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Derry or Londonderry?

175 replies

TigerOnTour · 12/08/2024 22:53

How controversial would it be if I used the wrong name and what is this city referred to in the North of Northern Ireland? The internet says that most unionists call it Londonderry and most nationalists call it Derry. Is this still accurate today? If you live there or nearby, what do you call it?

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BobbyBiscuits · 14/08/2024 10:54

All my Irish family call it Derry and they are from a protestant background. (Not hardcore unionists or anything, and they live in the south).
I guess it's quicker and easier to say? Here in the UK I think a lot of people might call it Derry just because of the popular TV comedy.
I'm not sure if it's controversial or not how it's named, as I've never been there. The road signs have both I think.

DownNative · 14/08/2024 11:54

BobbyBiscuits · 14/08/2024 10:54

All my Irish family call it Derry and they are from a protestant background. (Not hardcore unionists or anything, and they live in the south).
I guess it's quicker and easier to say? Here in the UK I think a lot of people might call it Derry just because of the popular TV comedy.
I'm not sure if it's controversial or not how it's named, as I've never been there. The road signs have both I think.

No, the road signs in Northern Ireland only have "Londonderry" on them given these use official names.

There have been proposals to use both, but to date there's just the one.

Likewise, in the Republic of Ireland their signs only have "Derry".

Highlights the fact we are two separate countries. 👍

BobbyBiscuits · 14/08/2024 11:59

@DownNative Ah, thank you. Yeah, as I say I've not been. Only know how my family say it! I guess that partly explains why they call it that if they live in the south.

Flammekuche · 14/08/2024 12:11

DownNative · 14/08/2024 11:54

No, the road signs in Northern Ireland only have "Londonderry" on them given these use official names.

There have been proposals to use both, but to date there's just the one.

Likewise, in the Republic of Ireland their signs only have "Derry".

Highlights the fact we are two separate countries. 👍

Edited

Though said signs have often had interventions.

Did anything come of the idea that road signs might use both names which was being talked about a while back?

Derry or Londonderry?
Fluffycloudsfloatinginthesky · 14/08/2024 12:26

I'm stuck on a non moving train trying to go there at the moment and that says Derry-Londonderry

DownNative · 14/08/2024 12:32

Flammekuche · 14/08/2024 12:11

Though said signs have often had interventions.

Did anything come of the idea that road signs might use both names which was being talked about a while back?

Vandalism is the correct term yet the Republicans who do this object to Loyalists doing likewise to Irish Gaelic signs.

Both need to stop silly crap like that. Costs the taxpayer thousands.

Nope, nothing has come of such proposals yet. Stormont has more pressing issues than that.

WickieRoy · 14/08/2024 12:32

Fluffycloudsfloatinginthesky · 14/08/2024 12:26

I'm stuck on a non moving train trying to go there at the moment and that says Derry-Londonderry

Oh no @Fluffycloudsfloatinginthesky , good luck. The trains are an absolute shambles ATM.

Fluffycloudsfloatinginthesky · 14/08/2024 13:18

@WickieRoy

They finally gave up took it back to Coleraine and we have to wait for the next one to Derry.

Impasse · 14/08/2024 13:21

DownNative · 14/08/2024 12:32

Vandalism is the correct term yet the Republicans who do this object to Loyalists doing likewise to Irish Gaelic signs.

Both need to stop silly crap like that. Costs the taxpayer thousands.

Nope, nothing has come of such proposals yet. Stormont has more pressing issues than that.

Well, if anyone on the thread hadn't grasped that placenaming could be a contentious issue in NI, this post is a good example of it.

DownNative · 14/08/2024 13:26

Impasse · 14/08/2024 13:21

Well, if anyone on the thread hadn't grasped that placenaming could be a contentious issue in NI, this post is a good example of it.

On the contrary, I am from Northern Ireland myself and highly familiar with the issues.

It doesn't change the fact this kind of vandalism is futile, changes nothing and costs Stormont thousands each year yet the same idiots will moan about cuts.

They don't think about the wider impact of their own actions.

As I said, that kind of crap serves nobody. 🤷‍♂️

Lesina · 14/08/2024 13:28

Derry or as the younger generations call it ' legenderry ' :-)

Impasse · 14/08/2024 13:35

DownNative · 14/08/2024 13:26

On the contrary, I am from Northern Ireland myself and highly familiar with the issues.

It doesn't change the fact this kind of vandalism is futile, changes nothing and costs Stormont thousands each year yet the same idiots will moan about cuts.

They don't think about the wider impact of their own actions.

As I said, that kind of crap serves nobody. 🤷‍♂️

I'm not suggesting you weren't from NI -- your name said otherwise, quite apart from anything else! But at least some people on the thread had no idea that placenames were a point of difficulty in NI. Your response demonstrated this.

DownNative · 14/08/2024 13:45

Impasse · 14/08/2024 13:35

I'm not suggesting you weren't from NI -- your name said otherwise, quite apart from anything else! But at least some people on the thread had no idea that placenames were a point of difficulty in NI. Your response demonstrated this.

