No 400th birthday party for Londonderry

Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) MLA Jim Allister asked the Minister what plans she had to celebrate the 400th anniversary of King James I granting a Charter to Londonderry, which falls on Friday.

She replied: “There are no specific plans to mark the anniversaries of the award of individual Charters. However, I have approved funding for the Ministerial Advisory Group (MAG) – Ulster Scots Academy to undertake a partnership project with the Ulster Historical Foundation, to research the impact and contribution of the award of Town Charters in the early part of the 17th Century.

“This project will have a particular emphasis on the Ulster-Scots dimension to Charters awarded across the island of Ireland.

“The research will be used to develop a Charters award touring programme in conjunction with the Ulster Scots Agency and Foras na Gaeilge to disseminate the findings across the island.”

The programme for UK City of Culture 2013 doesn’t appear to commemorate the Royal Charter, which officially created the city of Londonderry, either.

In fact the only event for March 29 listed by the Culture Company is the Féile Laughs Comedy Festival which takes place throughout local venues in Bogside, Brandywell and Creggan areas from March 29 to April 1.

The famed charter Christened Derry as ‘Londonderry’ for the first time.

It also stipulated that the city should have a mayor, two sheriffs, a chamberlain, twelve aldermen and twenty-four burgesses who were to form a common council or Corporation,

According to the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland: “The city was to have a recorder of English birth, who was to be learned in the laws of England and Ireland.

“Legislation had to be submitted to the Irish Society who would ratify or annul it. The Corporation was to also nominate two MPs to the Irish Parliament.”

It was briefly annulled by King Charles 1, renewed by Oliver Cromwell, re-granted by King Charles II in 1662, and cancelled and restored under King James II in 1687.

Mr Allister said: “It is shameful therefore that Sinn Féin controlled DCAL is failing to celebrate this momentous occasion, a fact which has been confirmed to me in a written answer from the Minister.”

He explained: “This year marks the 400th anniversary of King James I granting a Charter to Londonderry which declared ‘that the city or town of Derry, for ever hereafter be and shall be named and called the city of Londonderry.’

“This was a pivotal event in the history of Londonderry and is particularly important to the Unionist community of the City and indeed throughout Northern Ireland given the iconic status of Londonderry, the heroic defence of the city three quarter of a century later having inspired generations of Ulster Protestants.”