Derry (officially Derry~Londonderry) is about 55 minutes from Portrush and makes a genuinely good day trip — a compact city centre, real history, and a lighter, funnier reputation these days thanks to Derry Girls.
The City Walls
Built between 1613 and 1618, Derry’s walls are the only complete city walls surviving in Ireland — about 1.5km of walkable rampart around the old city centre, up to 8 metres high in places, with views over both the historic core and the modern city beyond. Martin McCrossan City Tours run guided walks along the walls year-round, roughly an hour, around £6 per person — a good way to get proper context before wandering on your own.
History and museums
Derry’s 20th-century history is central to any visit, and the city handles it directly rather than glossing over it. On 30 January 1972 — Bloody Sunday — British paratroopers shot 26 unarmed civilians during a civil rights march; 13 died that day, and a 14th victim died of his injuries months later. The Museum of Free Derry, in the Bogside where it happened, covers the civil rights era and the events leading up to it. The Tower Museum covers a broader sweep of the city’s history, including artefacts from a wrecked Spanish Armada ship, alongside a Derry Girls props and costume exhibit. The Siege Museum covers the 105-day Siege of Derry in 1689. The Guildhall — built from the same stone as the walls — hosted events connected to the Good Friday Agreement and displays John Hume’s Nobel Peace Prize.
The Bogside murals (“the People’s Gallery”), painted by local artists, document this history directly on the gable walls of the neighbourhood where it happened — worth seeing with some context, whether from a guided tour or the museums above.
Derry Girls
The Channel 4 sitcom, set in Derry in the 1990s, has genuinely boosted tourism to the city since it aired. The mural on Orchard Street is one of the most photographed spots in the city; Foyle Books and the Yellow Yard both appear in the show and draw fans; the Tower Museum’s exhibit adds props and costumes for anyone who wants the full trail.
Shopping and food
The Craft Village — 18th-century streets and squares tucked just off the main shopping area — holds around 70 local artisan shops, a better bet for a real souvenir than the main street chains. For food and a pint, Walled City Brewery does local craft beer with a solid kitchen; Peadar O’Donnell’s and the Dungloe Bar are traditional spots for live Irish music.
Getting there
About 36 miles / 55 minutes from Portrush by car via the A26 and A6. Trains run regularly on the Belfast–Derry line via Coleraine, useful if you’d rather not drive.
