Doagh Famine Village & Derry

We packed up and left Belfast early in the morning.  We arrived at the Doagh Famine Village and had a tour by one of the people who lived in the village until 1983.

http://www.ireland.com:

     The Famine Village outdoor museum, is located on the north Inishowen peninsula and about an hour from Letterkenny in County Donegal. It tells the story of an Irish family from the 18th century to the present day.

     Doagh Famine Village tells the story of a Donegal family and community living on the edge of Donegal and surviving from Famine times right up to the present day.
     Doagh Famine Village contains a wide selection of actual size attractions, including some original dwellings which were still inhabited up to 20 years ago.
     In fact, the centre has been built around the home of the owner who lived here with his family until 1983. By then, living in a thatched cottage was no longer fashionable and today this building tell of the subsistence way of life on Doagh Island.
     Some of the Famine Village’s buildings – such as the Orange Hall, Presbyterian Meeting House, Mass Rock and Hedge School and a Republican Safe House – depict the diverse history and culture of this corner of the Inishowen peninsula.
     Other buildings house information on the travelling community’s culture and other Irish traditions such as food, cures and the 'Irish Wake', a traditional send-off for the dead. 

 Our next visit was to Derry.  The walls that were around Derry in the 17th century are still intact.  We did a walking tour and walked part of the wall.  We saw St. Columb's Cathedral, the Tower Museum and the Guildhall where the history of Derry is depicted in stained glass windows.  We stayed overnight in Derry.

The name Derry was changed to Londonderry by a King of England, although it is still known as Derry.

Up on the Wall