Northern Ireland & Derry
Day 11 – Westport to Portrush via Derry
Sligo, Ben Bulben and Donegal Town
Our Last Day in the Republic of Ireland
We passed through County Sligo and a bit of County Donegal on our way to the border of Northern Ireland.
Constance Markievicz Home in Sligo
Markievicz was an Irish Nationalist who fought in the Easter Rising and later served in Parliament.
Ben Bulben and the Burial Site of W.B. Yeats
The flat-topped mountain rises above the village of Drumcliff near the grave of Willian Butler Yeats. The mountain features prominently in the poet's work.
"Under bare Ben Bulben's head
In Drumcliff churchyard Yeats is laid.
An ancestor was rector there
Long years ago, a church stands near,
By the road an ancient cross.
No marble, no conventional phrase;
On limestone quarried near the spot
By his command these words are cut:
Cast a cold eye
On life, on death.
Horseman, pass by!"
From the poem, Under Ben Bulben
W.B. Yeats
A Hint of Rain to Come and Lunch in Donegal Town
We visited with an Irish couple over lunch of cheese quiche and chicken pot pie at the Blueberry Restaurant in Donegal, and then had a brief peek in the Donegal Castle (1474 - 1610).
Derry, Northern Ireland
Derry lies right on the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. As such, it saw significant conflict during the period of the Troubles (1968-1998).
As noted in our Rick Steves' guidebook, "From a leafy monastic hamlet to a Viking-pillaged port, from a cannonball-battered siege survivor to an Industrial Revolution sweatshop, from an essential WWII naval base to a wrenching flashpoint of sectarian Troubles...Derry has seen it all."
River Foyle near
Northern Ireland's Border
We learned so much from Charlene. We didn't mind a little rain!
Several hours in Derry gave us an introduction to this Northern city's colorful history. Our charming city guide, Charlene, gave us a tour around the heart of her "Legend-Derry" city.
We walked along the old city wall that surrounds the Protestant city center. Derry is the only completely walled city remaining in Ireland.
We had a great view of the Catholic Bogside neighborhood from the city wall.
Sights in Derry
Click images to learn more.
Bus Tour of the Bogside Murals
In the thirty-year period known as the Troubles, the most notable confrontation occurred on January 30, 1972. About 10,000 people marched in protest of British imposed injustices. British soldiers shot and killed some of the marchers. The date, known as "Bloody Sunday," has inspired local muralists to memorialize the events of that period, as well as significant leaders of the times.
Free Derry
Meeting Place for Speakers &
Nearby Petrol Bomber Mural
Bernadette Devlin
Civil Rights Leader and Parliament Member at 21
Civil Rights Mural
Prominent Leaders
1968 Protest
Death of Innocence
Annette McGavigan
Killed on Way Home (1969)
Bloody Sunday
Marchers Carrying the Body
of One of Those Killed
Mothers and Sisters
Girl Points to
Dove of Peace Mural
Peace Mural
Hope for the Future
John Hume Mural
Prominent Politician Pictured with
Other World Peace Leaders
We left Derry, inspired by the stories and tragic events, as told by our passionate guide, Charlene.