A poached egg for breakfast this morning before heading into Derry for the Martin McCrossin walking tour we had read (and been told) was very good. What luck to be here on a Sunday. No fee for parking and shops don't open until 1pm. The city was deserted when we arrived. The only negative about the Sunday bit was that everything was closed. No coffee shop. We had a bit of a wander around inside the walled city until 9:30 when we did find a coffee shop open. Just enough time for a coffee before the 10am tour.
The tour was great. Our Guide, Dermot, obviously loved his job and was very clear so we could hear every word. That's not to say we understood every word though, the Irish accent was a bit tricky in places. We walked around most of the wall and Dermot told us the history of Derry, from the time it was established by the British to the struggles during the 60s and 70s. He was very proud (and rightly so) of how the locals have now come together for a lasting peace.
After the guided tour, Jill and I completed our walk around the wall and also walked down into the Bogside where Bloody Sunday happened (a peaceful march was fired on by the British army killing 13 people). This, along with Internment of the Irish by the British lead to the rise of the IRA and the struggles through the late 60s and the 70s. Lots of interesting murals in this part of the city highlighting this struggle. It's also interesting that Majella, our B&B, host was actually there in the street on Bloody Sunday and assisted in treating some of those shot by the army.
We finished our walk around the city with a walk across the friendship bridge (pedestrian) which was a gift to Derry from the European Community.
Back to the coffee shop for lunch and then headed out of the city a little way to Grianan of Aileach hillfort perched atop the 244 metres high Greenan Mountain with commanding views all around. Although it was a little hazy, the weather today has been much improved on what we have seen the last few days.
The main structure is a stone ringfort, thought to have been built by the Northern Uí Néill, in the sixth or seventh century although there is evidence that the site had been in use before the fort was built. It has been identified as the seat of the Kingdom of Ailech and one of the royal sites of Gaelic Ireland. The wall is about 4.5 metres thick and 5 metres high. Inside it has three terraces, which are linked by steps, and two long passages within it (although these are now closed off). Originally, there would have been buildings inside the ring fort.
By the 12th century, the Kingdom of Ailech had become embattled and lost a fair amount of territory to the invading Normans. According to Irish literature, the ring fort was mostly destroyed by Muirchertach Ua Briain, King of Munster, in 1101. Substantial restoration work was carried out in 1870. It was all quite fascinating and the view very impressive.
Back to Majella's for a bit of a rest before driving down the road for a takeaway Chinese for dinner.
