From Derry's Walls

An old shot, from a couple of years ago on a walk around the Walls of Derry (which I've covered a few times before, see for example here).  This one is looking North-West over the Bogside - the long straight road on the left is Westland Street.  That's St Eugene's Cathedral on the right and the hills of Inishowen in Donegal beyond:

The Bogside&St Eugene's Cathedral, Derry c2018

It's a straight print this one, HP5+ on Kenthene fixed grade paper.  Taken on the Hasselblad, but cropped to 35mm proportions (there was a lot of empty foreground space).  I like the clouds.

Thankfully the Bogside is a much quieter place than it was a few decades ago.  Most of the old apartment blocks along Rossville Street have long gone although as you drive up Westland Street you are left in no doubt as to the history of the place and the people - many murals adorn the gable ends of houses and any spare wall space.  The history of the civil rights marches of 1968 and 1972 are well documented as is the conflict which lasted for the best part of 30 years.  A lot of young people left the country as soon as they could - I was one of them, going to University in England when I was 18.   Sixteen years later when I returned to work in Derry peace was finally settling in the City and elsewhere across Northern Ireland - the Good Friday Agreement was signed in April of 1998.  Then there was Omagh, which changed things forever. Today, thankfully, we have a much changed place - for the better.