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County Londonderry or County Derry is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland. Adjoined to the north-west shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,074 km2, with a population of approximately 233,550. It is also one of the thirty-two traditional counties of Ireland, lying within the historical province of Ulster. Since 1981 it has become one of four counties in Northern Ireland that has a Catholic majority (55.56% according to the 2001 Census), with 57% of the Catholic population residing within Derry City Council. The highest point in the county is the summit of Sawel Mountain (678m) on the border with County Tyrone. Sawel is part of the Sperrin Mountains, which dominate the southern part of the county. To the east and west, the land falls into the valleys of the Bann and Foyle rivers respectively; in the south-east, the county touches the shore of Lough Neagh, which is the largest lake in Ireland; the north of the county is distinguished by the steep cliffs, dune systems and remarkable beaches of the Atlantic coast. The county is home to a number of important buildings and landscapes, including the well-preserved 17th-century city walls of Derry; the National Trust-owned Plantation estate at Springhill; the Mussenden Temple with its spectacular views of the Atlantic; the dikes, artificial coastlines and the noted bird sanctuaries on the eastern shore of Lough Foyle; and the visitor centre at Bellaghy Bawn, close to the childhood home of Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney. In the centre of the county are the old-growth deciduous forests at Banagher and Ness Wood, where the Burntollet River flows over the highest waterfalls in Northern Ireland. The county flower is the Purple Saxifrage. The term Oak Leaf County is the county nickname particularly in relation to the county's teams in Gaelic Athletic Association competitions. |
![A bombing in Northern Ireland is the latest in a series of attacks targeting police, sparking fears of a return to the years of unrest in Northern Ireland known as "the Troubles." The latest bombing appeared intended to hit police, but injured three children, hit by flying debris and then treated in a hospital. The blast in Lurgan, County Armagh occurred during a day heightened tension in the UK province. Elsewhere -- in Londonderry -- a highly contested Protestant parade had taken place. Authorities blame the attack on dissident republicans trying to destabilize the peace that has been in place since an agreement in 1998. [John O'Dowd, Councilor for Sinn Fein, Irish Republican Party]: "These groups do believe that dragging us back into conflict is somehow the way forward but they are mistaken. They need to stop and they need to allow this society and the people in this town and across the north to move on in a peaceful way." Earlier in August another bomb struck a police station, but did not injure anyone. Attacks from nationalist splinter groups have increased since they killed two soldiers and a police officer in March 2009. Most analysts agree the groups do not pose a threat to the peace deal of 1998, but are a reminder of the years of violence that claimed the lives of 3500 people.](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/_fYtTRuEoRM/0.jpg)
