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Derry~Londonderry sits on the west bank of the River Foyle in Northern Ireland, and it carries two names, two nicknames, and a walled centre that has survived intact since the early 1600s. If you’re planning a trip that includes the Causeway Coastal Route or a wider Northern Ireland itinerary, this is one of the most rewarding stops on the map, not just for the history inside the walls, but for what the city’s dual identity tells you about the region as a whole.
Why Is Derry Called the Maiden City?
Derry is known as the Maiden City because its 17th-century walls withstood two sieges without ever being breached. The nickname dates back centuries and is still used locally today, appearing on everything from pub signs to the annual Maiden City Festival.
The claim is a specific one. Derry’s walls, completed in 1619, faced their most serious test during the Siege of Derry in 1688 to 1689, when a Jacobite army surrounded the city for over 100 days. The gates held. No force ever broke through, which is a rare distinction among Ireland’s walled towns, most of which lost their defences to war, demolition, or simple urban expansion over the centuries. Derry’s walls remain the only complete circuit of town walls left in Ireland.
Locals still use the nickname without much ceremony. You’ll see it on the Maiden City Festival each August, and you’ll hear it dropped into conversation the way any city nickname gets used by people who live there.
Derry or Londonderry? The Two Names Explained
Both Derry and Londonderry are correct, and the choice between them usually says more about the speaker’s background than the city itself. Derry comes from the Irish Doire, meaning “oak grove,” a reference to the wooded hill where the settlement began. Londonderry was added in 1613, when London-based livery companies funded the building of the city’s walls under a royal charter and the settlement was renamed to reflect that investment.
In daily conversation, most residents of the city and the wider region say “Derry,” regardless of community background. “Londonderry” persists as the county’s official name and appears on transport signage, some official documents, and in formal or historical contexts. Neither term is likely to cause offence if used respectfully, and you’ll find both used interchangeably across tourism material, including on the city’s own visitor signage, which typically shows “Derry~Londonderry” together.
For travellers, the practical takeaway is simple: either name works, and the “~” symbol you’ll see used locally is itself a small, deliberate acknowledgement of the dual identity.
From Oak Grove to Walled City: A Short History
Derry’s story begins over a thousand years before its famous walls, with a monastery founded by an Irish saint whose legacy still shapes the city’s Irish name. Understanding that early history helps explain why the “oak grove” reference has stayed attached to the city for so long.
The monastic settlement. In the 6th century, St Columba, known in Irish as Colmcille, founded a monastery on the wooded hill above the River Foyle. Colmcille was one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland and is remembered today as one of the country’s three patron saints, alongside Patrick and Brigid. The settlement he founded, Doire Calgach, gave the city its Irish name and its oldest surviving religious associations; St Columb’s Cathedral, built in 1633, stands close to the traditional site.
The Plantation and the walls. By the early 1600s, the English Crown had transferred control of the area to the Honourable The Irish Society, a consortium of London guilds tasked with settling the region as part of the Plantation of Ulster. The city was rebuilt from scratch between 1613 and 1619, laid out around a central diamond with four main streets radiating to four gates, a design later echoed in several planned towns in British North America.
The Siege of 1688 to 1689. Derry’s defining historical moment came when a Jacobite army arrived at the gates in December 1688. Thirteen apprentices famously shut the gates against the advancing force before the siege proper began. The city held out for more than 100 days until a relief ship broke through the blockade on the River Foyle at the end of July 1689, an event still commemorated in the city each year.
The 20th century. Derry’s more recent history includes its role during the Battle of the Atlantic in the Second World War, when the city served as a key departure point for Allied naval convoys, and its place at the centre of the civil rights movement and the Troubles from the late 1960s onwards. These are significant, sensitive chapters in the city’s story, and visitors interested in this period are well served by the Museum of Free Derry in the Bogside, which addresses the events with the depth and care they require.
Walking the 17th-Century City Walls
The city walls are Derry’s single most important visitor attraction, and walking the full circuit takes most people under an hour at an easy pace. The walkway runs roughly 1.5km around the old town, staying between 12 and 35 feet wide along its length.
Four original gates, Ferryquay, Bishop’s, Butcher’s, and Shipquay, date from the walls’ construction, with three later additions (Castle Gate, Magazine Gate, and New Gate) built as the city grew. Along the ramparts, you’ll pass 24 restored cannon, including the well-known “Roaring Meg,” on the double bastion overlooking the city.
| Gate | Type | Notable detail |
|---|---|---|
| Ferryquay Gate | Original (1619) | The first gate was shut by the apprentices in 1688 |
| Shipquay Gate | Original (1619) | Once gave near-direct access to the river |
| Bishop’s Gate | Original (1619) | Rebuilt as a triumphal arch in 1789 |
| Butcher’s Gate | Original (1619) | Named for the street of butchers inside it |
| New Gate, Castle Gate, Magazine Gate | Later additions | Added between the 1790s and 1888 |
“There’s a moment on the walls near the double bastion where you can see the whole layout the planners intended in 1613 still holding together, streets radiating out from the diamond exactly as drawn. Few European cities let you read their original design that clearly, four centuries on.” — Ciaran Connolly, Founder of ConnollyCove.
