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| Bogside |
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| St Columbs Cathedral |
Day 3
Today we headed in to Derry City where we enjoyed a walking tour of the city which included the Bogside area synonymous with the Bloody Sunday massacre.
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| our tour guide in Derry |
Derry City (officially Londonderry but no one here calls it that) is the second largest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth largest city on the island of Ireland. Derry is a walled town, the only remaining city with a completely intact wall in Ireland. The walls were built in 1613-1619 and remain today.
The conflict which became known as "The Troubles" is widely regarded as having started in Derry with the Battle of the Bogside. Ireland has such a history of troubles and it is so interesting to go on tours and here the local version of the story. I highly recommend walking tours in general. Great way to see the city and learn from a local.
Before departing Derry, we picked up bag lunches and took a drive to the Grianan of Aileach. This is a restored stone fort or castle on Greenan Mountain. The original stone fort was estimated to be built around the late 8th century. It was restored in the 1870's and provided a beautiful spot for a picnic and a little history lecture from Nick.
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| inside the ring fort |
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| view from above (postcard) |
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| Nick tells us stories and history |
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| View from standing on top of the ring fort |
We crossed the border back into Donegal, Republic of Ireland. Our afternoon walk was through the Glenveagh National Park. The park is over 40,000 acres of mountains, lakes & woods. There is a beautiful Scottish-style castle on the grounds. The castle was built between 1867-1873. There is a beautiful garden next to the castle with some amazing flowers and plants. Here are just a few of the photos I took while wandering around this magnificent place.
Ending our day at the Nesbitt Arms Hotel in the village of Adara.
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