The Town I Loved So Well: Written by Phil Coulter in 1973. A poignant reflection on his childhood in Derry, contrasting peaceful memories with the impact of the Troubles.
- In my memory I will always see
The town that I have loved so well
Where our school played ball by the gasyard wall
And we laughed through the smoke and the smell
Going home in the rain running up the dark lane
Past the jail and down behind the fountain
Those were happy days in so many many ways
In the town I have loved so well
In the early morning the shirt-factory horn
Called the women from Creggan the Moor and the Bog
While the man on the dole played the mother’s role
Fed the children and then trained the dogs
And when times got rough there was just about enough
But they saw it through without complaining
For deep inside was a burning pride
For the town I loved so well
There was music there in the Derry air
Like a language that we could all understand
I remember the day when I earned my first pay
As I played in the small pick-up band
There I spent my youth and to tell you the truth
I was sad to leave it all behind me
For I’d learned ’bout life and I’ve found a wife
In the town I loved so well
- But when I returned how my eyes have burned
- To see how a town could be brought to its knees
- By the armoured cars and the bombed-out bars
- And the gas that hangs on to every breeze
- Now the army’s installed by that old gasyard wall
- And the damned barbed wire gets higher and higher
- With their tanks and their guns, oh my god what have they done
- To the town I loved so well
- Now the music’s gone but I still carry on
- For their spirit’s been bruised never broken
- They will not forget for their hearts are aset
- On tomorrow and peace once again
- For what’s done is done and what’s won is won
- And what’s lost is lost and gone forever
- I can only pray for a bright brand new day
- In the town I loved so well
Anthem of the county
Antrim – Armagh – Carlow – Cavan – Clare – Cork – Derry – Donegal – Down – Dublin – Fermanagh – Galway – Kerry – Kildare – Kilkenny – Laois – Leitrim – Limerick – Longford – Louth – Mayo – Meath – Monaghan – Offaly – Roscommon – Sligo – Tipperary – Tyrone – Waterford – Westmeath – Wexford – Wicklow
Songs from the county
Antrim – Armagh – Carlow – Cavan – Clare – Cork – Derry – Donegal – Down – Dublin – Fermanagh – Galway – Kerry – Kildare – Kilkenny – Laois – Leitrim – Limerick – Longford – Louth – Mayo – Meath – Monaghan – Offaly – Roscommon – Sligo – Tipperary – Tyrone – Waterford – Westmeath – Wexford – Wicklow
County Derry:
Ireland’s county Derry offers a rich historical tapestry, with the city’s 17th-century walls providing a walkable journey through its past. The Guildhall and Tower Museum explore Derry’s maritime and political history, while the Peace Bridge offers scenic views over the River Foyle. Derry is Ireland’s 15th largest county by size (2,067 square km) and sixth largest by population (252,231). Population previously peaked at 222,174 in 1841 and reached its lowest point, 139,693 in 1926. In terms of hospitality, Derry is Ireland’s 16th most visited tourist county with around 135,000 international visitors per year.
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