The nearby set of sculpted statues serve as a poignant reminder of the countless families which left from the docks here in search of a new life in America. As shown the family is conflicted between looking forward, toward their new future and backward to the Grandparents and old life they leave behind. Due to it's ideal location at the end of the sheltered Lough Foyle - with immediate access to the open sea at its mouth, Derry provided an ideal exit point for the many thousands of emigrants from the early 1700s until the start of World War 2. The importance of Derry as an emigration point increased through the 19th century enhanced by the development of the railways, this enabled more effective and widespread travel to the port. By the 1870s steamship liners rapidly took over from sailing ships and due to the resultant increase in size, the ships anchored at Moville and paddle tenders transfered passengers to there from Derry quay. This meant that Derry became the prime emigration port for the north of the island of Ireland - with Queenstown (now Cobh) serving the southern area. In 1883 15,000 people left through Derry for the USA & Canada.
WWII saw a new significance of the docks being the most westerly port - hence very strategically important for allied naval forces in the Battle of the Atlantic. Between 1940 and 1944 over 20000 Royal Navy personnel were based here together with 10000 Canadians and 8000 Americans. Ebrington barracks was also taken over by the Royal Navy with over 2000 personnel based there overseeing 150 naval vessels - so the River Foyle was a busy place!..
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