Tuesday, 20th August 2013—Dinny McGinley T.D., Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, and Mark H Durkan M.L.A., Minister of the Environment, will be in Derry at 12 noon tomorrow to announce the details of Derry Walls Day 2013, as part of National Heritage Week.
Derry Walls Day 2013, which will take place on Sunday 25th August, will mark the commencement of Walls400, the programme of activities taking place during 2013–18 to celebrate the quatercentenary of the building of Derry’s city walls. The two Ministers will view the 1613 Promise Chalice in St. Columb’s Cathedral, view the City Walls and cannon at Church Wall and then jointly cut a specially commissioned Walls400 birthday cake in the Deanery on Bishop Street Within.
Minister of State McGinley said: “Discover the Past – Build the Future is the theme for National Heritage Week so it is very appropriate that Derry Walls, as a heritage icon with compelling ancient and contemporary history, is taking part. The Department is pleased to have been able to support Holywell Trust through the Heritage Council of Ireland for Derry Walls Day 2013.
The five-year construction of the famous city walls began in August 1613 when representatives from the City of London “viewed and trod out the ground at the Derry for the fortification there”. The objective of the Walls400 programme is to fully explore the contested history that the walls represent and celebrate their present-day status as a national heritage asset with the potential to unite rather than separate. As the most complete town walls in Ireland, the walls have a unique appeal among the heritage attractions of the island.
Minister Mark H Durkan said: “We've had the all Ireland Fleadh, now we are having the Mexican wave! Derry's Walls are hugely significant not just in the history of the city but in the history of the Island. Until recently the walls were seen as divisive. The city of Culture year, and last week, the all-Ireland Fleadh have helped to further transform the walls to a symbol of hope, pride and tolerance for the people of Derry and beyond. The Wave on The Walls is another example of how far Derry has come and how confidence has grown.
“I make a passionate plea for as many people as possible to come out on Sunday to join in and in doing so support Foyle Hospice.
“I congratulate Holywell Trust on organising this event. The City Walls are the largest monument in state care and my Department, in partnership with many others, have worked hard to bring them up to their present quality in this Year of Culture.”
Derry Walls Day 2013 has received funding from the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht through the Heritage Council of Ireland and from the Department of Environment through the NI Environment Agency and through Derry City Council. The organisers of Derry Walls Day are looking for 1500 volunteers to create a mile-long Mexican wave along the full circuit of the walls this Sunday. Registration details for which can be found on the Walls400 website, http://walls400.com.
ENDS
Note for Editors:
· Derry is the inaugural UK City of Culture this year and the City Walls celebration is a key part the City of Culture programme. Many other events are taking place throughout the island of Ireland during National Heritage Week. Further details of both these programmes can be found on www.cityofculture2013.com and www.heritageweek.ie respectively.
· Derry City Council and Holywell Trust, a community-based heritage organisation, have secured the 23rd Annual European Walled Towns Symposium to be hosted in Derry between 23rd and 27th October 2013. The theme of the symposium will be Historic Towns, Walled Towns – a resource for recovery.