County Londonderry, also called County Derry, is one of the six traditional counties of Northern Ireland. It covers 818 square miles (2,118 km2) between the north coast, the River Foyle and the north-west shore of Lough Neagh, and 252,231 people lived within its boundaries at the 2021 census. Coleraine is the county town; Derry is the largest city.
The county has not been an administrative unit since 1973. Three district councils now cover its ground. Both names are in everyday use: Londonderry is the legal name and is used by British authorities, Derry is used by the city council, by the Republic of Ireland and by most people who live there.
| Country | Northern Ireland, United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Province | Ulster |
| Status | Traditional county, not administrative |
| Also known as | County Derry |
| Area | 818 sq mi (2,118 km2) |
| Population (2021) | 252,231 |
| Density | 119 people per km2 (308 per sq mi) |
| County town | Coleraine |
| Largest settlement | Derry |
| Highest point | Sawel Mountain, 678 m (2,224 ft) |
| Councils | Derry City and Strabane; Causeway Coast and Glens; Mid Ulster |
Towns and Villages in County Londonderry
About 75 named places are listed below, grouped by the district council that administers them. All three councils also cover ground in County Tyrone or County Antrim, so the county boundary and the district boundaries do not match.
Derry City and Strabane (County Londonderry part)
- Ballynagard
- Bogside
- Claudy
- Creggan
- Culmore
- Cullion
- Derry (Londonderry)
- Drumahoe
- Eglinton
- Gortnessy
- Killaloo
- Mount Hamilton
- New Buildings
- Templemoyle
Causeway Coast and Glens (County Londonderry part)
- Aghadowey
- Aghanloo
- Agivey
- Articlave
- Artikelly
- Ballykelly
- Ballymaconnelly
- Ballynameen
- Ballyrashane
- Baranailt
- Bellarena
- Blagh
- Bolea
- Boleran
- Bovevagh
- Caheny
- Carrowclare
- Castlerock
- Cloyfin
- Coleraine
- Craigavole
- Crindle
- Derryork
- Drumsurn
- Dungiven
- Feeny
- Garvagh
- Greysteel
- Killeague
- Killykergan
- Kilrea
- Letterloan
- Limavady
- Lislane
- Macosquin
- Magilligan
- Moneydig
- Portstewart
- Ringsend
- Terrydremont
- Tullyverry
Mid Ulster (County Londonderry part)
- Ballyronan
- Bellaghy
- Castledawson
- Culnady
- Curran
- Desertmartin
- Draperstown
- Gulladuff
- Inishrush
- Knockcloghrim
- Lisnamuck
- Maghera
- Magherafelt
- Moneymore
- Moneyneany
- New Ferry
- Swatragh
- Tamlaght O’Crilly
- Tamnyrankin
- The Six Towns
- Tobermore
- Upperlands
Geography
The county runs from the Atlantic coast between Portstewart and Magilligan south to Lough Neagh. County Antrim lies across the Lower Bann to the east, County Tyrone across the Sperrins to the south, and County Donegal across the Foyle and Lough Foyle to the west.
The Sperrin Mountains fill the south-west, rising to Sawel at 678 m on the Tyrone boundary. North of them the Roe valley runs to Lough Foyle at Limavady, and the Bann valley carries good arable land from Coleraine down to the Lough Neagh shore around Magherafelt.
Magilligan Point closes the mouth of Lough Foyle and holds the largest beach system in Ireland, with dunes running six miles to Downhill. Binevenagh, the basalt escarpment above it, marks the western end of the Antrim plateau lavas.
Demographics
The 2021 census counted 252,231 residents. Derry, with about 85,000 people in the city and its suburbs, is by far the largest settlement and the second city of Northern Ireland. Coleraine has about 26,000, Limavady about 11,000, Magherafelt about 9,000 and Maghera about 4,000.
The county has a Catholic majority: 61.3% of residents were recorded as Catholic or from a Catholic background in 2021, and it has had one since the 1980s. The split is geographic. The Coleraine, Portstewart, Castlerock and Articlave belt on the north coast is predominantly Protestant, as is the Moneymore and Tobermore area; the Foyle basin, the Roe valley south of Limavady, and the south Derry villages around Bellaghy and Swatragh are predominantly Catholic.
Economy and Local Life
Derry is the service and manufacturing centre, with health, higher education at the Magee campus of Ulster University, and a cluster of medical devices, textiles and digital firms. Coleraine holds another Ulster University campus and serves the north coast towns.
Arable farming on the Bann and Roe valleys is the most productive in Northern Ireland: barley, potatoes and vegetables. Fishing works out of Greencastle across the Foyle and from the small harbours at Portstewart and Castlerock. Tourism concentrates on the north coast beaches, the Roe Valley Country Park, Downhill Demesne and the Mussenden Temple, and on Derry’s seventeenth-century walls, which are complete and walkable.
History
The name Derry comes from Daire, “oak grove”, the name of the monastery Colmcille founded on the Foyle in 546. In 1613 James I granted the county and city to the London livery companies to fund the Plantation of Ulster, and the prefix London was added. The companies laid out the Drapers’, Salters’, Mercers’ and Fishmongers’ estates, which is why villages are still called Draperstown and Moneymore.
The walls of Derry were completed in 1619 and held through the siege of 1689, the last successful siege in the British Isles. Linen and shirt making dominated the city into the twentieth century; at its peak Derry’s shirt factories employed tens of thousands, mostly women. There has never been a separate County Derry as a legal entity, only the one county under two names. The county council was abolished in 1973.
Getting There
The A6 links Derry to Belfast via Dungiven and Randalstown and has been upgraded to dual carriageway for most of its length. The A2 runs the coast from Derry through Limavady to Coleraine, and the A29 crosses from Coleraine south through Garvagh and Maghera to Cookstown.
City of Derry Airport at Eglinton has flights to Britain. Rail from Belfast serves Coleraine, Castlerock, Bellarena and Derry, with a branch to Portrush in County Antrim. Ferries at Magilligan cross Lough Foyle to Greencastle in County Donegal in summer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it County Derry or County Londonderry?
Both refer to the same county. Londonderry is the legal name, created by charter in 1613 when the London livery companies took over the plantation of the area. Derry is the older name and the one most residents use. Unlike the city, the county has never been formally renamed.
What is the population of County Londonderry?
252,231 at the 2021 census.
Which councils cover County Londonderry?
Three: Derry City and Strabane, Causeway Coast and Glens, and Mid Ulster. The county has had no council of its own since 1973.
What is the county town of County Londonderry?
Coleraine, not Derry. The assizes and county administration sat at Coleraine, while Derry was a separate county borough.
How many towns and villages are in County Londonderry?
About 75 named towns, villages and hamlets, listed above by council district.
What postcodes does County Londonderry use?
BT47 and BT48 for Derry and its hinterland, BT49 for Limavady, BT51 and BT52 for Coleraine and Garvagh, BT55 for Portstewart, and BT45 and BT46 for Magherafelt, Maghera and south Derry.