Contact
Young people on the streets of Creggan in the 1950s.
Derry playwright Brian Foster grew up in the city's Creggan estate. He has written this new poem in honour of the place he still calls home.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CREGGAN
We want rehousing came the call,
That echoed loud through tenement halls,
We’ll take no more discrimination,
We’re equals in our Irish nation
In Springtown Camp and down The Bog,
The women toiled in daily slog,
While men were forced to sign the brue,
No jobs, no homes, no hope for you
Then on a hill not far away,
Began to dawn a bright new day,
No more would Derry folk go beggin’,
As bricks and mortar became Creggan
And now the slums and tenement halls,
Were swapped for houses standing tall,
As people flocked there filled with pride,
No more their hopes and dreams denied
T’was now the hard work really started,
As Creggan folk from misery parted,
And toiled to build a community strong,
And prove the faceless men were wrong
That day we moved to Creggan Heights,
Began my boyhood of delight,
New pals to make, fresh air to breathe,
A freedom I could scarce conceive
Behind our house lay fields of green,
Where we ran wild and lived our dream,
On summer Sunday’s out on foot,
O’er hills and streams to Grianan Fort
And winters when fell heavy snow,
We’d play outside with hearts aglow,
And snowmen make with eyes of coal,
And snowballs throw to raise our soul
No taxis then for boys like us,
A walk down town or take the bus,
Out to the Black Hut we would dander,
On childhood days so full of wonder
But, alas, all dreams must end,
As time turns young lads into men,
So farewell Creggan I did say,
And off to foreign lands did stray
I’m back home now, no more to roam,
Not far from my old Creggan home,
Where a Derry boy became a man,
Up there in God’s own special land
I look back now with pride and joy,
At friendships made there as a boy,
And though we’re scattered far and near,
All raise your glass ... TO CREGGAN DEAR.
If you have a story or want to send a photo or video to us please contact the Derry Now editorial team on 028 7129 6600 for Derry City stories Or 028 7774 3970 for County Derry stories. Or you can email editor@derrynews.net or editor@derrypost.com at any time.
More News
Subscribe or register today to discover more from Derrynow.com
Buy the e-paper of the Derry News and the County Derry Post here for instant access to Derry's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Derry with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.