County Derry Information

County Derry is situated in the North West of Ireland, and is one of the 6 counties that belong to Northern Ireland. County Derry is bordered by the River Foyle, The Atlantic Ocean, Lough Neagh, County Antrim, County Donegal, County Armagh and County Tyrone.

The early religious development of the county is dominated by Saint Columbia who productively advanced Christianity in County Derry. Saint Columbia established a monastery in Derry in 546, out of which the City of Derry grew. Saint Columbia also went on to establish a large number of Churches in both Ireland and Scotland.

During the middle ages, the O'Neills ruled much of the area, although Richard de Burgh took control of Derry Port with a view to develop it into a stronghold. Richard de Burgh was however defeated in 1315 and lost control of Ulster. The O'Neills assumed power during the 14th century along with the O'Donnells and the O'Cahans.

Other Interesting Points

- Derry was selected for plantation in 1610
- Derry city was renamed Londonderry after the influx of people from London during the plantations
- The old Catholic owners rose against the new protestant owners, but were crushed by Cromwell

Estimated Population and Land Area

The estimated Population of Derry after the last census is 213,035 and the land area is 798 sq miles.

Major Towns

- Portstewart
- Coleraine
- Limavady
- Derry
- Maghera
- Magherafelt

For more information about County Derry, please do not hesitate to contact e Car Rental in Ireland by email or see our Tourism Information page about Towns, Cities and Counties of Ireland.