INTRODUCTION

FREE DERRY TOURS IS BASED IN THE BOGSIDE AREA OF DERRY IN IRELAND. THE BOGSIDE HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS THE ‘CRUCIBLE OF THE TROUBLES’

IT WAS HERE THAT THE FIRST RIOTS BROKE OUT IN DERRY AFTER THE RUC ATTACK ON A CIVIL RIGHTS MARCH ON THE 5^TH 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 TWO DAY ‘BATTLE OF THE BOGSIDE’, THE LONGEST RIOT IN MODERN IRISH HISTORY

IT WAS HERE THAT 14 PEOPLE WERE MURDERED AND 14 INJURED BY BRITISH TROOPS ON ‘BLOODY SUNDAY’

OTHER SEMINAL 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 NEW 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 RECENTLY OPENED MUSEUM OF FREE DERRY, HOME TO THOUSANDS OF ARTEFACTS FROM THE CONFLICT AND THE NATIONAL ARCHIVE OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ASSOCIATION.THE MUSEUM IS THE DEPARTURE POINT FOR ALL FREE DERRY WALKING TOURS OF THE BOGSIDE AND THE CITY WALLS.