Derry/Londonderry name dispute
[8] A Celtic Christian monastery was founded at Daire Calgaich in the sixth century;[9] Adomnán names Saint Columba as founder.
[7][9] The name was changed to Daire Coluimb Chille, "oak wood of Columba",[6][7] first mentioned in the Annals of Ulster for 1121.
[25] While "Londonderry" was the official and formal name, most people in Northern Ireland called it "Derry" in informal speech.
[26] The 1837 Ordnance Survey Memoir of the area concurs, and remarks "this mode of abbreviation is usual in Ireland, whenever the name of a place is compounded of two distinct and easily separable words; thus ... Carrickfergus is shortened into Carrick, Downpatrick into Down, ...
[34] In 1946 the NILP's constituency branches for City of Londonderry and Foyle formed a steering group called the "Derry Central Labour Party".
[36][38] In 1958, when the newly launched HMS Londonderry made a courtesy visit to its namesake port, nationalist councillor James Doherty protested that it was "a foreign warship which had been called after a version of the name of the city".
[40] It ends by suggesting that Protestant [unionist] and Catholic [nationalist] citizens can together "build the bridge for Derry's future.
[40][42][43] In 1965, Eddie McAteer of the University for Derry Committee expressed the hope that the rare common cause between local unionists and nationalists would force the Stormont government to reverse its decision not to base the New University of Ulster there: "The Government might be able to slap down the men of Derry.
[44] In 1984, Peter Robinson of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) commented in the UK House of Commons:[45] Until the 1960s there was a happy use of both Londonderry and Derry.
The UUP and DUP boycotted city council meetings until the 1989 local elections, their councillors merely signing the roll once every three months to avoid forfeiting their seats.
The IIP obtained legal advice that the change of the district's name also affected the city and no petition was necessary.
... Further I reject the applicant's argument that the Department is obliged to exercise powers under section 134(1) of the Local Government (Northern Ireland) Act 1972 to modify the 1662 Charter to change the name of the city from Londonderry to Derry or that the Department is otherwise obliged to effect that name change.
To achieve the name change desired by the applicant it is necessary to alter the 1662 Charter by the further exercise of the Prerogative or by legislation.During the High Court case, it was clarified that the correct procedure to rename the city was via a petition to the Privy Council.
[77] It was argued that this would provide a single clear identity to reduce confusion and facilitate marketing the city for tourism and investment.
An opinion poll of district residents was commissioned in 2009, which reported that 75% of Catholics and 77% of nationalists found the proposed change acceptable, compared to 6% of Protestants and 8% of unionists.
[89] The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland's submission stated, "In the light of the serious adverse impacts on people of different religion/political belief within the Council area, and possibly for the region as a whole, the Equality Commission strongly advise Derry City Council not to proceed with the policy as it is currently proposed since a range of possible options has not been adequately considered and a significant amount of good relations work remains to be done before any official name change is considered.
[91] The Town Clerk submitted the EQIA report to the council in time for its meeting on 8 March 2010, at which Sinn Féin councillors brought a motion to proceed with the petition.
[92] In the aftermath of the meeting, Gregory Campbell, the DUP MP for East Londonderry, said the issue was 'dead', citing the result of the EQIA as the basis of his opinion.
[96] Unionist councillors called the decision "sectarian" and "disgusting",[97] and in August submitted an official challenge to the request.
[113] In the Republic's state Leaving Certificate examination in geography in 2009, a map of Ireland's counties included the label "Londonderry" rather than "Derry".
[117] The Football Association of Ireland apologised after a women's international match programme included county "Londonderry" on a map.
[118] In a 2012 debate in Dáil Éireann, minister Alan Shatter referred to "two pipe bombs set off in Londonderry on the 19th of January 2012".
"[120] Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald described April 2018 meetings with unionists in the city as "an engagement with young people with interests across Derry, or Londonderry".
[121][122][123] She responded to republican criticism of her use of "Londonderry" by saying "I used the term to reflect the fact that we had a dialogue – a really good one – with people who see things differently to us."
[130]) Another suggested compromise is to call the city "Derry" and the county "Londonderry"; this is common among historians of early modern Ireland.
[134] However, all the tourism agencies used the dual name "Derry-Londonderry" for the city, while the traditional county itself is referred as "Londonderry", whereas they try and use the term "North West" for the area in general.
When the UK directory enquiries service was demonopolised in 2003, Oftel guidelines specifically required addresses using either name to be accessible.
[143][144] A 1985 SDLP discussion paper suggested "North West" would be a "good compromise" rename for the county court and petty sessional divisions then named Londonderry.
The style guides for different media organisations address the issue variously: Derry~Londonderry is the official name of the city and is the preferred form of use for the University in all written materials.
The BBC apologised to Derry GAA in 2018 after a sports results broadcast called the county team Londonderry.
