Human chain around Derry Walls to mark 400th birthday

After a successful series of lectures and events ahead of the 400th anniversary of the commencement of construction of the Derry Walls, the Holywell Trust has announced its plans for the rest of the this year’s Walls 400! events.

Eamonn Deane, Director, Holywell Trust, Director of the Holywell Trust hailed the recent conference as a tremendous success.

“The level of participation demonstrates the hunger there is in this City for history and heritage. The Trust are exploring ways in which this need can be met beyond the City of Culture year.”

The next major event in the Walls 400! Programme will take place over August 24-25. Up the Walls! will be a weekend event to mark the 400th anniversary of the actual surveying of the site, in August 1613, on which the Walls were to be built.

This will comprise a 1613 Charter Market on the Saturday presenting the encounter between Gaelic Irish, Scottish and London cultures on the island of Derrie in 1613.

There will also be a “We are the Walls” event when over 1000 volunteers, from a diverse range of organisations, will join hands to mark out the complete circuit of Derry’s Walls.

And over October 23-26 a “Walls, Heritage and Regeneration” Conference - under the auspices of the European Walled Towns - will look at balancing heritage conservation with urban regeneration priorities in a recession-hit Europe.

It will also investigate heritage management in post-conflict or contested space. There will be a debate about engaging marginalised communities in heritage and creating a genuine heritage legacy from Cities of Culture

Mark Lusby, Coordinator of the Holywell Trust’s City Walls Heritage Project explained: “Obviously these are very ambitious events for a voluntary sector organisation to deliver in the short time available and Holywell would very much appreciate ideas and involvement from individuals and organisations to help make these events a success.

“Building on the Walls 400! History Conference, the Holywell Trust hopes these events will increase local and international appreciation of the heritage value of Derry’s Walls and will develop opportunities for greater community participation in the shared stewardship of the City Walls.”