BUT HERE TO TIME'S REMOTEST DATE,THEIR SPIRIT STILL SHALL FLOW"
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| A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE APPRENTICE BOYS OF DERRY AND THE DERRY CELEBRATIONS | ||||||||||||
| "COLD ARE THE HANDS THAT CLOSED OUR GATE,AGAINST THE WILY FOE, BUT HERE TO TIME'S REMOTEST DATE,THEIR SPIRIT STILL SHALL FLOW" |
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| THE FIRST CELEBRATIONS OF THE RELIEF OF DERRY TOOK PLACE ON THE WALLS ON THAT JOYOUS CALM SUNDAY EVENING OF JULY 28TH,1689 WHEN THE STARVING CITIZENS,WHO ENDURED SUCH HARDSHIP FOR 105 DAYS,CROWDED ON TO THE RAMPARTS TO WELCOME BROWNING'S SHIPS THAT HAD JUST BROKEN THE BOOM ACROSS THE FOYLE.THE FIRST ORGANISED CELEBRATIONS TOOK PLACE ON SUNDAY,AUGUST 8TH WHEN A THANKSGIVIING SERVICE WAS HELD IN ST.COLUMB'S CATHEDRAL,THUS ESTABLISHINGTHE PATTERN FORALL THOSE WHICH HAVE FOLLOWEDTHROUGHOUT THE CENTURIES.ON AUGUST 1ST,1714,EX-GOVERNOR AND SIEGE HERO,COLONEL MITHELBURNE HOISTED THE CRIMSON FLAG,EMBLEM OF THE CITY'S DEFIANCE,ON THE CATHEDRAL STEEPLE AND AFTERWARDS HE FORMED THE CLUB KNOWN AS THE APPRENTICE BOYS. AFTER HIS DEATH THE ACTUAL CLUB APPEARS TO HAVE GONE OUT OF EXISTENCE BUT THE CELEBRATIONS IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER THROUGHOUT THE EARLY 18TH CENTURY.THE RESIDENT GARRISON APPEAR TO HAVE TAKEN OVER THE ORGANISATION OF THE EVENTS IN AUGUST AND DECEMBER WHILE THE DEFENDERS AND THEIR DECENDANTS PARTICIPATED BY ATTENDIND DEVINE SERVICE AT THE CATHEDRAL."THE LONDONDERRY JOURNAL" OF AUGUST 5TH,1772,IN JUST ITS EIGHTH ISSUE, RECORDED THAT THE PREVIOUS SATURDAY"BEING THE EVER MEMORABLE FIRST OF AUGUST,THERE WERE UNCOMMON DEMONSTRATIONS OF JOY IN THE CITY."THE REPORT MENTIONED PROCESSIONS TO THE CATHEDRAL AND A SUPERB BANQUET IN THE TOWN HALL,ALONG WITH ILLUMINATIONS,FIRINGS AND OTHER TOKENS OF JOY.IN 1775 MENTION IS MADE IN THE SAME NEWSPAPER OF THE INDEPENDENT MITHELBURNE CLUB AND THE FACT THAT THE SAME CLUB HAD PARTICIPATED IN THE RELIEF ANNIVERSARY OF THAT YEAR WHEN THEY "DISTINGUISHED THEMSELVES PARTICULARLY IN THIS MOST MEMORABLE EXERCISE."WHEN THE CENTENARY OF THE RELIEF WAS CELEBRATED IN 1789,ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP MCDEVITT AND HIS CLERGY JOINED THEIRPROTESTANT FELLOW-CITIZENS IN THEIR THANKSGIVING SERVICES."THE SENTINEL",COMMENTING ON THE ABSENE OF ROMAN CATHOLICS FROM THE DECEMBER FESTIVITIES OF 1838 CLAIMED IN THE EDITORIAL THAT"UNTIL A VERYU RECENT PERIOD CATHOLICS HAVE JOINED THEIR FELLOW CITIZENS IN COMMEMORATING THE SHUTTING OF THE GATES."EARLY IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY THE APPRENTICE BOYS' MOVEMENT BEGAN TO ADOPT A MORE DEFINITE ROLE IN THE CELEBRATIONS.THE APPRENTICE BOYS OF DERRY CLUB WAS FOUNDED IN 1814 AND A MEDAL WAS STRUCK.IT IS RECORDED THAT THERE WAS MUSKETRY FIRING FROM THE CATHEREDRAL AND VOLLIES FIRED OVER THE GATES,A PRACTISE THA WAS TO PROVE CONTROVERSIAL IN LATER DAYS.THE NO SURRENDER CLUB WAS FORMED IN 1824 AND THERE NOW APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN AN INCREASE IN ACTIVITY WITHIN THE MOVEMENT.PLANS FOR ERECTION OF WALKERS'S MEMORIAL PILLAR WERE FINALISED AND APPRENTICE BOYS TOOK PART IN THE FOUNDATION STONE. | ||||||||||||
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