Bogside

The area now known as the Bogside was originally underwater, as the River Foyle originally flowed on both sides of what would become Derry, but the area west of the former island eventually dried up into marshland as the Foyle diverted to flow exclusively on the east side. During the plantation of Ulster, the area located west of the River Foyle became known as the 'cityside', and the area across the Foyle became known as the Waterside. The marshland area to the west of the city became known as The Bogside, with the name first being used in a report by Sir Henry Docwra in 1600.

The area has been a focus point for many of the events of the Troubles; in 1969, a fierce three-day battle against the RUC and local Catholics—known as the Battle of the Bogside—became a starting point of the Troubles. Between 1969 and 1972, the area along with the Creggan and other Catholic areas became a no-go area for the British Army and police. Both the Official and Provisional IRA openly patrolled the area and local residents often paid subscriptions to both. On 30 January 1972, a march organised by the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association against internment that was put into effect the year before turned into a bloodbath known as Bloody Sunday. The British Parachute Regiment…