Guildhall Restoration
Due to the restoration of the Guildhall and associated offices both the Guildhall and the Harbour Museum are closed to the public. Visit the 'We are Moving' section for more information.
Guildhall Restoration
As Derry gears up for the dual celebrations of City of Culture and the 400th anniversary of our historic walls in 2013, the building at the heart of our city life is undergoing a dramatic makeover.
Years of preparation
Though contractors H&J Martin began restoration work in August 2010, preparations had long been underway between Derry City Council and a special conservation design team led by Consarc. Costing £3 million, the project will see the restoration of the stonework, roofs, windows and stained glass of the iconic building, as well as the famous Guildhall Clock. New steps and a ramp are being built at the entrance at Guildhall Square.
Stained glass windows
Restoration of the beautiful stained glass windows is being overseen by Stephen Calderwood, who last worked on them with his father Jack when they were damaged in the bombings of 1972. Stephen and his colleagues have nearly finished restoring them to their pristine state of 1912. Two new stained glass windows will also be placed at Shipquay Place and Guildhall Street in the new Council Chamber.
Valuing our past
As part of our City of Culture bid we were asked to examine and value our past. The restoration of this beautiful building, due to be completed in…., connects us to a century ago, when the city was also buzzing with optimism for the future, and safeguards the Guildhall’s future for generations to come.
Time Capsule
The foundation stone of the Guildhall was laid on August 23rd 1887 by Sir J Whittaker Ellis, Governor of The Honourable The Irish Society, and the Mayor, Sir Thomas Leckey. Below the stone a glass time capsule had already been placed. This included the local papers of the day and several coins – a sovereign, half-sovereign, crown piece, double florin, half-crown, sixpence, three-penny piece, penny and halfpenny.
Lost from memory
Also included was a statement about the building of the Guildhall, with the names of the members of The Honourable The Irish Society and Londonderry Corporation (which would later become Derry City Council). For many years, this capsule remained hidden, until even its existence was forgotten.
Discovered at last
In 2010, as part of the on-going restoration of the Guildhall, the architectural consultants on the project, Consarc, while investigating which stones needed restoring or replacing, found a glass container behind one of them – the time capsule had been found!
Preserved for the future
Most prized of the wonderful new find was the handwritten manuscript which sets out the background to the building of the Guildhall, revealing how a deputation from Londonderry Corporation visited The Honourable The Irish Society to ask for help in building a new town hall. Damp and badly damaged, the manuscript has been restored by months of painstaking conservation work at the Derry and Raphoe Diocesan Library Project and has now been framed for public exhibition.