Londonderry Derry
Chris McMenamin
June 13, 2023
HM 229. Visiting Londonderry was a truly unexpected highlight of visiting Northern Ireland. Here's why.
Sailing the 17 miles down the wide picturesque Lough Foyle, you pass three distinct areas. First the scenery on each side of you. The steep sided summit of Binevenagh on your left (an area of outstanding natural beauty) and the alluring hills of Donegal to your right. As the Lough narrows, you pass the commercial port of Lisahally, where in WW2 60 German U Boats were moored up prior to most of them being scuttled out at sea (see photo) and finally you wind down the river towards the city centre pontoons with the curved Peace Bridge of 2011 ahead of you and the magnificent Guildhall on your right.
However the real surprise comes when you first lay your eyes on the incredible city walls. Completed in 1618, they are so well preserved they could have been built yesterday. The walls are the most prominent remnants of the "Protestant Anglicisation" of this region, known as the Plantation of Ulster. The "Great 12" City of London livery companies were granted the settlement of Derry to develop with their skilled apprentices, which is how it came to be known as Londonderry. The mile long city wall was built in just five years, and later in 1688, 13 apprentices famously locked the walled city's gates against the approaching army of the Catholic King James II. The Siege of Derry lasted 105 days, cost more than 10,000 lives and is commemorated to this day.
Deputy HM Chris McMenamin kindly came and met me on board Good Dog. At sea since 1997, Chris had skippered ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) Vessels around the world, supporting diving operations for the offshore oil and gas industry. After meeting his wife in Singapore he lived in Malaysia for a while before returning to his home country.
As an underwater expert, Chris explained to me that his ongoing challenge in maintaining Londonderry as a functional port is the continual dredging required by the estuary. He uses multibeam survey equipment which shows in great clarity the unusual features of the seabed in the estuary. Strong tidal streams cause extraordinary underwater sand waves up to 5m high - a good example of how published charts can be very inaccurate!
Please visit Londonderry, and if you do, take a walking tour of the Bogside with Gerry, booked via the Tower Museum. It was extremely moving.
Sailing the 17 miles down the wide picturesque Lough Foyle, you pass three distinct areas. First the scenery on each side of you. The steep sided summit of Binevenagh on your left (an area of outstanding natural beauty) and the alluring hills of Donegal to your right. As the Lough narrows, you pass the commercial port of Lisahally, where in WW2 60 German U Boats were moored up prior to most of them being scuttled out at sea (see photo) and finally you wind down the river towards the city centre pontoons with the curved Peace Bridge of 2011 ahead of you and the magnificent Guildhall on your right.
However the real surprise comes when you first lay your eyes on the incredible city walls. Completed in 1618, they are so well preserved they could have been built yesterday. The walls are the most prominent remnants of the "Protestant Anglicisation" of this region, known as the Plantation of Ulster. The "Great 12" City of London livery companies were granted the settlement of Derry to develop with their skilled apprentices, which is how it came to be known as Londonderry. The mile long city wall was built in just five years, and later in 1688, 13 apprentices famously locked the walled city's gates against the approaching army of the Catholic King James II. The Siege of Derry lasted 105 days, cost more than 10,000 lives and is commemorated to this day.
Deputy HM Chris McMenamin kindly came and met me on board Good Dog. At sea since 1997, Chris had skippered ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) Vessels around the world, supporting diving operations for the offshore oil and gas industry. After meeting his wife in Singapore he lived in Malaysia for a while before returning to his home country.
As an underwater expert, Chris explained to me that his ongoing challenge in maintaining Londonderry as a functional port is the continual dredging required by the estuary. He uses multibeam survey equipment which shows in great clarity the unusual features of the seabed in the estuary. Strong tidal streams cause extraordinary underwater sand waves up to 5m high - a good example of how published charts can be very inaccurate!
Please visit Londonderry, and if you do, take a walking tour of the Bogside with Gerry, booked via the Tower Museum. It was extremely moving.