Introduction
Free Derry Tours is based in the Bogside area of Derry in the north of Ireland.
It was here that the first riots broke out in Derry after the RUC attack on a civil rights march on the 5th of October 1968, an event which many see as the trigger for the conflict in the north
It was here that the no-go area of ‘Free Derry’ was first declared in January 1969 following the famous ‘Burntollet march’
It was here that the first British soldiers arrived on the streets of the north of Ireland following the seminal ‘Battle of the Bogside’ in August 1969
It was here that 14 people were murdered and 14 injured by British troops on ‘Bloody Sunday’ (January 30th 1972)
Other key events such as Operation Motorman, the Hunger Strikes, the supergrass system and the peace process have had a direct impact on the area.
The Free Derry area has become synonymous with the conflict in the north of ireland. 37% of civilians killed during the Troubles and one-third of Derry’s political prisoners hail from this area. Many of the key participants in the conflict and peace process come from the free Derry area, including the current deputy first minister of the power sharing executive Martin McGuinness.
As a result of the peace process, the Bogside is now one of the must see locations for visitors to Ireland. The area now houses a number of murals reflecting past events in the area. It is also home to the world famous Free Derry corner, the Bloody Sunday monument, the H-block monument commemorating the 1981 Hunger Strikes, and many other memorials reflecting the areas links to the ‘troubles’
The Bogside also contains the Museum of Free Derry (www.museumoffreederry.org) The Museum is home to thousands of artefacts from the conflict and is the national archive of the civil rights association. The museum is the most popular independent museum in the north of Ireland and is the departure point for all our tours. Joint tickets are available for the tour and Museum representing even more savings for visitors.