Visit The Guild Hall

The Guildhall is a beautiful building and is well worth taking time to see. It is located in the heart of the city, just outside the city walls and close to the Peace Bridge.

Fashioned in neo-gothic style, the Guildhall is one of the most striking buildings in the North West and was originally built in 1887 by The Honourable The Irish Society. The red sandstone building is of neo-gothic architecture, with Tudor overtones. The Guildhall contains stunning examples of stained glass windows and visitors will be intrigued by its unique history and appeal. The staircase, main hall organ, and corridors give a fascinating insight into this distinctive building.

A major £9.5m restoration of the Guildhall was completed in June 2013. The building which had been closed since 2012 now also boasts a new multifaceted tourism experience providing a central hub for visitors exploring the city. The huge undertaken which began in 2011 included external restoration works to the stonework, roof, windows, stained glass and the clock. During the second phase of the project work was carried out on the internal restructure to offer the following facilities:

• An interactive Tourist Information Point
• A new dedicated exhibition exploring how the Plantation has shaped our history
• Cultural spaces and a new cafe area
• Interpretation panels throughout the building to bring its many special features to life

Since undergoing the restoration the Guildhall has been scooping up the awards in a number of prestigious regional and national architectural and construction competitions.

So far it has been awarded ten accolades from a variety of professional bodies including learned professional societies, heritage groups, and construction organisations. Derry City Council has recently been presented with award certificates and plaques from the Irish Georgian Society as winner of their 2014 Conservation Award, from the Royal Institute of British Architects as winner of their Regional Award and Regional Conservation Award 2014 and from the Stone Federation of Great Britain as winner of their National Stone Award for Repair and Restoration 2014.