craft Village Collective, an umbrella co-operative for small craft-makers. It now comprises 20 members. Look out for Edel MacBride, a Donegal based knitwear designer creating considered ‘slow fashion’; Yvonne Fleming’s handcrafted ceramic houses; and Maureen Mc Ghee who uses silver and patinated metals to create distinctive pieces of art and jewellery inspired by the sweeping natural beauty of the surrounding area.
With a variety on offer, there is something for every taste, particularly for non-chain store shoppers. Try the handiwork of Derry Designer Makers, or the Walled City Crafts – two other artisan stores in the Craft Village on Shipquay Street – or the Irish Shop, also known as An Siopa Gaelach. Founded by the late Mary McLaughlin in 1968 on the top of Waterloo Street, it was officially opened in 1990 in the Craft Village by President of Ireland Mary Robinson, from where it continues to offer friendly advice on Irish jewellery, ceramic pottery, linen and souvenirs. As well as producing superb goods in
i Han Clothing, one of many independent businesses in Derry’s Craft Village
There’s something for every taste in the Craft Village on Shipquay Street
its own right, Derry-Londonderry is the shop window for rural Ulster at large, not least from its near neighbour Donegal. The Donegal Shop, also on Shipquay Street, sells the finest knitted sweaters, tweed caps, kilts, Aran knitwear, sweaters and accessories plus lots of interesting Irish artisan wool products – almost anything, in other words, that can be made from natural fabrics, and enough to keep you warm in the Irish winters.
On nearby Pump Street, meanwhile, is Thomas the Goldsmith, one of the city’s many jewellers. Around the corner is Lunn’s, a family-owned chain based in Belfast but with a branch in Derry for 28 years now. A Northern Irish local institution, they have a luxurious portfolio of diamonds, sumptuous retro pieces and special items by Cartier and the rest. Down that very street – Shipquay Street – is D Cooley Jewellers, the favoured spot for Friends star Courteney Cox, and her long-term Derry partner Johnny McDaid, of the band Snow Patrol.
On Strand Road, across from the stylish eatery Brown’s In Town, you’ll find Faller the Jeweller, specialising in Ogham Sticks, miniature High Crosses of Inishowen, and unique jewellery based on the Grianán of Aileach, the historic fortress just across the border in Donegal.
The historic city centre has plenty of other independent stores to keep you busy. On Shipquay Street, Vine Living is a homeware, deli and gift store selling considered gift sets and local Irish cuisine. Look out for souvenirs of your Northern Ireland travels such as ‘Sea Breeze’ handmade seaweed soap from Greencastle, Donegal, and Carrageen Irish Moss. Their local cheese and charcuterie boxes make exceptional gifts, too.
Nearby Kular Fashion sells premium fashion for men and women. Head down to the basement for streetwear and skatewear with labels such as HUF Worldwide, Vans, Obey and Thrasher. While a five-minute walk to Palace Street brings you to independent marketplace The Yellow Yard, which is chock full of retro wares from vintage jumpers and windbreakers to records and Russian dolls.
There are surprises everywhere. Up the hill past the Diamond, on London Street, you’ll find Smart Swag, a crafty and design shop featuring the latest in upcycling, handpainted, hand-made giftware and homeware. Further up the street is The Whatnot, an antique shop containing everything from classic jewellery to a Brass Pompiers helmet.
For a great way of supporting local, familyrun businesses, get the Independent Derry app, where you’ll discover independent shops l
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Conveniently located and into your trip to Northern Ireland, we’re ready to welcome you to get up close and personal with our team of skilled watchmakers and designers, who pour their passion into every intricate detail of our timepieces. Housed in a historic Belfast City Centre HQ, you can witness innovation and tradition come together to power every tick and leave with the memory of a unique experience you’ll be sharing with others for years to come. ■
like Yellowmoon Clothing on Shipquay Street, Irish Streetwear brand Storefront on Waterloo Street, among others. And for fantastic artwork – making excellent mementos of your stay –visit Derry Nice Things – an online store selling art inspired by the city.
As for high-street names, you’re spoiled for choice, with two large shopping centres fitting neatly either side of the city walls in the city centre. The largest shopping centre in the north west of Ireland, Foyleside Shopping Centre has the best of shopping from both Ireland and Britain, including: M&S, H&M, Next, and Dunne’s – a sort of Irish M&S. Pop into River Island and Smiggle. It also has Monsoon, DV8, Edinburgh Woollen Mills, and many more, incorporating top brands including stunning jewellery and accessories from, and a fantastic range of health, beauty products and fragrances including The Body Shop and The Perfume Shop.
After such largesse, you deserve a drink or a bite to eat, and there’s plenty of choice, with the Bentley Bar and The Gate Bistro providing your cocktails of choice, backed up by Fitzroy’s and Badgers Bar, the latter directly across from the main shopping centre entrance.
For bookshops, you’ve got the independent Foyle Books on Magazine Street, a quaint second-hand bookshop and Derry institution
that dates back to the early 1980s. In new premises at 18 Great James Street, Little Acorns Bookstore, is an independent specialising in Irish-related subjects, authors and publishers. As of 2023, it also houses Ireland’s only Typewriter Museum with displays of antique typewriters the owners have collected over the years.
Or are you a charity shop addict? Oxfam, the Red Cross, Cancer Research UK, and Barnardo’s all have stores right next to the central Diamond; while there’s also a cluster on William Street and Waterloo Place, with Action Cancer, St Vincent de Paul and Foyle Hospice providing the best in pre-loved goods.
