The Peace Process: Derry

             The origins of County Derry start when it was created in a charter by King James I. The prefix, “London,” was added for its association with the London-based Livery Company. However, the modern name for the county usually is a hyphenated name or completely drops the prefix all together. The town of Derry built a wall around the city in 1613. In 1922, Derry officially left Ireland and become part of Northern Ireland. Currently, it was one of four Northern Ireland counties to have a majority of Catholics as the practicing religion of choice. This is certainly a significant statistics due to its historical meaning. In more modern times, a group of artists known as the Bogside Artists came together to paint murals around the city that commemorate the people involved during the times of troubles. These have become one of the most visited sites in all of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Near these murals stands a monument to honor the fallen during the Bloody Sunday Massacre. These two sites create a very strong emotional reaction for anyone visiting County Derry.

             Our group really enjoyed the entire trip to and around the city of Derry. Nathan thought walking around the city and hearing various historical facts about its place in European history was absolutely fascinating. Jennie loved the murals and how they are still culturally relevant, even after all the fighting has basically ceased. Max said, “this city seemed very somber and still broken compared to what it probably once was.” All in all, the experience was quite unique compared to anywhere else from Ireland. Being in northern Ireland greatly increased our understanding of what exactly the Time of Troubles would have been like for the people involved.