Bishop of Derry

The Bishop of Derry is an episcopal title which takes its name after the city of Derry in Northern Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with another bishopric.

History

The bishopric has its origin in the Columban abbey of Derry, founded by the abbots of Iona in the sixth century. By the High Middle Ages, the monastery of Derry was one of the chief monasteries of the Columban familia and its abbots often bore the title Comarbai Coluim Cille, successor of Saint Columba.

The episcopal diocese emerged from the reorganisation of the Irish church in the twelfth century. The see was founded to cover the lands of the Cenél nEógain (i.e. Tyrone). It was fixed first at Ardstraw, then at Maghera (Machaire Rátha Lúraigh – the plain of Lurach's fort). The Irish annalists commonly styled the bishops of this area 'bishop of Cenél nEógain'. Bishop Germanus, called in Irish Gilla in Choimded Ó Cerballáin, obtained sanction from Pope Innocent IV for the see to be transferred to Derry in 1254.

Derry

Coordinates: 54°59′45″N 7°18′27″W / 54.9958°N 7.3074°W / 54.9958; -7.3074

Derry (/ˈdɛrɪ/), officially Londonderry (/ˈlʌndənˌdɛrɪ/), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Daire or Doire meaning "oak grove". In 1613, the city was granted a Royal Charter by King James I and gained the "London" prefix to reflect the funding of its construction by the London guilds. While the city is more usually known colloquially as Derry, Londonderry is also commonly used and remains the legal name.

The old walled city lies on the west bank of the River Foyle, which is spanned by two road bridges and one footbridge. The city now covers both banks (Cityside on the west and Waterside on the east). The city district also extends to rural areas to the southeast. The population of the city proper (the area defined by its 17th century charter) was 83,652 in the 2001 Census, while the Derry Urban Area had a population of 90,736. The district is administered by Derry City & Strabane District Council and contains both Londonderry Port and City of Derry Airport.

Derry City Council

Derry City Council (Irish: Comhairle Cathrach Dhoire; Ulster-Scots: Derry Cittie Cooncil) was the local government authority for the city of Derry in Northern Ireland. It merged with Strabane District Council in April 2015 under local government reorganisation to become Derry and Strabane District Council.

The council provided services to nearly 108,000 people, making it the third-largest of the then 26 district councils in Northern Ireland by population. The council was made up of 30 councillors, elected every four years from five electoral areas and held its meetings in The Guildhall. The mayor for the final 2014-2015 term was Brenda Stevenson of the Social Democratic and Labour Party, with Gary Middleton of the Democratic Unionist Party serving as deputy mayor.

History

The council took its final name in 1984. It was known as Londonderry City Council from 1973 until 1984, and before that Londonderry County Borough (covering the city of Derry) and Londonderry Rural District (covering the rural area around Derry, roughly corresponding to the Barony of Tirkeeran). Between 1969 and 1973 both were administered by the unelected Londonderry Development Commission with the aim of creating a "new town".

Derry (disambiguation)

Derry is a city in Northern Ireland.

Derry may also refer to:

Places

Places connected to the city

Elsewhere in Ireland