Events
Five Oaks Events
Your home away from home...
City of Derry/Londonderry
Apart from offering you comfortable accommodation while in the City of Derry, Five Oaks Bed and Breakfast is also glad to provide insights about a range of cultural, event and retail experiences that you can try during your stay here.
Featured in Lonely Planet’s ‘Best in Travel Guide 2013’, the ancient yet contemporary city of Derry/Londonderry received the prestigious title of ‘UK City of Culture’ in the same aforementioned year. It was initially named Daire Calgach (meaning ‘oak grove’) due to the scatter of sturdy oak trees across it.
If visiting the city for the first time, You can get up to date information https://www.derrystrabane.com/Services/Tourism/Events
You will also be impressed by the Cities medieval walls which are still intact and retaining the original gateways, making it the best preserved walled city in Ireland. Built between 1613 and 1618 to defend the settled English and Scottish planters from the attacks of the marauding Irish clans, these walls were financed by guilds from the City of London, from which stems the name Londonderry. Withstanding several sieges throughout history, the very same walls have gained an ‘unconquerable’ status that also won the city the title of ‘The Maiden City’.
One can gain a comprehensive overview of the city’s history and evolution within the permanent exhibition ‘The Story of Derry’ at the Tower Museum, which takes the visitors on a journey through many centuries from its geological origins through its Christian, maritime, emigration, economic and more recent vociferous political events.
Although having a rich historical background, the City of Derry has also one of the youngest populations in Europe, which makes it young at heart. A note of optimism and enthusiasm can be sensed through its thriving potent arts environment where new writing, film and dramatic arts flourish. Local and international theatre groups, dancers, singers and writers are gathered at venues such as The Playhouse, The Verbal Arts Centre and Nerve Centre for artistic representations. Another expression of this dynamism is rendered by the talented artisans that create hand-crafted jewellery and crystal gifts in the craft village.
The city of Derry has been named as the top Halloween destination in the world, by a top US publication.
USA Today awarded Derry the top spot, beating off competition from spooky locations including Transylvania, Sleepy Hollow and Salem, Massachusetts.
The destinations of choice for witches, vampires and the Headless Horseman didn’t rank as highly as our very own City of Bones when it comes to celebrating the most haunted night of the year, with Derry scooping the majority of online votes.
One of Northern Ireland’s iconic sites: the Dark Hedges,
an atmospheric avenue of beech trees (complete with resident ghost, according to the locals).
This stretch of road was used to depict the Kingsroad, which was usually plagued by bandits and thieves. Thankfully, it’s quite safe in real life, so take your time and take lots of pictures. It’s a magical spot.
County Derry~Londonderry, Ballycastle, the ancestral seat of House Targaryen: Dragonstone.
Downhill Strand in County Derry-Londonderry is famous for its seven-mile stretch of golden sands. With the iconic Mussenden Temple in the background, Downhill was used for the scene where Lady Melisandre burned the seven gods of Westeros in sacrifice to R’hllor.
Portstewart Strand is another of Northern Ireland’s glorious beaches. And this being Game of Thrones™ territory, you should expect the unexpected here… a set of giant’s footsteps, perhaps?
Find below a list of the most notable upcoming local events:
• 22 -25 October >> Londonderry/Derry - City of Derry International Choral Festival
• 10 December >> Limavady - Film Screening: Birdman
Book a Room for an Event
As you can see, there are plenty things to do while in Londonderry. Let Five Oaks Bed and Breakfast take care of your accommodation while you take advantage of the numerous leisure pursuits available in and around the city.
Dare to venture in the neighbouring areas as well to explore the corners of a county where scenes of the famous TV series Game of Thrones have been filmed. Here are some further suggestions in this respect:
- Mussenden Temple – 24 miles away from Londonderry, on the cliffs near Castlerock high above the Atlantic Ocean, the 230-year old building is open to the public all year.
- Old Bushmills Distillery – situated in Bushmills (39 miles away from Londonderry) and considered the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world, it is a popular tourist attraction that draws 120,000 visitors per year. It is closely connected to and used as an emblem of the Irish whiskey industry.
- Giant’s Causeway – Situated about three miles northeast of Bushmills, this area of approximately 40,000 interlocking basalt columns resulted from an ancient volcanic eruption offers a unique and outstanding view. Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986, Giant’s Causeway has also been named as the fourth greatest natural wonder in the United Kingdom. Definitely something not to be missed!
- Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge – If interested in enjoying the stunning natural beauty of the Irish landscapes, this tourist attraction near Ballintoy (46 miles away from Londonderry) will suit your need. Owned and maintained by the National Trust, this 20-metre long rope bridge links the mainland to the small island of Carrickarede. Situated 30 metres above the rocks below, it offers a fun-packed ‘stroll’ and is open all year round (subject to weather).