On Ferryquay Street lies Mermaid Cove, selling handmade natural bath bombs sure to set your senses tingling. On the Strand Road lies a smaller shopping arcade, the Quayside Centre, bookended by a huge Tesco, and including a host of discount and interior stores. Across the river, on the city’s eastern bank, you can find Lisnagelvin Retail Park with TK Maxx, Next, Matalan and Tesco.
On Newmarket Street, on the site of the old Rialto Theatre, lies Primark, for all your stylish budget needs. It’s a challenge leaving the store without spending something. Opposite, across Bank Place, lies the Millennium Forum, and Richmond Shopping Centre which has l
Find the bespoke woodwork of No9 Creations at craft markets, speciality shops and online
Welcome to Derry-Londonderry. Sponsored by Sproules Jewellery
Naturally North Coast & Glens
Artisan Market Ballycastle
been providing shopping in the North West since 1984, and has over 100,000 sq ft of retail units over three floors bang in the middle of town. For clothing, it’s got BonMarche, Superdry, New Look, Quiz Clothing and YOURS Clothing among others. For a bit of exercise while in the city – or in preparation for getting out and about in the Sperrins, Donegal or on Downhill Strand – you’ve got Trespass, JD Sports and Lifestyle Sports.
Jewellery and giftware are also covered with Argento jewellers and Warren James Jewellers, and a host of phone shops. The mall also has a great pick of high-street shops, including Argos, Game, and Holland and Barrett, plus a series of fun bag and accessories shops.
Although the Peace Bridge has seen much more mixing between the two communities, some residents of Waterside continue to travel to shop in Coleraine, a small town with a strong unionist tradition on the county’s eastern border, near the seaside town of Portstewart.
The main shopping district in Coleraine runs from Railway Road and on to Kingsgate Street. There you’ll find a host of independent clothes shops, including Moore S&T, Ken Young Menswear, and Burns Outfitters.
The town specialises in wedding attire, with
SJP Bridal, Blue Lace Bridal, Pippa Bridal, Dream Weddings Bridal Boutique, and the womenswear specialist Couples. There’s also the Hope and Gloria Emporium, Constance Fabric and Design on Mill Street and Silver Spirit Jewellery.
Check out the Causeway Speciality Market on the second Saturday of every month, with dozens of stalls selling local food and crafts from across Derry and the north coast. On the banks of the Bann – which in Coleraine is a quarter of a mile wide – lies the Diamond Shopping Centre.
Despite being half the size of Coleraine (and about a 10th the size of Derry), Magherafelt has a particularly vibrant shopping scene catering to the south of the county, and the towns and villages around the shores of Lough Neagh. It has a mixture of Irish and UK brand high street names including River Island, Sara and Dunnes at its large shopping centre on Moneymore Road.
One of Ulster’s fastest-growing towns, Limavady lies south east of DerryLondonderry and has the vibe of an old market town. Stroll down Market Street and Main Street and pop into the many small boutiques before settling down for a coffee at Hunter’s Bakery. And then come back to the city and do it all again… ■
Sproules Jewellers
Celebrating 70 years
‘Where Northern Ireland gets engaged.’
We have been a cornerstone of DerryLondonderry’s jewellery scene. A second generation family-run business has earned us the reputation as one of Northern Ireland’s leading jewellers, offering that intimate touch over two luxurious floors.
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EATING OUT
This region is a foodie’s paradise with a host of fantastic restaurants, cafés and pubs –so make sure you bring a healthy appetite
Over the past few years the Maiden City has come into its own as a culinary destination. Demand has soared since its turn as the UK’s City of Culture in 2013, which resulted in a huge profile boost. Still relatively off the beaten path, there are unmined dinner-table riches waiting for you in every corner of the city – and upmarket options come in well below what they are priced elsewhere. Menu prices
throughout the day and into the evening at many establishments from Monday to Thursday are often half-price, with some extending that to the weekend at times.
Restaurants bunched around the Strand Road and city centre vie against each other for the midweek market, so it is well worth phoning ahead to see what’s on offer.
Start at Quaywest. Housed in a restored 19th-century boathouse,
it is a rock-solid choice for anyone looking for a bargain. The wine and cocktail bar popular with the city’s locals might be missed by visitors, sitting a short drive down the Strand Road, but is well worth making the effort for. Food on offer focuses on the meat and fish dishes which are a staple of the region, with the wide selection on its lunch and dinner menus making it an ideal pick for larger groups.
The decor of Spaghetti Junction brilliantly captures the feel of a traditional Italian trattoria
Back in the city centre, classic bistro-style diner Fitzroy’s offers up similar value, with patrons assured of at least a 30 per cent discount at any time, with further discounts and special offers coming on at off-peak times. Nestled on the corner between Carlisle Road and Bridge Street, comfortable seating and a selection of classic rock on the sound system make it a great pick for anyone looking for all of the quality without any of the fuss. Price alone though is never enough, and it is the popularity of the dishes which keeps the restaurant packed. A couple of menu highlights include the sirloin steak and the grilled salmon. Walk-ins may face a wait to get a table.
Cocktails
Also in the heart of the city, Castle Street Social is an unpretentious restaurant and cocktail bar popular with visitors and locals alike. Serving classic dishes such burgers, pork belly and beer-battered fish and chips alongside a vegan menu and house specialities such as homemade wheaten bread made with stout and black treacle, while an ever-evolving cocktail menu features locally distilled small batch Earhart Gin and berries from head chef and owner David Lafferty’s grandfather’s hedgerows.
It is a testament to the excellence of the food in Spaghetti Junction that, despite its location on the fringe of the city centre, in an unprepossessing location, it is jammed most nights of the week. Stepping through the door feels like tripping into another world, with the decor brilliantly capturing the feel of an Italian trattoria. You may even notice Italian spoken around the tables, something which comes as a result of a partnership with local language schools. With quality across its pizza and pasta dishes, standouts also include its meatballs and any of the Italian chicken. Housed in a space which previously housed an art gallery, its commitment to locally-sourced ingredients and authentic Italian cuisine puts it a cut above.
