Derry City Cemetery was opened during the Victorian Period in 1853, just after the Great Famine.  Like most developing cities at the time, the local church graveyards were no longer fit for purpose and posed a serious health risk.  The cemetery opened with separate Catholic & Protestant sections and so, somewhat regrettably, people who were divided in life also became divided in death.

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The Cemetery has been modelled on the Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris which many people to this day do not know about. Some of the most visited graves are those in the Victorian & Edwardian sections including Cecil Frances Alexander, the composer of numerous hymns including All Things Bright & Beautiful and There is a Green Hill Far Away.  Other very popular graves include those of Martin McGuinness, John Hume, and Sister Claire Crockett as well as the Bloody Sunday Graves and WWI & WWII Graves.