Peter's Walking Bogside History Tour is an absolute must!!! - We had the incomparable honor of taking the Bogside Walking tour with Peter. The tour was recommended as a "must" by our hotel (the Madron in Derry) and we are so grateful that we did it. My wife Jen and I and our 18 year old son Jasper knew a little about Bloody Sunday and the Troubles, of course, but having Peter as our guide educated and moved us far beyond what we had ever experienced. Peter shared not only his professional expertise (with his advanced degrees in Irish History and in Peach and Conflict Studies) but his unique experience as a lifetime resident of Derry. He shared with our group that he was 13 during Bloody Sunday - and that he had a brother who was 17 at the time. I can't imagine any more poignant, powerful and erudite tour than the one that Peter gave us. Our group consisted of us three Americans, five people from England, and one from Germany, and we were all captivated and moved. One of the many highlights was Peter's descriptions of each of the murals - especially because the artist is Peter's lifelong friend. That close relationship gave us insight into each detail of the murals - (which are intense and beautiful) as well as the context from which they were created. At the end of the tour, he escorted us into the Derry Museum (at a discount) and even took the time to accompany me through! His kindness, intelligence and passion brought each exhibit to vivid life, and I was humbled by his generosity. The other thing that was extraordinary about Peter is his wit and sense of humor. Given the heartbreaking history that he guided us through, it was incredibly lovely that Peter himself is very funny, and that he told hilarious stories. I recommend Peter and the Walking Bogside History Tour to everyone without reservation.

Grounded, exact, and quietly devastating - Review: We did this Bogside walking tour on Friday 27 March. It wasn’t led by Paul Doherty, but by a younger guide—local, deeply knowledgeable, and clearly rooted in the community. He was, if anything, over-prepared in the best sense: careful with detail, committed to accuracy, and able to shape a lot of material into a clear, compelling account without overwhelming us. The tour does exactly what it says: tracing the civil rights movement, the events of Bloody Sunday (30 January 1972), the key sites, and the aftermath, including the long struggle by families for truth and ultimate vindication in the Saville Report (15 June 2010). It holds together commemoration and analysis—naming the dead alongside a direct account of state violence and its consequences. One thing that stood out was the opening. In a short space of time, the guide set out a wider historical frame—enough to give a sense of how these events sit within a longer political and social history. That made everything that followed clearer. Retracing the route is quietly shocking. You stand in an ordinary street and are told that someone whose picture you've seen was shot at that exact spot. This is not a distant battlefield but a tight knit community. The presence of soldiers in that space is hard to take in and to forget. We had watched a film the night before, supported by the Museum of Free Derry, about Bloody Sunday and the decades-long fight by families to clear the names of those 14 killed—mostly very young men, unarmed, on a civil rights march. Seeing that, and then walking the ground the next day, was a powerful combination. We felt very indebted to those who devoted so much of their lives to correcting the historical record. The guide also made clear that this was a civil rights march, not a Republican event. What followed shows something that remains clear: political repression produces resistance. Armed aggression recruits for it—a lesson we have yet to learn. If you’re in Derry and at all interested in history, civil rights, or Irish culture, this tour is a real gift.

A Close Up Look at a Tragic Event - If you’re staying in or near Derry, you have to do this tour. John, our guide has very personal memories of the goings on that day. I won’t spoil the tour by revealing his words, but he shared his feelings without bitterness or anger. Very well prepared and articulate, he painted a vivid picture of what led to such a confrontation, and how it unfolded. Definitely not disappointed.

Fascinating tour with Jimmy - Fascinating couple of hours in the company of our guide Jimmy. His first-hand stories, some funny some very sobering, made the time fly by and added essential context to our visit to Derry.

"Great" discovery of such a terrible event - About 2 hours walking with John in the footsteps of the Bloody Sunday marching rally with an emotional depiction of the events that occurred that day and the series of events that help understand how it came to be. Learning about such contemporary history is really moving and more so when it is told by someone who has lived them. I reccomend to follow the tour by a visit to the museum where the tour ends

The real history from someone who lived it. - Just a great overview of the city’s history. Ours focused on the Troubles which is what we wanted as we walked along the walls of the city. Gerry was our guide and did a great job. Natural storyteller, born and raised in Derry. Very balanced account of what happened. About 90 minutes, but not a lot of actual walking as he stops and tells you about things. All very level or down hill. Honestly don’t know why you wouldn’t do the tour.

Honest and eye opening experience. Highly recommend. - My father and I did the tour with John and it was such an eye opening experience. John was incredibly knowledgable and was able to really paint a picture about what it was like growing up during the Troubles, as well as what it means to belong to a place full of such rich, and complicated history. We felt very fortunate to hear his personal stories along the way, and hear about how Derry has changed. I was recommended this tour by a friend, and I would wholeheartedly pass the recommendation onto others.

Bogside / Bloody Sunday tour - Took a group of students to learn about Bloody Sunday and this history of Derry in The Troubles. This tour was an incredible experience. Very moving and very informative. Paul was an excellent tour guide whose own personal experience and humour comes through at all times. Wonderful to see the murals throughout the Bogside and then to go to the Free Derry museum afterwards. Excellent tour and a great way to see and learn about the city.

Important tour of a fascinating part of our history - Fascinating explanation of the history and people impacted by Bloody Sunday. John was a superb guide and dealt with the subject in a very balanced way and brought the events to life with direct knowledge of people involved.

A harrowing but vital tour for anyone in Derry - A must for anyone who visits Derry. We were honoured and privileged to have Jimmy lead our tour and hear his first hand account of life in the Bogside at various points in history, his harrowing but balanced and important recollections on Bloody Sunday and his reflections on where life in Derry is now