Right inside the City Walls on
Over the past few years, the Maiden City has come into its own as a culinary destination
Magazine Street, Mekong Street Food combines locally-sourced ingredients with authentic Thai and Vietnamese flavours featuring dishes such as Donegal mackerel and spicy papaya, Co Wicklow venison shank massaman curry and Greencastle landed Halibut sour orange curry. It’s renowned for its friendly and knowledgeable staff, on hand to recommend one of their unconventional cocktails (like mango and sticky rice!), a Thai beer or a pint of Rough Brothers Street Beer, created especially for Mekong.
Lebanese dining
A Derry spot marked out for authentic dining is The Cedar Tree, a Lebanese restaurant situated on Carlisle Road, halfway between the Walled City’s Ferryquay Gate, and the Craigavon Bridge – one of the few double-decker road bridges in Europe. The restaurant’s success is a testament to the city’s increasingly sophisticated palate. The familyrun business is helmed by Lebanese head chef Simon Matta and wife Bernadette, and their care and attention to everything, from the food to the decor, is evident as soon as you walk through the door. The rich assortment of hot and cold mezzas are a great choice for anyone looking for something different. There are plenty of options around the city for visitors out on a day trip, and perhaps not looking for a full sit-down meal. The Hidden City Cafe is a good place to start. Situated on London Street within the city walls, it’s really easy to find. Although not exclusively meat-free – its fish and chicken dishes have drawn high praise – the cafe offers up brilliant options for vegans and vegetarians. In a city which may traditionally have been slow to embrace changing tastes, the range of idiosyncratic flavours crafted from seitan and buckwheat (as well as many other things) make for a welcome surprise. The prices on the menu are almost as healthy as the food, with most meals coming in around £10, and set prices to sample the range of salads available. Another gem is Pyke ‘n’ Pommes, which started life as an adapted l
van in a disused car park before taking up permanent residence in a converted shipping container on the city’s waterfront. The idiosyncratic surrounds lends an interesting atmosphere to Pyke ‘N’ Pommes, which has positioned itself in the vanguard of Irish street food, with high-quality local produce prepared by chefs Kevin Pyke and Paul Barrett. With the food prepared in front of you, choosing shouldn’t be too tricky – but the tacos are particularly good. Pyke ‘N’ Pommes is an especially good choice if the sun is out, with outdoor
seating looking out on the Foyle. In 2019, it opened a more traditional restaurant on Strand Road, too, serving a delicious range of tacos, loaded fries and other locally sourced, authentic street food.
On the same road, you’ll find more than simply sushi at Asian fusion restaurant, Umi Derry. Pork dumplings, bao buns and beef tempura maki are staples (“If we took them off the menu, they would be outside with pitchforks,” says owner and chef Sean Lafferty). Umi means ‘the ocean’ in Japanese, reflecting Derry-Londonderry’s
Brown’s Restaurant; long synonymous with high-quality dining in Derry
position beside the Atlantic where the restaurant sources its fresh fish. The menu isn’t about subtly, so expect flavours with punch, with dishes from Japan, Korea and Thailand, and a drinks menu designed to accompany them. They have also recently brought out their own wine, called ‘Rainbow Pie’.
One family-owned establishment that has carved out a reputation for quality is the vegan-friendly Coffee Tree, which takes up a narrow shop front on the city’s Strand Road, next to the city’s main hostel, and a stone’s throw away from the main footfall of the city. The Coffee Tree is thriving, quality food and rustic interior making it a go-to for locals in the area. It has gained especial acclaim for its trademark ‘doorstop’ sandwiches – distinctively being served up on large slices of lightlytoasted brown bread and stuffed to the brim. The soup is also excellent. Quality is maximised by keeping options on the menu limited, something which is also the case for the simple but perfectly-executed desserts on offer. The scones are particularly good.
Unrivalled choice
Since opening its original restaurant on the eastern bank of the Foyle in 2009, Browns Bonds Hill has been synonymous with high-quality dining in Derry. Its popularity has since seen Brown’s in Town open in a more central location on the Strand Road, as well as a location in Donegal. Under head chef Ian Orr, Brown’s is regularly featured on lists of the best restaurants in Ireland, the UK, and Northern Ireland. Diners have an expansive range of food and wine to choose from, with specialist menus catering to all tastes, including vegan and vegetarian diners. An appealing option for groups is the tasting menu, which offers up the best of seasonally available produce and can be ordered with or without a matched wine. Brown’s has an unrivalled selection. If you’re looking to splash out a little bit extra to taste the best Derry has to offer, then Browns – at either of its locations in the city – is certainly
worth it. And even for those on a budget, planning means you can take advantage of early-bird and lunch offers.
For a special evening out, try the seven-course tasting menu at Artis By Phelim O’ Hagan, an elegant fine dining experience tucked away in the in the city’s historic Craft Village (Artis is Latin for ‘craft’). A celebration of local produce, expect delights such as salt-aged Donegal Dexter Beef Tartare, braised Co. Wicklow lamb shoulder and roast Portavogie scallops alongside foraged ingredients and artisan cheese.
Italian options
A stalwart of Derry’s eating out scene for two decades, La Sosta on Carlisle Road holds pride of place as the city’s original Italian restaurant. With an entrance hidden down an alleyway on Carlisle Road, once inside diners are treated to a sweeping panorama of the River Foyle. The decor inside the restaurant makes it feel like the kitchen of an Italian farmhouse, complete with wooden timber beams running across the ceiling and an oak sideboard for wine storage. All of the Italian options served up in La Sosta are great, and the steak is a particular favourite.
