Tuesday in Derry

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After spending the last week in Belfast I decided it was time to leave the city and venture into other parts of Northern Ireland. Wasting no time my friend, Frank, and I decided to take the train northwest to Londonderry, or Derry to the Irish nationalists. We departed Belfast just after 10:30 this morning with the idea of arriving at our destination in just over an hour. Our estimation proved to be slightly off as we did not arrive until 1:00 in the afternoon. Leave it to a couple of tourists.

After a quick stop at a sandwich shop we began our exploration of the second largest city in Northern Ireland, population approximately 70,000. We were particularly interested in the area that witnessed the event known as "Bloody Sunday". On January 30, 1972 conflict erupted in the Catholic section of the city that brought about the deaths of thirteen Nationalists. As we made our way to the area of the struggle we passed through "Free Derry", a portion of the city where Nationalist forces pushed out the British Army and remained in control for approximately two decades. As we expected, upon entering the site of "Bloody Sunday" we found the area to be marked by murals, statues, and sculptures telling the story of the struggle that occurred only thirty-five years ago.

Frank and I then made our way to the Protestant section of the city. It, too, clearly separated itself in terms of its affiliation. Upon entering we noticed the curbs were painted blue, white, and red, the colors of the British flag. However, we were suprised to find that, unlike west Belfast, there are hardly any murals depicting the Loyalist struggle. But what did leave a lasting effect upon both of us were the messages spray painted on walls and buildings. Once again, it seems that it is to be an uneasy peace, one that will take quite some time to develop a strong foundation.

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Photos

"Free Derry"
The enterance into the Nationalist section of Londonderry known as "Free Derry".

Loyalist Streets
A street running toward the river in the Loyalist section of Londonderry. Notice the blue, white, and red painted along the curb of the street identifying Loyalist territory.

Message of Hate
Graffiti spray painted in the Loyalist section of Londonderry. A reminder that though there is peace between the two conflicting groups, hate cannot be as easily wiped away.