It's basically a minority who are on the extreme side of things who do it.

Majority go about life without giving much thought to it.

WickieRoy · 14/08/2024 13:55

Fluffycloudsfloatinginthesky · 14/08/2024 13:18

@WickieRoy

They finally gave up took it back to Coleraine and we have to wait for the next one to Derry.

Urgh, what a waste of a lovely sunny day. Hope you're not too badly delayed in the end.

yorktown · 14/08/2024 13:58

Rummly · 12/08/2024 23:02

Ah, the famous tune, London Derrière.

Humming it as we speak!

LaerealSilverhand · 14/08/2024 14:01

Derry. I'm in the SE of England and whenever I've heard it mentioned in conversation it's been Derry. Derry Girls only reinforced this. It sounds jarring when it is called 'Londonderry' on the BBC.

I would imagine that the only people who call it Londonderry in day to day conversation would be hardcore unionists. Not sure why the BBC style guide insists on Londonderry.

Soonenough · 14/08/2024 14:13

That would be an ecumenical question. 😁

TheMarzipanDildo · 14/08/2024 15:23

Soonenough · 14/08/2024 14:13

That would be an ecumenical question. 😁

Brilliant!

quietbystander · 14/08/2024 15:32

I live in Devon and never knew until adulthood it was actually Devonshire.
So I'd go with Derry if that's how it's known locally.

DownNative · 14/08/2024 17:26

quietbystander · 14/08/2024 15:32

I live in Devon and never knew until adulthood it was actually Devonshire.
So I'd go with Derry if that's how it's known locally.

Shire is simply an old name for a county and largely replaced by county in most places in the UK. Northern Ireland never had the term shire in county names either. Scotland still has shire too.

It was dropped from Devon whereas retained for various counties in England, e.g. Shropshire, Hertfordshire, Hampshire, etc. Devonshire though was retained in the British Army Regiment until disbandment in 2007, I think.

But your example of Devon is absolutely NOT comparable to or the same kind of thing as Derry v Londonderry. In Northern Ireland & the Republic of Ireland, it is essentially about contested nationality.

Not personal taste of place names as your example would be!

Derry or Londonderry?
DownNative · 14/08/2024 17:50

LaerealSilverhand · 14/08/2024 14:01

Derry. I'm in the SE of England and whenever I've heard it mentioned in conversation it's been Derry. Derry Girls only reinforced this. It sounds jarring when it is called 'Londonderry' on the BBC.

I would imagine that the only people who call it Londonderry in day to day conversation would be hardcore unionists. Not sure why the BBC style guide insists on Londonderry.

BBC actually alternates between Derry and Londonderry. It has done for some years now - since 1998 or so, I think.

People also don't have to be hardcore anything to use one over the other either. It's usually outsiders who perceive it this way which doesn't necessarily reflect the local population itself. Especially as you'd likely perceive the Apprentice Boys as hardcore Unionists but they have "Derry" in their name.

When I have occasion to mention it, I'll say Londonderry since that IS the official place-name. It's not often I need to specifically say the name though - other terms can do, e.g. Foyleside is another you can say or a local might say a district name such as Waterside. I might alternate between the two for a Nationalist but not for a Republican.

Basically, it's context specific and dependent on the audience.

The music for "Danny Boy", for example, is actually called "Londonderry Air"! The lyrics written by an English man is the bit that is actually called "Danny Boy".

That's why you'll see the title as "Londonderry Air (Danny Boy)" or other way round.

I don't recall any major disagreement over that either.

The chamber of commerce there is actually called Londonderry Chamber of Commerce.

There is the Derry Journal whose political alignment is Nationalist and the Londonderry Sentinel whose political alignment is Unionist.

You can find examples of both in various places including business names. So, it's not really about hardcore this or hardcore that.

It's dependent on various factors and another might be someone's mood on a given day which a joke was built around where the punchline is "it depends on whoever I'm talking to", i.e., mood and audience informs which name to use.

A visitor could do what a lot of people in Northern Ireland do when they want to avoid saying a place-name.

Just call it "this place" or "that place"! 😂

Walled City is another name.

Derry or Londonderry?
Fluffycloudsfloatinginthesky · 14/08/2024 18:35

@WickieRoy

Just waiting for train to depart back to Belfast. We had a lovely time - more to do than we expected and my girls were delighted to find a Derry Girls exhibition in the museum.

BeEasyonYourself · 15/08/2024 15:45

Soonenough · 14/08/2024 14:13

That would be an ecumenical question. 😁

🤣🤣🤣

Cornflakericekrispie · 16/08/2024 19:04

The music for "Danny Boy", for example, is actually called "Londonderry Air"! The lyrics written by an English man is the bit that is actually called "Danny Boy".

That's why you'll see the title as "Londonderry Air (Danny Boy)" or other way round.

I don't recall any major disagreement over that either.

It's called the Derry Air too though 😊
I've never actually heard it said as the Londonderry Air (I'm in ROI).

TheNoonBell · 16/08/2024 19:08

Stroke City!

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