County Londonderry
| County Londonderry /
County Derry Contae Dhoire Coontie Lunnonderrie[1] / Coontie Derrie |
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| Location | ||
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| Statistics | ||
| Province: | Ulster | |
| County Town: | Derry | |
| Area: | 2,074 km² | |
| Population (est.) | 213,000[citation needed] | |
County Londonderry or County Derry (Irish: Contae Dhoire) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland in the province of Ulster in Ireland. It was named after its main town – and later city and administrative centre – Derry (Londonderry), which lies in the north-western corner of the county.
The highest point in the county is the summit of Sawel Mountain (678m) on the border with County Tyrone. Sawel is part of the Sperrin Mountains, which dominate the southern part of the county. To the east and west, the land falls into the valleys of the Bann and Foyle rivers respectively; the north of the county is distinguished by the steep cliffs, dune systems and remarkable beaches of the Atlantic coast.
The county is home to a number of important buildings and landscapes: these include the excellently preserved seventeenth-century city walls of Derry; the fine National Trust Plantation house and estate at Springhill; the Mussenden Temple with its spectacular views of the Atlantic; the dykes, artificial coastlines and internationally important bird sanctuaries on the eastern shore of Lough Foyle; and the visitor centre at Bellaghy Bawn, close to the childhood home of Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney.
The county flower is the Purple Saxifrage.[2]
Name
As with the town, its name is subject to the Derry/Londonderry name dispute, with the form Derry preferred by nationalists and Londonderry preferred by unionists. The name Derry is usually used in the Republic of Ireland, it also has a mixed usage in Northern Ireland, depending on the source; while most of the British authorities prefer to use the name Londonderry.
History
Unlike the town, historically there was not a preceding County Derry: it was established in 1613 by combining the former County of Coleraine with small parts of Counties Antrim, Donegal, and Tyrone at the behest of the London livery companies and the Irish Society (hence, London-Derry) so that they could control both banks of the mouths of the River Foyle and the River Bann and have access to sufficient wood for construction. The county town was Coleraine.
Administration
Since 1973, administration has been divided between district councils. The councils covering the county are Coleraine Borough Council, Derry City Council, Limavady Borough Council, and Magherafelt District Council; and part of Cookstown District Council, which is largely in County Tyrone.
Education
Government-funded education up to secondary school level is administered by
- Western Education and Library Board:Derry, Limavady
- North Eastern Education and Library Board: Coleraine, Magherafelt
- Southern Education and Library Board: Cookstown
For Catholic grant-maintained schools administration is by the Derry Diocesan Education Office.
Two major centres of the University of Ulster are in the county, including its headquarters at Coleraine and the Magee Campus in Derry.
Sport
In the Gaelic Athletic Association, the Derry county teams wear the colours red and white. There are many club teams competing in up to five leagues and three championships.
In Association Football, County Londonderry/Derry is represented in the Irish Premier League by Limavady United, Institute F.C. and Coleraine F.C.. Tobermore United and Moyola Park compete in Division One. Derry City F.C. play in the top division in the Eircom Ireland league.
In Rugby, the county is represented at senior level by City of Derry Rugby Club and Rainey Old Boys Rugby Club, Magherafelt. Limavady R.F.C, Londonderry Y.M.C.A and Coleraine Rugby Club compete in the qualifying leagues.
Media
C9TV broadcasts to much of the north and east of the county and is based in Derry.
The county currently has four main radio stations
- BBC Radio Foyle
- Q102.9
- Q97.2
- Six FM (in the south of the county)
- Highland Radio, a station based in Letterkenny, County Donegal. It has a huge listenership in Derry City and West Tyrone.
See also
References
- ^ http://www.dcalni.gov.uk/FAQs/FAQs.asp?ba=leid
- ^ County flowers in Britain www.plantlife.org.uk
| Counties and cities of Northern Ireland | |
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| Counties of Ireland | |
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