52 | A LEGENDERRY 24 HOURS
www.nitravelnews.com
March 2026
than a sprinkling of that friendly LegenDerry vibe. Nothing seems too much trouble for the ever- smiling
staff,
perhaps
revelling in their city’s relatively new status as a must-see destination. Some of that can undoubtedly be attributed to the global phenomenon of Girls,
local McGee’s lass
Derry Lisa
comedic take on her 90s youth
travel further afield, perhaps even following in the footsteps of the man whose life it inspired. Undoubtedly Dunlap and his fellow Ulster-
Scots American emigrants will form part of the DNA Museum’s, well… DNA. Back to today, though, and refreshed from our spa
AN OVERNIGHT CALL TO
THE MAIDEN CITY Travel writer HEIDI MCALPIN and husband Ray enjoy two days in the Maiden City.
BY HEIDI MCALPIN
FROM the iconic Peace Bridge to its 17th century Walls, Derry City deftly blends the old and new to create an overnight that delivers for every tourist. And the River Foyle is poised to take centre stage in the Derry on the North Atlantic – or DNA – Museum for short due to open in 2027. Work is underway on this £15million
visitor attraction that will take over one side of Ebrington Square to tell the story of the city through its mighty waterway. Incorporating themes such as Gateway to the World, Industry and Innovation and The Women of the Shirt Factories,
the
museum will also explore the local impact of the Battle of the Atlantic and, of course, the Troubles. For now, though, the one building that dominates these former army barracks is The Ebrington Hotel, our well-placed stop for a two-day stay in the Maiden City. Opened in 2023, this 4-star, 89 room hotel features a stressbusting spa, and two dining options in the award-winning Oakroom Restaurant and more informal Corner House Pub and Lounge.
After checking into our Deluxe River View Room with
uninterrupted views
across the Peace Bridge and towards the Guildhall, we padded our way to said spa for some pre-meal downtime in the Thermal Suite & Hydrotherapy Pool. Absolute bliss! The hotel exudes elegance with more
growing up in the city. The now-famous Derry Girls mural is an obligatory photo stop when walking the walls. While the Tower Museum retains the Derry Girls Exhibition as everything else gets packed up in preparation for its lock-stock and barrel move to the DNA Museum. As
with many overnighters, trip was our prompted by a show at
the Millennium Forum, Derry’s contemporary concert hall a mere 15 minutes’ stroll across the bridge from our hotel. The Unfinished Broadside
tells the story of Strabane boy John Dunlap who went on to make his name as the printer of the US Declaration of Independence. This all singing, all dancing extravaganza marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration and hopes are high that the production will
time, we dined on some fine pub grub at the Corner House Pub and Lounge before wending our way across the Foyle to enjoy the performance. The threads of time are ever-present
the following day as we make the most of our final few hours exploring Derry City. Walking Derry’s Walls is a great way of learning so much more about its story. The 1689 Siege of Derry was a huge event in the city’s timeline, and its resonance is palpable as you walk the very walls that bore witness to this seismic event. A birdseye view of the Bogside reveals yet another defining moment in Derry’s history, as the landmark Freedom Corner and murals mark the site of
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