The Siege Museum in Derry~Londonderry

The Siege Museum in Derry~Londonderry charts the history of the siege of 1689, when some 30,000 local Protestants held the city in the face of Catholic King James II’s Jacobite forces. The exhibition houses a treasure trove of artefacts both past and present – from weapons and military outfits to commemorative trinkets – that tell the story of this epic standoff between rival factions. Guided tours of the museum and the city walls are also available, during which you’ll hear dramatic tales of key battles and flashpoints during the conflict.

The museum also contains separate meeting rooms for the Loyal Orders, including the Apprentice Boys of Derry, one of several clubs which were founded in the 1800s to commemorate the Siege Heroes. Rooms relating to the Orange Order, Women’s Orange and The Royal Black Institution shed light on these age-old organisations which still play an important part in shaping the identity of many people from Northern Ireland today.