About Us
Heritage
Derry City Cemetery was opened in 1853, just after the Great Famine (An Gorta Mór). Like most developing cities at the time, the local church graveyards were no longer fit for purpose and posed a serious health risk. Driven by the need to control rampant diseases such as cholera and typhus, parliament decreed that new cemeteries be created a safe distance from population centres. The common thinking at the time was that these cemeteries could also act as parks or gardens. The solution in Derry lay on a hillside on the western outskirts of the city. The cemetery was thus laid out like a splendid garden based on similar sites such as the Victorian Glasgow Necropolis and Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.
The cemetery opened with separate Catholic and Protestant sections and so, somewhat regrettably, people who were divided in life also became divided in death. The cemetery has since witnessed approximately 80,000+ interments and contains a diverse range of people, beliefs and affinities. From the uppermost
levels it has panoramic views of the River Foyle and counties Derry, Donegal and Tyrone.
The history of the city and its links to the wider world spanning three centuries are literally carved in the numerous ageing headstones. Alongside the graves of the public citizenry of the area lie the marked graves of industrialists, politicians, philanthropists, world war victims, Irish patriots, sports people, artists and celebrities.
Since the beginning of the Troubles in 1968, and the opening of cemeteries in the Waterside, the City Cemetery has become largely used by the Catholic community. The burial of renowned human rights activist, trade unionist and feminist Inez McCormack has been one of the few new graves in the Protestant section.
Some of the most visited graves are those in the Edwardian and Victorian sections including Cecil Frances Alexander, the composer of numerous hymns including All Things Bright and Beautiful and There is a Green Hill Far Away.
In recent times, the two Republican plots, with the graves of two hunger strikers and Martin McGuinness, have created significant historical interest as have the graves of those killed on Bloody Sunday.
Cemetery Access
There are two car entrances to the cemetery (with car parking facilities):
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Entrance at Moor Road
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Entrance at Creggan Gate
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And a pedestrian gate at Kildrum Gardens
Opening Times
Spring/Summer
(1 May–30 Sept) – Mon to Sun: 8.00am–7.00pm
Autumn/Winter
(1 Oct–30 April) – Mon to Sun: 8.00am–4.30pm
Three Historical Periods are reflected in the Cemetery's Headstones & Monuments
The Victorian Period
Victorian funerary architecture, often ornate
monuments, reflected an individual’s status in society. This style frequently includes urns, obelisks, broken columns and angels. This type of imagery, referred to as neoclassical, was popular up to the end of the
nineteenth century.
Edwardian & early 20th Century
Following the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, and the mass slaughter of the First World War, a new public attitude surfaced which leaned towards less ornate monuments. Traditional Victorian funerary architecture gave way to the smaller, less lavish memorials.
Later 20th Century
By the mid 20th century, headstones became increasingly regulated with specific dimensions and restrictions. A modern memorial is often an open Bible with a suitable inscription. Angels were
popular, implying hope and the Resurrection of Christ at Easter.