The craft beer boom hit Derry in a big way, with drinks menus at most of the city’s bars and restaurants now greatly expanded and a number of establishments making it their main selling point. The Guildhall Taphouse is located just around the corner from the Guildhall, which houses the city’s council. Known for its ever-rotating menu of craft beers marked up on a chalkboard above the bar, its sophisticated cocktails and hearty food also make it worth a visit. Live music is played in the bar most nights of the week, making it a great starting point for a night out. However, anyone afraid of the prospect of having to shout over their meal should rest assured – it is set up so performers are stationed at the end of the bar and the woodpanelled and leather interior keep volume levels quiet.
Eskimo Coffee, on Great James Street, has won awards for being the city’s friendliest coffee shop. Serving comforting stew, cinnamon pancakes and door-stop sandwiches in front of a roaring stove, it’s a great place to warm up in winter.
Talking of a warm welcome, Claude’s Cafe, at the top of Shipquay Street, a short stroll from the Peace Bridge, is rooted in the local community. On Thursdays, the owners host a drop-in session for men to talk and connect; on Christmas Day, volunteers serve lunch to those in need. At all other times, expect generous sandwiches, ‘design your own’ omelettes and homemade lasagne.
Derry-Londonderry has delicious street food, too. At markets and festivals, look out for La Tia Juana’s, serving Arepa – griddle cooked gluten free corn bread stuffed with slow cooked Irish beef or black turtle beans and fried plantains – and Empanada – crisp deep-fried gluten free corn pasties.
Crowd pleasers
Meanwhile, newly opened Clipper Quay Street Food Market, located at the quay of the River Foyle, showcases the very best of Northern Ireland’s culinary traditions in a vibrant and permanent setting. Vendors include noodle bar Wok Hay; Bee Eaters, renowned for their crowd-pleasing giant Yorkshire pudding filled with a complete Sunday dinner; Notorious Street Food serving 18-hour slow cooked beef tacos and Smash Burgers; House of Pancakes serving sweet and savoury pancakes alongside expertly crafted coffee; and Cugino’s Pizza, born from recipes passed down through generations in the Italian countryside with a touch of Big Apple Flair.
If you have a few spare hours, why not try and track down Derry specialities like a gravy ring, a sausage-roll bap, or a ‘fifteens’ sweet treat – all of which are available in bakeries like Eleanor’s Home
Bakery, with branches on Strand Road and Spencer Road, Funky Cakes on Castle Street or the cosy Scullery Café on Waterloo Street. ■
Only here for the weekend? Fear not! Here are some ideas for a memorable short break to Derry-Londonderry
WEEKENDER
On arrival: Evening Pass the Guildhall and the Peace Flame, and grab dinner at unpretentious Castle Street Social. Go up the stairway at Castle Gate to the stupendous City Walls, built in 1619 to defend Protestant settlers from the native Irish and now the most complete circuit of walls in Ireland. Pop in for a drink at Peadar O’Donnell’s – maybe staying on for a lively trad session from 10pm.
DAY ONE
After a breakfast burrito at Hidden City Cafe, it’s time to get to know some of the city’s history. Take a guided tour of the Bogside, for an insight into the Civil Rights movement, the Bloody Sunday massacre and the beginnings of The Troubles, when it seemed the city was at the centre of world attention. There are guided tours from outside the Guildhall, and also from the Free Derry Museum, which has excellent archive material from the era. Get a closer look at the People’s Gallery – the huge murals painted on Rossville St by the Bogside Artists, marking key events in the Troubles. Grab a sandwich at Claude’s Cafe on Shipquay Street, followed by one of their famous chocolate brownies or, if you need to stretch the legs, Coffee Tree on Strand Road.
After lunch, if you want to see the historic sights outside the city, take a taxi to the Grianán of Aileach, just 10 minutes away – or take a bus to one of many seaside villages and towns along the Inishowen Peninsula.
On returning, grab some dinner at Pyke ‘N’ Pommes on the Foyle estuary, and take a casual, 20-minute stroll back into town along the riverside to Bennigans
Bar, a local secret. Catch a few tunes there before moving on to Sandinos cafe bar, and then proceed on your merry way to Blackbird or any of the many pubs around Waterloo Street or Shipquay Street.
DAY TWO
Enjoy a warm welcome and a traditional fry or tower of cinnamon pancakes at Eskimo on Great James
Street. Take a short walk to the Tower Museum, and explore the city’s history, from Columcille’s monastery in the 6th century to the Siege of Derry, the Battle of the Bogside and The Troubles. There is also the wreck of a ship from the Spanish Armada on display.
From there, walk the City Walls, which at times rise as high as a two-storey house. Walk towards the Church Bastion, passing the loyalist murals of The Fountain estate and St Columb’s Cathedral, the city’s oldest building. Either take in other
Cross the Foyle via the Peace Bridge, a languid pedestrian walkway built in 2011
churches via the Columba Heritage Trail or complete the wall circuit and alighting at Magazine Gate. Time for food. Pop three minutes down the road to Spaghetti Junction – a superb Italian restaurant on William Street. Then, cross the Foyle via the Peace Bridge, a languid pedestrian walkway built in 2011, to the Waterside and the renovated Ebrington Square. Grab dessert at Brown’s Bond Hill or a tipple at the famous Walled City Brewery before finding an excuse to stay another night, and another music session! ■
The Peace Bridge, which spans the river Foyle
Culture vultures assemble! Derry offers the perfect mix of galleries, museums, exhibitions and festivals
Culture Club
As you might guess from the murals festooned across the city’s suburbs – or by visiting any of the music venues like Sandinos or Bennigans – the city takes its arts and culture very seriously. In 2013 it became the inaugural UK City of Culture; given the proliferation of theatres and arthouses in the city, you can see why.
