Prayer for the counties of Ireland
January 2025
Prayer for County Derry/Londonderry
Motto: Auxilium A Domino = ‘help comes from the Lord’;
Meaning of name: Dhoire / Lunnonderrie = “oak grove”.
Nickname: The oak leaf county
As with the city, its name is subject to the Derry/Londonderry name dispute, with the form "Londonderry" generally preferred by unionists and "Derry" by nationalists. Unlike with the city, however, there has never been a County Derry. County Londonderry was formed mostly from the old County Coleraine.
The 5th largest city in Ireland, the 2nd in N. Ireland, it is the last walled-city built in Ireland and the only one whose ancient walls survive complete.
Earliest references date to 6th Century when a monastery was founded there, according to tradition by Saint Colmcille/Columba. Regarded as the jewel in the crown of the Ulster Plantation, it has long been a city which has been fought over and plagued by division, seen more recently during the Troubles, when the city became the flashpoint for Civil rights demonstrations.
St Columba’s Cathedral (1633) is one of the most important 17th century buildings in the country and was the first specifically protestant cathedral erected anywhere in the world following the Reformation.
The city was an embarkation point for Irish emigrants heading to N America in 18th + 19th century.
Played important role in WW2. At end of war 19 German U-boat surrendered in the city’s harbour.
The county has significant prehistoric structures, including Mountsandel, the oldest recorded settlement in Ireland.
Division is reflected in its many names – Derry, Londonderry, Stroke City, the Maiden city, and the Walled city. The name dispute is also seen on road signs in the ROI, all point to the contention regarding British or Irish identity. The nickname "the Maiden City" is due to the fact that its walls were never breached despite being besieged on three separate occasions in the 17th century, the most notable being the Siege of Derry of 1688–1689. It was also nicknamed "Stroke City" by a local broadcaster, owing to the politically correct use by some of the dual name Derry/Londonderry.
PRAYER:
• Pray Isaiah 61:1-4 over the city. That in this “oak leaf county” the Lord would raise up oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendour.”
• Pray that the people of Derry/Londonderry would take heed of the motto ‘help comes from the Lord, and seek God for themselves.
• Pray for God’s peace to reign in this county.
• Pray for the many churches to serve God faithfully, seeking to share Christ with those around them.
· Pray for ongoing reconciliation and healing between Protestant/Catholic community for the violence and hurt caused by the conflict despite the fact that a lot of work has been done in that area. Pray that the people of the city and county would first and foremost become citizens of heaven, having found their identity in Christ, rather than their Britishness or Irishness.
photo - unsplash