We started out at the Free Derry Museum. See, Ireland and America have one thing in common--wars have been fought for freedom from Great Britain. The thing is, though, Ireland's revolutionary history is MUCH more recent than ours--as in less than 100 years. On Easter Monday, 1916, the first act of rebellion took place, and pretty much all the rebels were destroyed, and the leaders taken captive. The Rebellion didn't even get support until the captive leaders were publicly executed, effectively making them martyrs for Ireland.
Northern Ireland is still a part of the UK, still linked to Great Britain politically. However, many citizens of Northern Ireland still fight for freedom from the British, and consider their nationality to be Irish, not English. The city is also divided by the river, one side being mainly Nationalist, one side mainly Unionist.
The point is that even since Ireland became its own country, there have been incidents, like Bloody Sunday, that have taken place in the name of Irish freedom. On Bloody Sunday, also known as the Bogside Massacre, January 1972, 26 innocent civilians were shot by British Soldiers because they were peacefully protesting for civil rights in Northern Ireland. It really was a mess--seven of the men shot dead were just teenagers, and the soldiers were relentless. Even when a man came out waving a white handkerchief in surrender, he was shot on the spot.
The Free Derry Museum was totally based around this event, featuring artifacts and memorabilia from the event and repercussions of it. We saw protest posters, banners, clothing, bullets, weapons, letters, photos, even hate mail from a British soldier to the family of one of the deceased. The museum was opened by the brother of a man who was one of the first to be shot on Bloody Sunday, and he was there with him. He recounted the day to us firsthand, or at least what he saw. It was a very powerful, moving experience.
After the museum, a man from our hostel gave us a walking tour of the city. Derry is a bit famous for its murals, painted by three men called the Bogside Artists. They are recreations of photos from Derry's history, including the famine, Bloody Sunday, and influential people. We then walked up the hill and into the walls of Derry, where the population was mainly Protestant Unionists--those who don't abbreviate the city's name and continue to call it "Londonderry." The view from the top of the wall was spectacular, and we dropped down the other side of the wall into the city centre to see that part of the town.
We lunched on the top floor of a department store in a little restaurant, where, when I asked for the roasted chicken breast, I received half a bird and a thanksgiving dinner on my plate. It was absolutely delicious :)
Our day was concluded with probably the most boring museum visit I've ever experienced. Though, I must admit, one part I found very interesting. There was once a soldier named Robert Lundy, governor of Londonderry during the Siege of Derry, who was considered a traitor to the British citizens of Derry. During the siege, he turned away British ships which had come for reinforcements, and was planning to surrender the city. But the ships came anyway, and fought the battle, while Lundy quietly escaped. So now, every year I believe, they burn this giant comically represented figure of Lundy as he hangs from a noose. I think it's in poor taste, but it, apparently, is a huge part of Ulster Unionist culture.
We headed home after this, to our warm beds and our high-water-pressure showers. It was a grand trip, and I'm grateful to have seen as much as I did. One of my favorite trips so far, I highly recommend seeing Northern Ireland and Derry when you're in Ireland.
I'm off to Italy this weekend, so look forward to those posts to come next week! Ciao!
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