Access to the walls is free and generally open from dawn until dusk. Just beyond the walls, the Guildhall (1890) and St Columb’s Cathedral (1633) are worth building into the same visit, as is a walk across the Peace Bridge, which links the city centre to Ebrington Square on the river’s east bank.
Planning Your Visit
Derry is straightforward to reach from Belfast and makes a natural final stop, or starting point, for a Causeway Coastal Route trip. Trains from Belfast take around two hours and follow a genuinely scenic route once they pass Coleraine and hug the coastline. Direct coach services and the A6 road offer a faster inland alternative, usually under two hours by car.
Spring through early autumn offers the most reliable weather for walking the walls, though Derry’s biggest annual event, the Halloween festival held around the Bogside and city centre, draws visitors from well beyond Northern Ireland each October. Regardless of the season, pack layers and waterproofs, since Northern Ireland’s weather can shift within a single afternoon.
If you’re combining Derry with a wider itinerary, ConnollyCove’s guide to Northern Ireland’s scenic drives covers the full Causeway Coastal Route from Belfast, and our Game of Thrones filming locations guide is a natural add-on if you’re travelling along the same stretch of coast.
Celtic and Irish Heritage Connections
Derry’s Irish name ties directly into one of Ireland’s most enduring cultural threads: the connection between early Christian monasticism and the older, oak-grove landscape it grew from. St Columba’s foundation at Doire wasn’t an isolated event. He went on to found monasteries at Durrow, Kells, and Swords before his exile to Iona, work that places Derry within a much wider network of early Irish Christian sites still visited today.
For readers with a broader interest in Ireland’s cultural heritage, ConnollyCove’s guide to Irish proverbs explores the older oral traditions that predate and coexist with these monastic foundations, and our guide to Tuatha Dé Danann covers the mythological layer of Ireland’s landscape that often sits alongside its Christian history. If you’re exploring Northern Ireland’s cities as a group, our guide to Northern Ireland’s top cities sets Derry alongside Belfast and Armagh for a fuller regional picture, and our Belfast Titanic Museum guide is a natural companion if Belfast forms part of your route.
Watch: Derry~Londonderry on Video
To see the walls, the Peace Bridge, and the wider city in motion, ConnollyCove’s video coverage of Derry includes:
- Derry City | Londonderry, Northern Ireland
- Derry Walls, Northern Ireland
- The Quay Trail | Derry | Londonderry, Northern Ireland
You’ll also find further practical detail on the wider county in ConnollyCove’s guide to things to do in Derry and our overview of Ireland’s counties, and for a broader coastal itinerary, the Giant’s Causeway guide pairs naturally with a Derry visit along the north coast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Derry called the Maiden City?
Derry is called the Maiden City because its 17th-century walls have never been breached by an attacking force. The nickname dates from the aftermath of the 1688 to 1689 siege, when the city held out for over 100 days without falling. It’s still used locally today, including in the annual Maiden City Festival each August.
When did Derry become Londonderry?
The name Londonderry dates from 1613, when the Honourable The Irish Society, a group of London livery companies, took charge of building the city’s defences under a royal charter. The original settlement and its Irish name, Derry, predate this by roughly a thousand years, going back to St Columba’s 6th-century monastery.
Is Derry the same place as Londonderry?
Yes. Derry and Londonderry refer to the same city on the River Foyle in Northern Ireland. Derry is the more commonly spoken name locally, while Londonderry remains the county’s official name and appears on some signage and formal documents. Visitors can use either without concern.
What is the difference between Derry and Londonderry?
There’s no difference in location, only in naming preference. “Derry” derives from the Irish Doire (oak grove) and is the older, more widely spoken name. “Londonderry” was added in 1613 to reflect the city’s rebuilding under London-funded settlers. Both names are used across tourism material today, often together as “Derry~Londonderry.”
Where is Derry~Londonderry located?
Derry~Londonderry sits on the west bank of the River Foyle in the north-west of Northern Ireland, close to the border with County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland. It’s roughly a two-hour train or drive from Belfast.
What is the best time of year to visit Derry?
Spring through early autumn offers the most reliable weather for walking the city walls and exploring outdoors. October is also popular, since Derry hosts one of Europe’s best-known Halloween festivals, drawing large crowds to the Bogside and city centre.
Why were the Derry walls built?
The walls were built between 1613 and 1619 to defend the newly settled city during the Plantation of Ulster, after an earlier settlement had been destroyed in 1608 during O’Doherty’s Rebellion. They remain the only complete circuit of city walls in Ireland.
Explore More Northern Ireland Heritage
Derry~Londonderry rewards a slow visit, walls, cathedral, and river together tell a story that stretches from a 6th-century oak grove to a 17th-century plantation town. For more of Northern Ireland’s walled towns, filming locations, and coastal routes, explore ConnollyCove’s Northern Ireland travel guides or follow our video coverage on ConnollyCove’s YouTube channel.
