Minister visits Derry's Walls

DOE Minister Arlene Foster visited the city walls to see first-hand the ongoing care process for the historic monument, overseen by her Department.

She said: “The walls are the largest of the 181 historic monuments in state care in Northern Ireland and significant investment has been put into their preservation by my Department in recent years.

“The care of ancient monuments is important. They are a visible, tangible and obvious link to our past and the forces and the issues that shaped us.

“We are entering a new era in Northern Ireland. We have created a new dynamic that will help us forge a better future for all our citizens. But the walls are an important legacy of our past and I am delighted that the Environment and Heritage Service (EHS) is playing a central role in their preservation.”

The Minister said Londonderry’s walls were the last city walls constructed in Europe and were influential in the construction of colonial settlements in the Americas. They surround an ideal city plan layout of regular streets radiating from a central town square or ‘Diamond’.

Because of their location within a tight urban area they are quite unlike any other monument maintained by the Department. Their surface is maintained by Road Service and the City Council and other agencies are also intimately involved in their care and development.

In recent years EHS has been involved in the The Walled City Signature Destination Project of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board. This seeks to realise the potential of the walled city for tourism. The Minister saw the first impact upon the walls of the new signage associated with the project.

A Conservation Plan and Management Plan for the monument have also been developed as part of the project. These plans which are due to be published in August, will establish policies to guide future decisions and set up structures to ensure that the best possible management can be achieved. A key part of their development has been consultation with the widest possible group of stakeholders.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Arlene Foster was shown around the monument by Mr Manus Deery, Principal Conservation Architect of EHS.

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