Museum of Free Derry

My fiancé and I enjoyed this museum immensely. The staff were friendly and helpful with questions and the subject material speaks for itself. There were some very somber, but amazing items from «The Troubles,» and in particular Bloody Sunday, where the British Army murdered innocent civilians in Derry. There were even several clothing items worn by the Irish civilians who were murdered, stained with their blood and bullet holes.
The subject matter was excellent and the history was accurate and truthful, nothing was edited. Very sad exhibit, but very informative. A must see. We will return when the new state of the art museum opens!

For some reason, I had it in my head that the Museum of Free Derry’s walking tours of the Bogside started at 11 AM. My friend and I went to the Museum shortly before 11 AM, only to be told — in the nicest possible way — that the tours start at 10 AM and 12 PM (as the website indicated). The man at the desk suggested that we spend some time looking through the Museum before the 12 PM tour.
I’m glad my friend and I followed his advice: we spent a little less than an hour reading about the struggle for civil rights in the Bogside and looking at the collection of artifacts and photos that they have amassed. Note: this is a small museum, but it packs in a lot of interesting information. I wouldn’t recommend it for children who are too young to read or understand civil rights.
However, the high point of the day was the walking tour. My friend and I joined some French bikers on a tour of the Bogside led by Paul, who lost his father in the Bloody Sunday massacre. Paul showed us the murals and spoke about the history of the area in a way that was very easy to understand, and it was quite moving when he showed us the very spots where various events took place. Paul was very open to questions and did a good job dealing with a bilingual group (one of the bikers did a fair amount of translating during the tour). I was also very impressed by the way Paul tried to explain things in a very objective manner, as it would be very easy for someone to get emotional and try to force his perspective on the tour group. I think that the history of the area speaks for itself.
Overall, the Museum of Free Derry was definitely the highlight of our time in Derry, and it was one of my favorite parts of my trip to Ireland.

If you are an outsider in this city there is no excuse for not going to this interesting and moving history museum where you will meet people who actually participated in the events depicted. By all means go on the walking tour of Bogside you get to see the murals and you get a local perspective albeit a Sein Fein perspective. Our guide was a very likeable, republican volunteer who had been interned and made about the best case you can make for the IRA.

Civil rights from «the people’s point of view». Established by the Bloody Sunday Trust, the museum is dedicated to all who have struggled for civil rights. Great photography related to Battle of the Bogside, Free Derry, and Internment. The story told here is about a working class community who rose up against oppression. This is open year round from 9:30 — 4:30 p.m. Monday-​Friday but Saturday afternoons are only between March and September.