The roaring cannon
The city claims Europe's largest collection of cannon whose precise origins can be traced. These are the earliest surviving cannon. Some were shipped over for Sir Henry Docwra's campaign of 1600-3: others were sent to defend the Plantation city. Look for the marks stamped on the cannon - the rose and crown of the Tudor English kings, club and arrow marks, the date '1590' and the initials T.J. for Thomas Johnston, Queen Elizabeth I's gun founder.
'Wish you were here'
Over the centuries visitors have recorded their impressions of the city.
Stately buildings, strong walls and bulwarks. (1643)
The walls of the city, once its strength, are now its ornament and form a delightful mall. (1827)
The ramparts of the town form a pleasant promenade. The guns bear the names of the London Companies - venerable Cockney titles! (1843)
Look where you will and you will see the wall and a peeping cannon. (1930)
Walking the walls is like reliving four centuries of history. (2006)
Feis Doire Colmcille
Since 1924 the city has celebrated its Gaelic culture with a Feis, a festival of song, music, poetry and dance. During Easter week, Guildhall Square is packed with children in their white and saffron, and green and black dance costumes.
A city of horses
A century ago Guildhall Square echoed to the clip clop of hooves and the rumble of wooden and iron wheels. A line of horse-drawn cabs waited for fares alongside the wall. There were regular traffic jams of farmers' hay wagons, open-topped trams, donkey carts and horse-drawn lorries moving goods to and from the docks.
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