Peace symbols

On Friday, August 2, our tour bus recording pointed out that Derry has long been a city of divisions: Protestant vs. Catholic, Unionist vs. Nationalist, within the wall vs. outside the wall, Cityside (the west side of the River Foyle, where the walled portion of the city is) vs. Waterside (the east side of the River Foyle).

Like Belfast, Derry is trying to break down its systemic divisions and be a city that serves all its citizens.

They don't want to forget their history, and thus many of the murals and other reminders of The Troubles remain (and besides, now they are tourist attractions!). But Derry has also erected symbols of peace throughout the city.

St. Columba, patron saint of Derry (and who predated denominations like "Catholic" and "Protestant"). There is a St. Columba Church, Long Tower (approx 1788, not shown) in Derry, which is a Catholic church, and also a St. Columb's Cathedral (1633, not shown), which is a Protestant (Church of Ireland) church.

A mural that replaced a Troubles-related mural. This was created as a collaboration among Catholics and Protestants (and shows the Peace Bridge; see below in this post).

The Hands Across the Divide monument shows a Protestant and a Catholic reaching toward each other across the River Foyle:

And of course, the Peace Bridge connects the Cityside with the Waterside. It is supposed to represent two sides leaning toward one another: