St Columb's Cathedral, Derry

Overview

Finished in 1633, St Columb’s was the first cathedral built anywhere in Britain or Ireland after the Reformation, and it has stood on London Street inside Derry’s walls ever since. It is an active Church of Ireland parish and, more usefully for a visitor, the single best place to make sense of the siege of 1688–89 – because the objects that tell the story are still here, in the nave. Its Planter’s Gothic spire is part of the walled city’s skyline; go in for the artefacts.

History and architecture

The cathedral stands on the ground of the medieval “Big Church”, An Teampall Mór, which was pulled down during the Nine Years’ War and whose stones went into Derry’s defensive walls. In 1628 the Honourable The Irish Society commissioned the London architect William Parrot to build a new church, and it was completed in 1633, one of the founding buildings of the planned city.

It grew over the next three centuries: the tower reached its full height in 1802, a spire followed around 1821, the interior was refitted in 1861–62, the chancel was finally built in 1887, and the Chapter House was added in 1910. A thorough restoration in 2011 cleaned the stonework and glass.

The siege of 1688–89 marks the building more than any of that. Jacobite forces stripped lead from the spire to cast musket balls, and local tradition tells of a boy who climbed the tower to fire a cannon signalling the relief ships coming up the Foyle. Those months are not a footnote here – they are the reason to come inside.

What to see inside

You enter through the historic porch into a nave of oak panelling and stained glass ranging from Victorian memorials to modern commissions. Look for:

• The keys of Derry – the original keys used to lock the city’s gates against the Jacobite army in 1688, when the apprentice boys shut them.
• The mortar shell – a hollow shell fired into the city during the siege; the terms of surrender were reputedly sent back inside it.
• Siege relics and memorials – regimental flags, silver communion plate, and portraits of William of Orange.
• Book of Kells facsimile – a recently opened display of high-quality facsimiles of Ireland’s most famous manuscript, seen here without the Dublin queues.
• The Chapter House – added in 1910, with an audio-visual display and a quieter corner to take stock.

A heritage audio guide is available at the desk in English, French and Spanish, and covers the architecture, the glass and the siege material.

Exploring the area

The cathedral makes a good base for the walled city. The full seventeenth-century circuit of the walls is a few steps away and gives elevated views of the Foyle and of the spire itself. West of the walls lies the Bogside, with its political murals, the Museum of Free Derry and Free Derry Corner. It is compact enough to fold a cathedral visit, a walk of the walls and the Bogside into a single half-day.

Practical information

Hours and admission

Summer opening can differ from the above, so check the Visit Derry listing before you travel. The cathedral is closed to general visitors on Sundays, when worship services run. Admission is free, with donations welcomed; group and school visits are by arrangement, and guided tours may carry a charge.

Getting there and access

The cathedral is a couple of minutes from the main bus stops on the walls, and the train station is a short walk off. On-street parking runs along London Street, with a public car park about 250m away. Inside, the nave and chancel are level and there are accessible toilets; the one obstacle is the historic porch steps, where staff will help – ring the bell or call ahead if you need it.

Come mid-morning, when the light comes through the eastern windows, and check the service times online first so a tour of the siege relics doesn’t run into worship.