Walking the Walls and Murals of Derry

Derry is indeed a very interesting city, and today we learned quite a bit about it. Let's just say Loretta is a good sport. First, I dragged her on a walking tour (fascinating, funny, and earnest local guide) in the pouring rain:

Since we'd just dropped off a big load of laundry, and this was her last clean outfit and it got completely soaked, she had to change into her pajama shorts for the rest of the day. Look below for the bright green shorts.

The center of the town is tiny. We're staying right outside the walls, which are intact and were the main feature of a long siege in the 1600's that is still the rallying cry for the Unionists that live within the main part of town:


The flags flying and the color of the curbs indicate the politics of the neighborhood. A few minutes away from this Protestant Loyalist neighborhood (really, a few minutes- walking) is the Catholic area of Bogside. In January 1972, this was area was the site of the Bloody Sunday riots.


There is an active group of muralists that have done some amazing murals in the area. While most people - a huge majority - want and work for peace, a few extremist splinter groups still act out in graffiti and occasional violence. The "RIRA" is the Real IRA, an illegal group deemed terrorists by both the UK, the Republic of Ireland, and the US.