Free Derry Corner is across the street from the group of standing stones It, and the surrounding murals, are representative of a much more recent part of the city's history: the 'Troubles', which affected the city for thirty years from the late 1960's To find out more, carry on along the street to the Museum of Free Derry
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Nearby, is a group of three standing stones, symbolising the historic wells. These are part of an art installation from 1992 called the ‘Derry Donegal Landscape Sculpture’. Slovenian artist Marco Pogacnik used ley lines to establish key sites in the city and surrounding landscape. He regarded the stones as an acupuncture pin in the landscape. Each stone has a carved ‘cosmogramme’ representing the surrounding area. He argued that the work would restore balance to a region ‘destroyed’ by centuries of development. He felt that the three wells formed the centre of the surrounding region.
Ley lines: 'supposed alignments of numerous places of geographical and historical interest, such as ancient monuments and megaliths, natural ridge-tops and water-fords.' This is St Columb's Well. Originally one of three holy wells near each other, it is now marked by a late Victorian pump but as a site it appears to date from earliest times, perhaps even pre-Christian, when some wells were venerated in their own right. To get here go down the fine stone steps beside the Aras Colmcille museum at the Long Tower church. Turn right and walk along the path until you see the pump.
Outside, note some more plaques and art work, and, at the base of a Calvary scene this unusual stone. This is St Columb's Stone. The two indentations are supposed to be the impression of the saints knees. It was relocated from St Columb's Wells in the Bogside in the early Twentieth Century and turned on its side in the new position. Archaeologists describe a stone like this as a 'balaun' which is a generic term for a stone with a man made indentation. This stone has had close associations with St Columba for many centuries. Now, go and find out more about the saint and have a cup of coffee with a fine view in the Aras Colmkille museum on the other side of the church.
Inside, the church has a powerful atmosphere and is is very richly decorated. Of note is the opus sectile work (tiles like stained glass) and the Corinthian column heads flanking the altar. These were made in Naples and were donated by the Anglican Bishop of Derry in the Eighteenth Century. Also notable are the plaques in the floor referring to previous churches on the site as understood at the beginning of the twentieth century.
Back across the road, this is the main entrance of the Long Tower Church. It was remodelled between1908 and 1912 in the Romanesque style. The fine golden mosaic over the entrance gives a suggestion of the riches which lie within
This is the only fragment of the Tempull Mor known to survive. It is a small stone with a Latin inscription placed within the larger foundation stone of the Anglican cathedral (St Columb's), which was built to replace it in 1633. Translated, the text says: 'The true God is in the church and truly He is to be worshiped.'
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