Ireland formally launched it’s bid to host the 2023 rugby world cup, throwing it’s hat in to the ring with South Africa and France. The GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) have opened up their grounds and made them available as part of the bid. Celtic Park (Páirc na gCeilteach) in Derry City is one of the grounds made available for some of the type C group matches, but what would bring the rugby world cup to Derry and what has Derry to offer?

Derry is nestled in the North West of Ireland next door to Donegal on the Wild Atlantic Way. Celtic Park, in the Brandywell area of Derry, has had a major revamp from 2008 with the addition of flood lights and raised the capacity of the stadium to 17,000, world cup specifications are 15,000+.

In 2013 Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann or the Music Festival of Ireland was held in Derry for the first time. The Fleadh is a week long music, song and dance competition and ONLY the biggest Irish traditional festival in the world. The week long events consisted of some of the best performers in the world gathering in Derry and displaying their skills to the public culminating in the finals on the last weekend. The Fleadh in Derry was described by the organisers as one if the best organised and run competitions that they had ever been to. They described the warmth of the Derry people and the atmosphere was electrical and the craic was 90 as they say. The event attracted somewhere in the region of 500,000 spectators over the week.

The Foyle Maritime Festival 2016 saw the arrival of the round the world Clipper race arrive in the city of Derry for the third time. The prestigious race which gives amateur yachtsmen and women the chance to get some first hand experience at round the world boat racing. This maritime event is quickly becoming one of the most anticipated events to be held in Derry. 2016 saw more than 250,000 come to Derry for the Clipper Race.

Derry has been known for years for it’s tradition Irish music scene and also the craic. Derry is a lively warm and friendly destination for visitors to the North West, which always in the past seemed to get over looked. Derry is one of the most historic cities in Ireland with the friendly feel of a small town. The local Waterloo Street is renowned for it's Irish traditional music scene with Peadar ÓDonnells, Gweedore and Tracey’s bars just among a few of them.
Derry is one of the warmest and friendliest cities in Ireland that you could visit. We take pride in our failte-welcome to visitors from near and far. Derry is the only fully walled city in Ireland and one of the most historic. Rugby World Cup 2023 bring it on!

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