'Appalling' that Derry walls are most vandalised monument in NI - tourists

Two ladies stand in Derry city centre in an embrace. The lady on the right is wearing a white cardigan and is holding a black bag. she has shoulder length brown hair . To her right another lady is smiling, she has her arm around her companion. She is wearing a denim jacket and a white tshirt. Both ladies are standing in front of Derry's walls — Image caption,
Geraldine Henderson and Patricia Mundy were visiting Derry earlier this week

20 August 2025, 07:50 BST

Updated 09:20 BST

Londonderry's historic city walls are the most vandalised monument in Northern Ireland, according to new figures.

A total of 193 incidents have been recorded by the Department for Communities on the walls between April 2021 and April 2025.

That equates to 65% of all incidents recorded at historic monuments in Northern Ireland over the same time.

Tourists visiting Derry this week have told the BBC it is both "appalling and disgraceful" that the walls - Northern Ireland's largest state monument - are vandalised on such a scale.

The city's walls date back to the 1600s. They one of the city's most popular visitor attractions.

In the foreground on the wall we have several cannons sticking out between the battlements. A girl accompanied by a boy takes pictures of another girl who has climbed a cannon on the wall To the right outside the wall is The Guildhall, building located next to the river, very close to the center of the city, built in 1887 of sandstone and brick. — Image caption,
A total of 193 incidents have been recorded by the Department for Communities on the walls between April 2021 and April 2025

John Anderson from the Ulster Architectural Heritage Society said the accessibility of the walls made them "much more liable to attacks of this nature".

"This vandalism is the bottom of the scale of a very large problem that goes way beyond monuments," Mr Anderson said.

"Whether it's graffiti on Derry's walls or whether it's arson on a listed building, these are criminal acts.

"Appreciation and value of the national asset that is built heritage, in all its forms, is in basically the cultural approach of any country, and that cultural approach needs to be led by example by the leaders of that country.

"Unfortunately the leadership over the decades in Northern Ireland hasn't been there, the sector is chronically underfunded, worse now than ever it was, and coming down to the graffiti level – presumably that is mostly youngsters – it's an easy target," Mr Anderson said.

Geraldine Henderson from Glasgow and Patricia Mundy from Leeds are among the thousands of tourists visiting Derry this week.

Patricia told BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme it was both "disgraceful and appalling" that the walls should be subject to repeated vandalism.

"It is absolutely disgraceful after all that you have been through here," she said.

"First of all it's a pride thing and because of the heritage of Derry. It's a place like people like to come."

Geraldine said looking after the walls was looking after the city's heritage.

"It's important to keep them for the history.... and I think we should all respect each other's history."

A smiling lady stands in Derry's Guildhall square. The city's walls are seen in the background as are a number of shops. She is wearing a denim top and has long brown hair. A strap of a handbag can be seen over her shoulder — Image caption,
Janice McNeilly says visitors enjoy seeing the walls

Janice McNeilly told BBC Radio Foyle there is a vibrancy to the walls as well as a sense of history.

"People from all over the world appreciate them, we sort of get used to them, they are in the background," she said, adding it "would be a shame to see anything happen to them."

'A huge heritage site'

SDLP councillor John Boyle said the figures "seem stark" but that it was important to acknowledge the scale of the walls.

They are a mile in length, he said, and in places reach around 40ft (12.2m) high and a similar distance in width.

"It is a huge heritage site," Boyle said.

"That aside, it is of significant disappointment when you hear there is such a degree of vandalism.

"I think we have to put these things into perspective but certainly my appeal is to respect our heritage and treat it as you would your own property."

What are Derry's walls?

A early 20th century black and white photograph of Ferryquay Gate, one of the gates of Derry's walls. An archway can be seen in the old ramparts, through which shops can be seen., A number of men stand at the foot of the gate, as the walls reach up above them — Image caption,
Derry was the first planned city in Ireland. With four main roads leading off a central 'Diamond', passage into the city was originally made through four gates like this one at Ferryquay Gate. Later, three more gates were added

The walls are Northern Ireland's largest state monument and Londonderry was the last walled city to be built in Europe
While the structure was commissioned in 1613, the build didn't begin until 1614 and ended in 1619
The Honourable Irish Society built the walls in the 17th Century as defences for settlers from Scotland and England , external- the society still own them to this day
In 2013, thousands of people took part in a Mexican wave along the walls to mark 400 years since they were erected
According figures from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, in 2022 Derry's Walls were among Northern Ireland's most visited attractions, external, with 577,000 taking to the mile-long walkway around the inner city

The figures in relation to vandalism were revealed in response to an assembly question, external from SDLP MLA Justin McNulty.

Stormont's Department for Communities has been asked for comment.

'Appalling' that Derry walls are most vandalised monument in NI - tourists

'A huge heritage site'

What are Derry's walls?

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