Ireland: Raphoe to Londonderry
September 16, 2025
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Raphoe Castle (The Bishop's Palace). Built in 1645 by Bishop John Leslie as a fortified house during the Ulster Plantation. It was designed to be both a residence and a defensive stronghold. It was repeatedly attacked in the 1600's, and abandoned after a fire in 1798, during the United Irishman uprising. It is striking landmark, but the interior is not safely accessible due to unstable masonry.
Beltany Stone Circle. Built in the later Bronze Age (1400-800 BC). Nobody knows what stone circles were used for - perhaps associated with religious rituals which may have included observations of the sun and the moon. It consists of 64 large stones enclosing a low earth platform; there may originally have been about 80 stones:
2025-09-16 Beltany Stone Circle.MOVThe Derry Walls. Some of the best-preserved walls city walls in Europe (1.6 km):
St Columb's Cathedral. It was the first Anglican cathedral built in Ireland after the Reformation, constructed between 1628 and 1633.
The Peace Bridge, Londonderry, connecting communities that were historically divided.
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