County Londonderry or County Derry is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland in the province of Ulster. It was named after its main town – and later city and administrative centre – Derry which lies in the north-western corner of the county. It is one of four counties in Northern Ireland which presently has a majority of the population from a Catholic community background, according to the 2001 census.
The county has many areas of outstanding natural beauty that make it a pleasure top walk, cycle, fish, climb or whatever takes your fancy. The highest point in the county is the summit of Sawel Mountain (678m) on the border with County Tyrone. Sawel is part of the Sperrin Mountains, which dominate the southern part of the county. To the east and west, the land falls into the valleys of the Bann and Foyle rivers respectively; in the south-east, the county touches the shore of Lough Neagh, which is the largest lake in Ireland; the north of the county is distinguished by the steep cliffs, dune systems and remarkable beaches of the Atlantic coast.
The county is home to a number of important buildings and landscapes, including the well-preserved 17th-century City Walls of Derry; the Plantation Estate at Springhill; the Mussenden Temple with its spectacular views of the Atlantic; the visitor centre at Bellaghy Bawn, close to the childhood home of Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney. In the centre of the county are the old-growth deciduous forests at Banagher and Ness Wood, where the Burntollet River flows over the highest waterfalls in Northern Ireland.
As with the City, the county name is subject to the Derrry-Londonderry name dispute, with the form Derry preferred by Nationalists and Londonderry preferred by Unionists. The name Derry is used in the Republic of Ireland and it also has a mixed usage in Northern Ireland, depending on the source; while most of the British authorities prefer to use the name Londonderry.
Derry City is a beautiful modern city encompassing the past with its high walls and fortifications from the past. It mixes the old with the new to some spectacular effect. Stylish hotels and new shopping complexes together with re-generation of run-down areas marks Derry out as a prosperous go-ahead city.
The old walled city of Derry lies on the west bank of the River Foyle with the location of old Derry on the east bank, the present city now covers both banks ( Cityside to the west and Waterside to the east) and the river is spanned by two bridges. The city district also extends to rural areas to the southeast of the city.
The visitor is greeted and feted and will truly enjoy this city and the surrounding towns such as Coleraine, a lively town because of the presence of the University of Ulster, Limavady and the coastal resort of Portstewart, along with numerous villages and hamlets that make up this unique county.
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