Remains are found at First Derry

I am inclined to agree with Richard Doherty that the find is related to the Siege of 1688/89, when the severe restraints imposed by the conflict did not allow for denominational differences and in fact "Church and Kirk did jointly pray and preach in St Columb's Cathedral".

Mass graves were an absolute necessity and over the centuries numerous reports of their discovery abound- the most notable, possibly, being in the proximity to the Cathedral in the early Victorian era. The Mound in the grounds of the church despite attributed by name to the Apprentice Boys, involves the accumulated remains of many hundreds, who perished either through conflict or, more likely, by starvation and disease and were unearthed during demolitions at the London Street/ Pump Street junction.

During the 18th Century the walled town was quite literally a place of bones and even during the second half of the last century, builders, like the late Jim Jefferson, often made grim discoveries in cellars and old passageways of the town. The late Mr. Jefferson always ensured that the remains were properly treated with appropriate dignity.

Returning to the matter of the most recent find. It is particularly interesting to note that, as the Siege approached its conclusion in June/July 1689, much activity took place at the Butcher Gate area in close proximity to the First Derry location and primarily orchestrated by the Jacobites.

Conrad de Rosen, Marshal General of the Irish Forces, arrived back in the Jacobite camp with reinforcements in late June and according to Rev. Walker in his "Diary of the Siege" he "expressed himself with great fury against us, (the defenders) and swore by the belly of God, that he would demolish our town and bury us in its ashes, putting all to the sword, without consideration of age or sex". To achieve this grim objective de Rosen made preparations for a determined assault on the town and he concentrated on Butcher Gate. While his guns bombarded the walls to create a breach and achieve access to the town, his sappers dug under the outworkings of the Gate so that mines could be established to weaken the already damaged walls. All of this frenetic activity reached a climax on the night of the 28 June.

20 bombs were fired into the town and the Jacobites captured some of the territory directly outside of Butcher Gate while their miners were busy in a little cellar under the bastion. The quick action of Captains Noble and Dunbar saved the occasion for the defenders of the town. They enlisted the services of some young men and leaving by Butcher's gate managed to use the darkness provided by the shadows of the walls to surprise the Jacobite assault party from their rear, while they were greatly arrested by the associates firing down from the walls. De Rosen's hoped-for element of surprise and rapid action was now completely in disarray.

Walker claims that over a hundred Jacobites were killed on the 28 June, while Capt Ash in his 'Journal' opts for a more conservative estimate of about a third of the grim tally. The certain fact is that the Jacobites suffered casulties on that night at Butcher Gate and it is not too fanciful to accept that at least some of their number may have claimed a final meeting place close to this fateful action.

The defenders and Jacobites alike treated the casualties of the conflict with all due decorum and there is no reason to suppose that this was not maintained at Butcher's Gate. Some of the remains now unearthed at First Derry may be the result of this particular episode in the Siege.