Is Free Derry Corner the most famous landmark in Derry?

Derry is a city shrouded by history and this has created a number of iconic landmarks through the city. 

A poll on the Derry/Londonderry Reddit believes that the most iconic landmark is the Free Derry Corner.

However, is that poll accurate or do you believe that there is a more iconic landmark in the city?

Free Derry Corner

Located in the Bogside just outside the walls of Derry, it arguably first became a landmark in January 1969 when the slogan ‘You are now entering Free Derry’ was painted at the corner of Lecky Road and Fahan Street after an unauthorised midnight incursion by RUC men into the Bogside.

Throughout 1969 this would be an area of growing tension that would culminate in the ‘Battle of the Bogside’, and the corner is recognisable throughout archival footage of Bloody Sunday in 1972; much of the violence and death on this day near Free Derry Corner.

Adrian Kerr argued: “Then just an individual’s act of defiance, the slogan, and the wall, have now become an internationally recognised symbol of resistance.”

Free Derry Corner has become a lasting memory from the Troubles, with many tourists visiting the landmark due to the significance it holds in the history of the city.

The Derry Walls

Originally built between 1613 and 1619 by the Irish Society with the intention of protecting the Scottish and English planters that had moved to Ulster as part of the Plantation of Ulster.

The most famous historical event the walls are known for was the Siege of Derry.

The Siege was the first major conflict that occurred during the Williamite War in Ireland, and it began when 13 apprentice boys closed the gates to the approaching forces loyal to James II. 

For most of the Troubles the walls were off limits to the general public. 

And the four original gates for the Derry Walls; Ferryquay, Shipquay, Bishop’s and Butcher’s Gate are used as key starting points to help people find their way around Derry. 

Today the walls are a significant tourist attraction, with many getting tours of the landmark, while getting to use the walls to look at much of the city inside and outside the walls. 

The Peace Bridge

Connecting Ebrington Square to the rest of the city, opened in June 2011, the newest of the three bridges in Derry. 

The bridge was built as a new beginning to move on from the legacy of the Troubles to improve relations between the largely unionist Waterside with the largely nationalist Cityside, by improving access between these areas, as part of wider regeneration plans.

The bridge became an iconic image of Derry/Londonderry’s Radio 1 Big Weekend in 2013, with the event taking place in Ebrington Square. 

While lacking the historical legacy of other landmarks in the city, it has become a modern phenomenon with tourists and it has helped increase foot traffic to the city from the Waterside and vice versa. 

Guildhall

Located just outside the Derry Walls the city has become iconic and the host of a number of famous and historical events. 

Former President Bill Clinton was a guest of the city and spoke outside the Guildhall in the square between it and the walls, while the same space contained a significant crowd for David Cameron’s apology to the city in 2010 for the events and subsequent Widgery report. 

Hosting the Derry City and Strabane District council meetings and having a number of historical events to commemorate the city the Guildhall has become a major landmark in Derry.