It’s a city that packs a cultural punch. On Great James Street lies Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin, a purpose-built 200-seater Irishlanguage cultural hub, welcoming speakers of Irish, English and other
languages with its programme of theatre, dance, language classes – a particular favourite is the provision of tai chi and pilates classes taught through Irish.
Traditional music
A significant addition to the skyline of the Walled City upon its opening in 2009, An Chultúrlann has won several architectural awards and galvanised a renaissance in the city’s growing Irish-speaking community, galvanising a greater appreciation of traditional music, which has resulted in a trad boom in the city’s
pubs and arts spaces, and ambitious plans for a Gaelic Quarter in the city, reflecting the growth of Irishspeaking schools (gaeilscoileanna) in the county and seeking to do for the North West what Galway City’s bilingual offerings have done for the West of Ireland.
Over in the Cathedral Quarter, the Centre for Contemporary Art offers a wide-ranging programme of exhibitions on and off site, public programmes and residencies, with the aim of connecting the region with the rest of the world by drawing Irish and international
Derry-Londonderry. Sponsored by Sproules Jewellery
Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin, Great James St
artists, hosting six exhibitions a year, catering for those with a special interest in arts and also the general public.
There is a wide range of art galleries, from the established to the innovative. Visit the Craft Village on Shipquay Street, containing a Green Canopy designed to allow the free flow of ideas between artists and craftspeople and the public, through demonstrations, performances and workshops.
The Playhouse on Artillery Street – in the shadow of the Artillery Bastion of the historic City Walls – is a one-stop shop, commissioning, producing and touring theatre events with a 175-seat theatre, a dance studio, a gallery, and a large menagerie of artist groups. Quite an achievement when you consider it was established with a grant of just £300 back in 1992.
The grassroots organisation has charitable status, and has a special love among the people of Derry from all backgrounds. On any given week you might encounter
The Playhouse lies in the shadow of the Artillery Bastion at the historic City Walls
expressionist paintings; theatre from the LGBT+ community; touring plays from Dublin; and performances from the Royal Shakespeare Company; celebrations of Irish culture; visiting plays from Brighton; and explorations about identity during The Troubles.
Drama & dance
Just down the road, also within the city walls, lies The Millennium Forum, the city’s only purpose-built theatre and conference centre on Newmarket Street, with the largest theatre stage in Ireland. The Forum offers drama to dance, comedy to musicals and light entertainment to children’s shows, and has been called the leading entertainment venue in the North West, with additional capacity for conferences of up to 100 delegates, as well as seminars, fairs, exhibitions, banquets, lectures, business meetings, press launches and executive interviews.
Next to the Guildhall is a contemporary Irish art gallery, the l
The Playhouse, Artillery Street, Londonderry
Siege Museum Londonderry
Open Monday - Saturday 10.00 am. Last entry 4.30 pm
Admission £5
A treasure house of artefacts from past to present.
Based over three floors, the exhibition features an array of artefacts from the siege to modern day Apprentice Boys memorabilia. The museum offers an educational and interactive visitor experience, telling the story of the great siege of Londonderry and 400 years of the city walls.
Guided tours of the museum and city walls may be booked for groups consisting of a minimum of 10 participants.
Admission price is £5 - with Concession £4
Tel. 02871 261219 or info@thesiegemuseum.org for further details
Warehouse, presenting leading Irish art from each side of the border and further afield from a listed old trading building.
Since 2005, the city has been home to Void, a contemporary art space of established international and Irish artists established by the group DADA (Derry’s Artists for Derry’s Art), now located on Waterloo Place on the Strand Road. It offers talks, workshops, film screenings and up to five exhibitions a year, seeking to engage the public in contemporary art with its mainly free offerings.
Performing arts
The city is a perfect location for a visiting artist. North of the city centre, Studio 2 in Shantallow doubles as an exhibition and performing arts school, provides professional mentors in traditional and digital arts, dance, drama and music carnival in its capacious 200-seat theatre. It also provides two dance studios, a gallery, and conference rooms.
For a sense of quiet in the heart of the city, the Garden of Reflection –partly funded by the EU – provides a sense of lightness just off Bishop Street. It is also behind a project to light the gates of the city walls, and lunchtime events programme involving visiting speakers. How to sum up Derry’s
contribution to culture? Look no further than one school, which alone has produced playwright Brian Friel, Seamus Heaney, composers Phil Coulter and Paul Brady, as well as peacemaker (and Nobel Laureate) John Hume, political journalist Eamonn McCann and poet Seamus Deane. St Columb’s College, is now a specialist school in maths and sports on the Buncrana Road, but for years was based on Bishop Street at the heart of the city.
Poetry & literature
For many, Heaney is the most notable cultural figure to have emerged from Ireland since the Second World War – the “greatest poet of our age” according to John Sutherland, among others. At one point, his books comprised two thirds of the sales by all living poets in the UK. Some of his most famous poems – including Mid-Term Break – are based at St Columb’s College in Derry, to which he won a scholarship at the age of 12. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1995.
Raised in Bellaghy Bawn in the east of the county, he drew heavily on his rural upbringing as his work developed, and developed the Bog Aesthetic, obliquely alluding to the sectarian violence then prevalent through Northern Ireland, and
refusing to lend rhetorical support for any political creed in his work, although he refused offers to be the Poet Laureate, and considered himself Irish, spending much of his life in Dublin. His Derry fellow alumni also lent richness to the experience of life in Northern Ireland during The Troubles through their work.
