A new book has been written about the terrible housing conditions which existed in Derry following the Second World War.

In the post-war years, many families were forced to live in ‘slums’ because of the chronic shortage of housing in the city.

Now, a book has been written by a local historian exploring the struggles of these families and the efforts taken to address the housing problems in Derry.

Ronnie Kilgore’s book, ‘The people would take tents…’, will be launched next month at the Central Library in Derry.

The title of the book is taken from a comment by a local politician in the late 1940s that people were so desperate for a home they would consider living in a tent.

Figures uncovered by Mr Kilgore for his book show that between 1919 and 1939, a total of 1,462 houses were built in Derry.

However, during the years of the Second World War from September 1939 to March 1944, only two houses were built in the city.

This result in a huge shortage of houses after the war, with many families forced to live in terrible conditions.

The local author said the situation resulted in many people taking their own action.

“Many people, disillusioned with the pace of the (Londonderrry) Corporation’s housing programme, took matters into their own hands and decided to vacate the slums they called home and began to squat into the deserted military camps in and around the city,” said Mr Kilgore.

“Camps such as Springtown, Belmont, Bligh’s Lane, Clooney, Mabuoy and Sheriff’s Mountain were taken over.

“Some camps had electricity and running water; others didn’t.

“Many found that the camps were not the paradise they had imagined and after a short time some squatters returned to the places they had come from.

“But by then, mid 1947, squatters were being evicted by baliffs at many of the camps.

“One English visitor to the city wrote in June 1945 to the editor of the Derry Journal that ‘never at any time was the housing shortage in London, where, due to the bombing, the situation was acute, comparable in the last degree to the conditions in Londonderry’.”

However, Mr Kilgore said that things slowly improved, with 650 new houses being built at Creggan, with other homes constructed at Irish Street in the Waterside and Academy Road in Rosemount.

His own family moved into one of the houses at Academy Road, when he was aged three, and it was this personal experience which inspired him to write the book.

Mr Kilgore has self-published the book and only 500 copies have been printed.

The book will be on sale during its official book launch next month in the Central Library.

It will also be on sale in local bookshops, online from Amazon and direct from the author who can be contacted at 07845848443 or by email at ronkilgore3@aol.com.

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