Days Out NI
Heritage site Derry

St Columba's Church Long Tower

Step inside Derry's most beautiful church for free, on the site St Columba founded.

5 photos
Check hoursRoughly 8am to early evening daily, closi…
FreeNo ticket needed
DerryHeritage site
Get directionsOfficial website
20-40 minutesHow long
FreeEntry
Go insideAccess
NearbyParking
Assistance do…Dogs

St Columba's Church Long Tower — Step inside Derry's most beautiful church for free, on the site St Columba founded.

  • Getting in: Free, no ticket. Walk straight in during opening hours.
  • Opening: Roughly 8am to early evening daily, closing after the last Mass (about 8pm Mon-Fri, 7pm Sat, 6pm Sun). Check before a special trip.
  • Inside: Yes — the interior is open to visitors. It's a working church, so respect any service in progress.
  • Dogs: Assistance dogs only inside the church; check before bringing other dogs.
  • Parking: No dedicated car park. Use city-centre parking and walk down, or park on nearby streets where permitted.
  • Food: None on site. Plenty of cafes and pubs a short walk uphill in Derry city centre.
Plan your visit

What you'll see inside

The interior is the reason people call this one of Ireland's most beautiful churches. The marble High Altar is the centrepiece, with three lead panels showing Christ ascending into heaven between Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Around it are marble columns, carved shrines, statues and stained-glass windows added in the great 1908-09 restoration. Look for the opus sectile glass tiles, restored in 2009 after nearly a century untouched. Allow time to sit quietly — there's a calm here that rewards a slow look up at the ceiling and altar.

Free entry Open daily Go inside Marble High Altar Built 1788 St Columba's site
Good to know before you go:

As a living parish church, Long Tower keeps a full calendar of Masses and marks the feast of St Columba and other seasons through the year. Services and occasional heritage open days are the best times to see it at its liveliest. Check what else is on across Northern Ireland before you plan your day.

Before you set off

What to bring

  • 👟Comfy shoesThere is usually a bit of walking, some steps and uneven older ground.
  • 📷A cameraThe history, the architecture and the setting are all worth capturing.
  • 💷A few poundsSome heritage sites are ticketed or have a shop and café — handy to have.
  • 💧Water and a snackNot every site has a café on hand, so pack a little something.
Good to know

Everything before you go

Getting in
Free, no ticket. Walk straight in during opening hours.
Opening
Roughly 8am to early evening daily, closing after the last Mass (about 8pm Mon-Fri, 7pm Sat, 6pm Sun). Check before a special trip.
Can you go inside
Yes — the interior is open to visitors. It's a working church, so respect any service in progress.
Food
None on site. Plenty of cafes and pubs a short walk uphill in Derry city centre.
Dogs
Assistance dogs only inside the church; check before bringing other dogs.
Parking
No dedicated car park. Use city-centre parking and walk down, or park on nearby streets where permitted.
Accessibility
Step-free access at street level; contact the parish on 028 7126 2301 about specific needs.
How long to allow
20-40 minutes inside; longer if you combine it with the Walls and Bogside.
Address
59A Longtower Street, Derry/Londonderry, BT48 6QQ
Questions

Before you go

Is it free to visit?
Free, no ticket. Walk straight in during opening hours.
Can you go inside?
Yes — the interior is open to visitors. It's a working church, so respect any service in progress.
When is it open?
Roughly 8am to early evening daily, closing after the last Mass (about 8pm Mon-Fri, 7pm Sat, 6pm Sun). Check before a special trip.
Can I bring the dog?
Assistance dogs only inside the church; check before bringing other dogs.
Where do I park?
No dedicated car park. Use city-centre parking and walk down, or park on nearby streets where permitted.
Getting there

St Columba's Church Long Tower is at 59A Longtower Street, Derry/Londonderry, BT48 6QQ. No dedicated car park. Use city-centre parking and walk down, or park on nearby streets where permitted. Tap below for directions.

Directions on Google MapsOfficial website See it on our map
Nearby

Make more of the day

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The story

The story of Long Tower

The ground here is older than any building on it. This is held to be the site of the Dubh Regles, the "black church" associated with St Columba (Colmcille), and of the medieval Tempull Mor or Great Church. Catholic worship on the spot is traced back to the 12th century, long before the present church existed.

The modern church began in 1783, when parish priest Father John Lynch set out to raise the funds for it. Remarkably for the time, he gathered support from across the divide: Catholic subscribers gave £812, Protestant subscribers £321, with further sums from the Bishop of Derry, the Corporation and the Protestant Dean. The church opened in 1788, the oldest Catholic parish church in the city.

It grew over the next century. A refurbishment in 1810 added gallery seating and moved the altar, and the great restoration of 1908-09 gave the church most of what visitors admire today — the marble High Altar with its lead panels of Christ, Saints Peter and Paul, new stained glass, statues, shrines and the opus sectile glasswork. The church was reopened to the public in 1909.

Care has continued into recent times. The opus sectile tiles were restored for the 2009 centenary, and a major exterior stonework project, the "Save Our Stonework" appeal, ran from around 2016 to 2020. In 2017 the church hosted the funeral Mass of Martin McGuinness, attended by figures including former US President Bill Clinton.