Emigrant’s experience
Phil Coulter is today probably most famous for penning Ireland’s Call, a new anthem for the Ireland rugby team, which includes players from unionist backgrounds in Northern Ireland, and although more a songwriter than poet, he eloquently summed the emigrant’s experience of The Troubles in Derry with his famous song The Town I Loved So Well:
“But when I returned how my eyes have burned to see how a town could be brought to its knees. By the armoured cars and the bombed out bars and, the gas that hangs on to every tree. Now the army’s installed, by that old gasyard wall – and the damned barbed wire gets higher and higher! With their tanks and their guns, oh my God, what have they done… to the town I loved so well?”
Coulter is also famous for writing Scorn Not His Simplicity, about his son’s experience of Down’s Syndrome. The song was given its definitive airing by the Irish singing maestro Luke Kelly, who insisted on only playing it at certain occasions, due to the song’s emotional resonance. Today, the work of Heaney, Coulter and co stands as a testament to the cultural mood music in Derry. The city and county is alive with culture.
August brings the Foyle Pride Festival, with a parade crossing the city from the Waterside Train Station. The year 2023 marked the 30th anniversary year with a ‘grassroots’ theme to honour the work of a small group of dedicated activists who marked Pride for the first time officially at the iconic Free Derry Wall in August 1993.
For electronic music lovers, l
The City of Derry Jazz Festival draws thousands to Foyleside
Immerse yourself in the powerful history of Free Derry at the Museum of Free Derry, a first-hand chronicle of the struggle for civil rights and the descent into conflict, including the massacre on Bloody Sunday in 1972.
Learn from people who were directly involved of how a working-class community rose against years of oppression, shaping Ireland’s civil rights heritage.
The museum narrative is available in major European languages. Purchase tickets online by scanning the QR code, walk-in visitors welcome. For information on opening hours see www.museumoffreederry.org or social media.
the annual Jika Jika! Festival is a spectacular celebration of music, art and culture in Ebrington Square. Each May, meanwhile, comes the City of Derry Jazz Festival, drawing tens of thousands to Foyleside, with artists of the calibre of Van Morrison headlining a roster of artists from all over the world drawn to the biggest jazz festival in Northern Ireland.
Also each summer is the Carnival of Colours, the North West’s greatest circus and streets arts festival, held at McFarland Quay.
The City of Derry International Choir Festival brings its dulcet tones to the city in October, centred on St Columb’s Hall and running Wednesday-Sunday. Yet by far the most famous of Derry’s many festivals comes at the very end of October: Halloween, marking the end, or death, of the old Gaelic year, and – on November 1 – the beginning of the new year, or Samhain. This festival, which was popularised in America by Irish and Scottish emigrants in the 18th and 19th centuries, now runs for a
week in Derry-Londonderry. The city has become world-famous for this celebration of the supernatural, with USA Today calling it the greatest Halloween festival in the world. Highlights include Samhain Sessions, Awakening the Walls, a Monster Fun Fair, and superb fireworks displays.
Derry Girls
Finally, since its premier in 2018, Derry Girls – a period teen sitcom set in Derry-Londonderry in the 1990s during the final years of The Troubles – has captured visitors’ imaginations. Fans of the TV series can track down its most popular filming locations, such as Dennis’ Wee Shop, ‘the wee Church on the Walls’ (St Augustine’s Church) and Pump Street and take a selfie in front of the giant Derry Girls mural on the wall of Badger’s Bar and Restaurant on Orchard Street. Alternatively, join one of the weekly Derry Girls tours beginning at the famous mural for £10, which can be pre-booked via Martin McCrossan City Tours. ■
Carnival of Colours, the North West’s greatest circus arts and music festival
After dark
The night-time economy is thriving, packed with clubs, pubs, bars and music venues
Peadar O’Donnell’s; the heart of the city’s music district
They don’t call it LegenDerry for nothing. For a small city in European terms, Derry’s nightlife packs a punch. Beautifully framed by the ever-present city walls, you have come to a city with a thriving music and arts scene; a string of unique Irish pubs that transport you into the atmosphere of an old Irish shebeen; a huge array of classy and alternative nights out, and a growing selection of cafes, arts spaces and other venues offering an alternative to the justifiably popular Derry pub.
For music, you’re spoiled for choice. Even on a weeknight, the tidy streets and byways of the Maiden City are bustling with the notes of a thousand melodies. The holy trinity is Sandinos cafebar, Peadar O’Donnell’s and cult favourite, Bennigans.
Situated, unusually, next to the Foyleside roundabout, Bennigans Bar is a cultural centre in its own right, hosting open mics on Mondays, a pub quiz on Tuesdays, film nights and comedy, with jazz and other styles performed from Friday to Sunday. It’s a quiet pub for the music connoisseur, with a beer garden bedecked with art. You could be anywhere from Berlin to New Orleans. Check it out.
Bohemian vibes
Directly down Foyle Street from Bennigans lies Sandinos. Named after a Nicaraguan revolutionary and sporting Che Guevara pictures, Palestinian flags and a weird and wonderful variety of headliners, Sandinos is a mixture of Irish shebeen, American bar (as opposed to pub), and a Latin American bolthole. Sandinos draws students, artists, musicians and visiting DJs – not to mention some talented chess players – to its down-at-heel bar, with larger events on upstairs. If this was in London or Dublin (or Belfast) it would be very serious indeed. But locals tend not to get too worked up about being cool for the sake of cool, and Sandinos keeps its laidback bohemian vibe. It has traditional music sessions on Sunday. For trad music throughout the
For trad music throughout the week, try Peadar O’Donnell’s
week, try Peadar O’Donnell’s, the raucous, romantic heart of the city’s Irish music district, circled around Waterloo Place and extending up through the pedestrianised Waterloo Street. Partly by dint of the craft of the two-part pour (first to the top of the harp, then the rest once settled), and partly due to the proximity to the Dublin brewery, Guinness tastes best in Ireland, and the pint in O’Donnell’s won’t be beaten anywhere.
