The River Foyle, Sides, and Roundabouts

Recognizing that geography and place names are intertwined in Derry can make it easier to get around and stay oriented.  For instance, the city is split by the River Foyle, with the area on the east side of the river being referred to as the Waterside.  The area on the west side of the river is referred to as the Cityside.

The Foyleside Shopping Center, located on the Cityside, boasts two parking lots—Foyleside East and Foyleside West.  Now here is where it gets a bit complicated: the east parking lot is situated on the east side of Foyle Street (not to be confused with the Foyle Road, which runs along the River Foyle); the west parking lot is situated on the west side of Foyle Street.  Personally, I have a problem with something being named “Foyleside” when it is only on one side of the River Foyle, especially since it messes with my personal rules for geographic orientation. 

The Quayside Centre (pronounced keyside) is another shopping area located near the River Foyle on the Cityside.  The Bogside, perhaps the most famous “side” of Derry, is a predominantly residential community located on the Cityside.  Its fame comes from the Battle of the Bogside, which is considered by many to have been the beginning of the Troubles. 

And as soon as all of this starts to make sense—the river and the sides—it’s time to tackle the roundabouts.  

According to Northwest College’s city map, there are nineteen roundabouts in Derry—eleven on the Cityside; eight on the Waterside.  You no sooner think you know which direction you are going when you hit a roundabout and off you go in another direction. 

My personal “favorite” roundabouts are: the Queen’s Quay Roundabout (pronounced key), the Harbor Square Roundabout, the Foyleside Roundabout, and the Johns Street Roundabout, all of which are on the Cityside.  Other roundabouts on the Cityside include: Ballyarnet, Culmore Road, Branch, and Pennyburn.  On the Waterside, there is the Caw Roundabout, the Waterside Roundabout, the Duke Street Roundabout, the Lisnagelvin Roundabout, and the Crescent Link Roundabout.  The photograph shown above is of the Foyleside Roundabout.  This Facebook video is either of the Foyleside or the Johns Street Roundabout.  I shot the footage after I had been going the wrong way for thirty minutes and so there are only two things I can be sure of: 1) I was really tired of walking; and 2) I was near the Craigavon Bridge.

Another interesting geographical naming scheme in Derry comes from a street and/or location’s relationship to the City Centre and the city walls.  For instance, the place where I work is located on “Bishop Street Within” as opposed to “Bishop Street Without,” which is a reference to the fact that Bishop Street is within the City Centre, and runs partly within the city walls and partly outside the walls.  Be sure to stayed tuned for more on this in my upcoming blog post on the Apprentice Boys of Derry annual parade, which was recently held on the city walls of Derry.