City Walls
Sign up free — See who's going and message them.
Is this your place? Get the badge for your websiteAbout
More photos 13
1 / 13
Why go
- Bishop’s Gate’s triumphal arch replaced the original gate in 1789.
- The walls’ 22 cannons date from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries; many were used during the Siege of Derry.
- The unbreached walls gave Derry its Maiden City nickname.
Walking route
Don't miss
- Roaring MegLook for Roaring Meg, one of the cannons restored in 2005.Double bastion near Bishop’s Gate
Tips for your visit
- Magazine Gate gives direct access to the River Foyle riverfront.
- At the former Walker Monument site, don’t expect to see the column or statue: neither has been rebuilt.
Interesting facts3
-
Butcher’s Gate takes its name from the street inside the walls where butchers worked.
Derry city walls - Wikipedia -
Shipquay Gate once gave near-direct access to the River Foyle before land for the Guildhall was reclaimed.
Derry city walls - Wikipedia -
1798
New Gate was built in the 1790s and reinforced amid tensions before the 1798 United Irish rebellion.
Derry city walls - Wikipedia
Shorts
History
The walls protected Scottish and English planters who settled in Ulster. They enclose Derry’s historic centre and its landmarks, including the Apprentice Boys’ Hall and St. Columb’s Cathedral. The walls were closed to the public for most of the Troubles. In August 1969, pennies thrown from the walls towards Bogside during the Apprentice Boys March preceded rioting and the Battle of the Bogside.
- 1613A royal charter officially renamed the city Londonderry.
- 1613–1619The Irish Society built the walls under Peter Benson’s supervision to protect Scottish and English planters in Ulster. Construction followed the destruction of the earlier settlement during Cahir O'Doherty’s rebellion.
- 1689Thirteen apprentices closed the gates against the Earl of Antrim’s forces, which retreated to Coleraine. The siege began in earnest on 18 April, when royalist forces demanded surrender. Supply ships broke through the River Foyle boom on 1 August, relieving the city.
- 1805–1808Castle Gate was built.
- 1828–2010A 100-foot column and statue honoring siege hero Governor George Walker was erected on the walls in 1828. An IRA bomb destroyed it in August 1973. The wall section around the monument reopened in 2010.
Sources: Derry city walls - Wikipedia · Stadtmauer von Derry - Wikipedia · checked 24 Sep 2026
- Website
- thederrywalls.com/
- Phone
- +447894534553
Questions and answers
Which landmarks are inside Derry City Walls?
The walls enclose the Apprentice Boys’ Hall and St. Columb’s Cathedral, the first purpose-built Protestant cathedral.
How many gates do Derry City Walls have?
There are seven gates: four original gates and three added later.
Why is Derry called the Maiden City?
The walls have never been breached, giving the city the nickname Maiden City.
- See who's going — faces, not ticket counts.
- Write to someone who shares your interests — no swipes, no matches, no paywall.
- Pick the event or the place to meet at — and go together.