Live music
Decorated like an old-fashioned Irish grocer from the 1950s, O’Donnell’s features live music seven nights a week from 10.30pm (7pm-1am on Saturday, and 5pm1am on Sunday), and is probably the finest Irish pub outside of the Republic, with a definite buzz about the place no matter what time of day. Next door, on the corner is Tracey’s, which does live karaoke. For live rock bands, pop in to the pub on the other side to O’Donnell’s sister pub The Gweedore, which has a nightclub upstairs. Next door to Tracey’s and proceeding uphill you’ll find The Dungloe Bar, a family-friendly gastropub serving food – and, again, lashings of music, often played to its spacious beer garden.
For drinks before or after the theatre, head to Badgers Bar, a fine Victorian gastropub conveniently located mid-way between the Playhouse Theatre and the Millennium Forum, with a great welcome just next to the City Walls. For post-shopping classy drinks, try The Gate Bistro and Cocktail Bar. It’s strategically located between Foyleside and Richmond l
Function
Lunch
Extensive
Superb
Shopping Centre – as is The Bentley, a contemporary wine bar and steakhouse.
For other late dining (food until 10pm), and a fine pint of Guinness, try Fitzroy’s, just the other side of the city walls from the Gate Bistro. Fitzroy’s offer simple and uncomplicated pub dining, all carried out to the backing of an excellent playlist, with classic sounds from the 1960s and 1970s. With 30% food throughout the week, the steaks are a steal.
Nightclubs
For nightclubs, there’s The Metro Bar on Bank Place, which closes at 1am. Or, in the heart of the city, the Brass Neck – a gastro-pub turned live music venue focusing on sublime local talent and Irish traditional music. Upstairs, in what was formerly Granny Annie’s, The Diamond Nightclub hosts local and international DJs.
Formerly The Castle Bar, Lizzie O’Farrell’s on Waterloo Street is one of Derry’s oldest pubs, known
for its ghostly encounters over the years. Newly refurbished, it hosts live music every night of the week and is known for its welcoming atmosphere and good craic. It also has a nightclub called ‘Club Lizzie’ upstairs.
Just down the road lies the River Inn (now rebranded Silver Street). Established in 1648, it’s Derry’s oldest sited bar, and was, in 1798, the scene of the incarceration of Theobold Wolfe Tone, the leader of the United Irishmen rebellion captured in Donegal and executed in Dublin. Today, his prison has become the Cellar Bar which, along with the Snug and Silver Street Café bar, forms today’s pub complex.
Next to the River Inn is the Gainsborough Bar, an archetype of the Irish “old man’s bar”, beloved of those, young and old, who like their company relaxed and their pubs quiet.
Derry is full of pubs with historical interest. On Ebrington Square on the city’s eastern bank lies the Walled City Brewery, l
Derry comes alive by night
Welcome to Derry-Londonderry. Sponsored by Sproules Jewellery
housed in a former army barracks on Ebrington Parade Grounds. Back on the western side of the peace bridge, Guildhall Taphouse, meanwhile, serves an ever-changing range of craft beers in the shadow of city hall. The Exchange wine bar is just two doors down. Blackbird on Foyle Street is a classy bar on Foyle Street serving great cocktails. It has a range of food – including veggie-friendly – options and some stupendously comfortable sofas, and stays open until 2am.
Further along Bishop Street lies the Wig champagne bar at the Bishop’s Gate Hotel. It has a lively cocktail and champagne menu, and frequently hosts live musics, which they have dubbed “Gigs at the Wig”.
At the top of Waterloo Street, Rocking Chair – or ‘Rocker’ to the locals – is located in the shadow of the Butcher’s Gate just outside the city walls.
On the outskirts of the city centre – and next to the city’s main hostel – the Diplomat on Strand Road
combines a pub with a nightclub that features Wednesday night karaoke. Next door is Tinneys, a cosy pub with a friendly feel. Just around the corner is the atmospheric Jack’s Bar. Nearby is Quay West, situated in a 19thcentury building on the banks of the Foyle, with a cocktail bar open until 10pm.
Chaotic cabaret
Since the closure of Envy Bar and Nightclub in 2020, there hasn’t been a dedicated LGBT+ club to take its place, but upstairs at Sandinos (or ‘Sandi’s’) regularly hosts The Maiden City Tease, gloriously chaotic cabaret and burlesque nights, which are much celebrated (follow @ maidencitytease on Instagram for the latest).
The Glen Bar and Upstairs Downstairs, on the Dungiven Road in the city’s eastern side. Also on the Waterside is The Ritz Bar and Bistro. Housed in a building built in
the 1840s and formerly Waterside National School, it’s now the most popular haunt on Spencer Road, serving up a mean strawberry daiquiri amid the relaxing oldworld charm of its high ceilings, exposed wooden beams and open fire. While a good place to meet the locals is the small, unshowy George’s on Bishop Street or O’Sullivans on the same street.
But don’t forget the county. North of the city lies Pitcher’s Wine Bar and Restaurant, overlooking a famous golfcourse – the “Earhart” Par 71 course, named after the 1932 solo transatlantic flight by Amelia Earhart, the first women to do so.
