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Londonderry's heritage is valued
FUTURE editions of the Derry Visitor Guide will come before Derry City Council for scrutiny while still in draft form to ensure they accurately reflect the true heritage of Londonderry, Alderman Gregory Campbell has vowed.
Alderman Campbell made the commitment following Thursday's meeting of Derry City Council, where he received cross-party support in his call for the omission of Protestant heritage sites from the Key Locations index in the Visitor Guide to be rectified.
The glaring omissions were first brought to public attention last week by The Sentinel, and there was a public outcry over the number of places of Protestant historic reference not included on the list of Key Locations of the maps in the guidebook. They included St Columb's Cathedral, St Augustine's Church, the Apprentice Boys Memorial Hall and the Cenotaph in The Diamond.
Asked how he felt about the support he had received in the Council Chamber, Alderman Campbell said: "I feel it was overdue, but at least it is an acknowledgement that a significant mistake was made, and that it needs to be rectified, and I think everybody now concedes that it must be rectified.
"The fact that I received support from across the Chamber proves the strength of the case. You could not defend a bus station outside of the Walled City being included in a Key Location guide and the most famous Cathedral in the whole of the north west, if not the whole of Northern ireland, being excluded. I think it justifies the whole campaign," he said.
"We now want to see what the new guide will look like when it is amended. Hopefully it will reflect accurately the City's history. From now on this publication will come before Council for examination before going to full print," he added.
Adding weight to Alderman Campbell's comments, Alderman Mary Hamilton, who last week called for the current Visitor Guide to be scrapped, said: "I am pleased that the whole council have come on board and recognised the importance of the protestant heritage to the City. I am pleased they have recognised that his book is not complete and that it should be taken away and be reprinted with these locations included as a matter of urgency."
Initiating discussion on the matter at Thursday's full meeting of the Council, Alderman Campbell, said: "Very significant areas of historical interest are excluded from the Key Locations of the Walled City Map, which have been noted and commented on widely in the Press. They include St Columb's Cathedral, the Apprentice Boys Memorial hall and St Augustine's Church. I don't know what the reason for including, for example, the bus station is, and excluding the Cathedral, which is probably the most historic building in the Walled City. It is a bit like having a tour guide of the North Coast and overlooking the Giant's Causeway," he said.
Alderman Campbell proposed that officers from the Visitor and Convention Bureau be invited to a meeting of the Development Committee as soon as possible with a view to trying to get the Visitor Guide adjusted to more accurately reflect the tourist amenities in the City.
His proposal was seconded by Alderman Mary Hamilton, who called for a new Visitor Guide to be issued.
Councillor Gerry MacLochlainn, SF, said the issue needed addressing for the sake of equality, and whether it was done by means of a new Visitor Guide or other means, it should be done in "the best and most efficient means possible".
Councillor Lynn Fleming, SF, described the omission from the Key Locations as "a serious oversight" and also demanded that the situation be rectified to accurately reflect the tourist facilities available in the City.
The City Secretary and Solicitor, Mr Damian McMahon, said staff at the Visitor and Convention Bureau were taking the matter "very seriously", while Deputy Town Clerk, Mr John Meehan, vowed the Council would take action and invite members of the Bureau to address the Council.
A report is to be brought to the Regional Services Committee in September.
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Weather for Londonderry
Sunday 27 May 2012
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