Page 114 - WDT MAGAZINE IRELAND ISSUE WINTER 2018

Derry~Londonderry ’s fantastic history is told in
several museums including The Tower Museum
that recounts major events from ancient to modern
times. The Siege Museum tells the story of an inci-
dent that shaped the history of Ireland, the siege of
Derry~Londonderry in 1688 when the English king was
barred from entering the city.
One venue we especially enjoyed was the beauti-
ful neo-gothic style, red sandstone Guildhall, one of
the most striking buildings in the city initially built in
1887. It boasts a new multifaceted tourism experi-
ence including a new dedicated exhibition exploring
how the Plantation has shaped the city’s and coun-
try’s histories. This was especially interesting to me
because I suspected that the James family was part
of the movement in the early 1600s that brought
workers from England to tend Irish land. Also, this
was the port area where thousands of Northern Irish
famine victims boarded ships head to America. One of
them was my great-great-grandfather, George James,
who sailed in 1852.
Just across the street from the Guildhall was the
beautiful decade-old Peace Bridge over the River Foyle.
It’s a statement that hopes to bridge the 400-year-
old physical and political gap between two sides of a
once, bitterly divided community. We walked over to
the riverside on this perfect day, containers overflow-
ing with flowers were attached to the rail as far as we
could see. There are benches along the boardwalk
where people watch the river go by, stop and chat or
even play music. It’s a very moving sight, given the
turmoil and heartache that roiled in this city for so
long. We left wishing our former family home peace
and prosperity.

The red sandstone Guildhall just across the
street from the Peace Bridge. The area was
where thousands of Irish men, women and
children we loaded on to ships bound for
America.

114 WDT MAGAZINE WINTER 2018