Shantallow House lies to the north of the city, too, with recent renovations to the former Daly’s Bar and bistro leaving it a favourite for families and visitors to the area. Further east in Magherafelt, meanwhile, Mary’s Bar was recently named the best pub in the county for its sophisticated drinks menu and decadent food offerings. ■
The Ritz bar and Bistro, Spencer Road
Although Derry has more than enough to keep you busy, a journey further afield can make for an exciting new adventure
Time to explore
At the intersection of the Causeway Coastal route and the Wild Atlantic Way, Derry-Londonderry is the perfect base to explore this half of Ireland – starting with the worldfamous Giant’s Causeway (Clochán na bhFomhórach), about an hour’s drive away.
Today a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Giant’s Causeway comprises around 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, some as high as 40 feet, formed from intense volcanic activity and acting as stepping stones into the North Channel separating Ireland from Scotland. The Giant’s Causeway has inspired awe since its creation 50 million years ago and today it is universally loved geological wonder – and free, if you avoid the visitor centre.
From Giant’s Causeway, the Bushmills Distillery – the world’s oldest licensed distillery – is but a short drive away. Whiskey has been distilled in this area since time out of mind, and the distillery’s tours are again around an hour’s drive from the city.
From Derry-Londonderry, you can also head due north or west and sample the riches of Donegal. Named the coolest place on the planet for 2017, Donegal is home to many people who still speak Irish language daily. It’s also a great location for viewing the Northern Lights. And its riches start just five miles from the Walled City: the Grianan of Aileach, a spectacular National Monument, and seat of the ancient Kingdom of Aileach. Continue on into Donegal and visit the savage wild coast of the Inishowen Peninsula, and the spectacular Malin Head, carved out of rock by the North Atlantic. The most northerly point of the whole
island, it has hosted filming for the Star Wars move franchise.
Fanad Head is another point jutting out into the sea. Pass through the exquisite town of Ramelton to Ards Forest Park, a 1,200-acre mixture of forest and shoreline. For a visit to one of the last of Ireland’s mature oak forests, visit Rathmullan Wood in Glenveagh National Park, 170 square kilometres of blanket bog and wooded hillside on the shores of Lough Veagh, with deer and golden eagles. You can also visit Sliabh Liag, the highest cliffs in Ireland.
Path of pilgrims
South of Derry-Londonderry, meanwhile, lies the lakelands of Fermanagh, and the Sanctuary of St Patrick on Lough Derg, where you can follow the path of pilgrims from the last thousand years.
There’s also always time to visit Northern Ireland’s other main city, Belfast, which has reinvented itself in recent years, drawing party-goers and hipsters from across Europe to its expanding culinary delights, music-filled pubs, Titanic Quarter –and a thriving gay scene.
A three-hour drive, meanwhile, Dublin makes an ideal overnight stay en route to Derry Londonderry or back. The city has unrivalled shopping, a burgeoning tech scene – and Ireland’s most established coffee culture.
It’s also a great place to explore the many strands of history on the island of Ireland, with Norman, medieval, Georgian and Victorian architecture. For a look at prehistoric Ireland, meanwhile, visit Newgrange. A two-hour drive from Derry-Londonderry, it features a 5,000-year-old Neolithic monument, plus lots more. ■
Welcome to Derry-Londonderry. Sponsored by Sproules Jewellery
Fanad Head Lighthouse, Co. Donegal
PHOTO-FINISH
to Derry-Londonderry. Sponsored by Sproules Jewellery
The train journey between Londonderry and Coleraine
Welcome to Derry-Londonderry. Sponsored by Sproules Jewellery
Create memories in Ards and North Down
Located under two hours away from Derry/Londonderry, and within an hour of Belfast City, you can escape, relax and create unforgettable memories in Ards and North Down. With easy access to all transport networks, nestled between sea and land, our place is the perfect spot to plan your getaway.
Experience Ards and North Down
Join us for immersive experiences and guided tours, taking in stunning scenery, encounter on the water and water’s edge wonders, explore charming towns and villages, and the centuries deep history they are built on, treating your tastebuds to delicious food and drink along the way, and maybe even embrace your creative spirit amongst our rich arts and culture offering.
Explore our shores
With 115 miles of scenic coastline to explore, from the edge of Belfast Lough, on to the Ards Peninsula and Strangford Lough, you will find many beautiful beaches, some Seaside Award winners, dotted along your journey. From secret gardens to scenic coastal walks and country parks, Ards and North Down has lots of hidden gems waiting for you to discover.
Time to relax
Maybe a spa break is more your thing? You’ll be spoilt for choice from a range of specialist accommodations offering wonderful packages to relax, restore and revit-alise. Stylish hotels, award-winning guest houses,
and boutique accommodation, will offer you luxurious surrounding along with the warmest of welcomes.
Active
adventures
Why not give paddleboarding, kayaking or e-foiling a try on Strangford Lough? Or, join an electric bike tour to see the sights from a different point of view. If golf is more your things, Ards and North Down boasts 10 clubs, 12 courses including Links, James Braid and Championship.
Family fun
When family time is the plan, our place is the ideal spot! Enjoy traditional seaside fun at Pickie Funpark in Bangor. Explore down the shore, taking in coastline views, to Portaferry, home to Northern Ireland’s only aquarium and seal sanctuary, Exploris. These are just two examples of a bucketload of fun to be had in Ards and North Down!
24-hour and 48-hour inspiration
Visit our website for inspirational itineraries we have curated, designed to help guide you on exciting journeys through the North Down coast, the Ards Peninsula Way and idyllic Strangford Lough. ■
Plan your perfect getaway now… visitardsandnorthdown.com
Bangor VIC – Tower House
34 Quay Street, BT20 5ED
+44 (0)28 9127 0069
bangorvic@ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk
Newtownards VIC
31 Regent Street, BT23 4AD
+44 (0)28 9182 6846
ardsvic@ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk
Top to bottom: Scrabo Tower, Newtownards Strangford Lough City of Bangor
