Derry City and Strabane

Derry City and Strabane district covers the walled city of Derry and the surrounding towns and rural parishes to the west and south. The River Foyle runs through the city, where 17th-century walls still encircle the centre and include the original gates and bastions. The Guildhall and St Columb’s Cathedral sit inside those walls; the cathedral dates from the early 17th century and is linked to the city’s plantation-era fabric. A pedestrian bridge across the Foyle connects the two riverbanks and is used daily by people walking and cycling between neighbourhoods.

West of the city, Strabane stands at the meeting point of the Rivers Finn and Mourne, which join there to form the Foyle. The district reaches into the foothills of the Sperrin Mountains and contains a mix of farmland, small towns and river valleys. Local music, theatre and community events use town halls, church halls and outdoor venues along the rivers, while riverbanks and country roads are used for walking and angling. The area combines a compact urban core with extensive rural hinterland.