In Depth

New World, Old Argument . . .

To see evidence of how far back this titular dispute goes, one has to look no further than a United States road atlas. Near Manchester, New Hampshire, is a small old town called Derry. In the early 19th century there was a dispute over its name, so a group of residents set up a new town just to the south called -- you guessed it -- Londonderry. Whether anybody thought of Stroke City back then is unclear. The fact that even its name is controversial is excellent symbolism of the city's tenuous position, all but straddling the border between Ulster and the Republic of Ireland. Drive into the suburbs and suddenly the currency changes to the euro -- but that's the only way you can tell that you are in a different country.

The Apprentice Boys

Changing Derry's name and planting it with Protestants didn't immediately end the city's troubles. In December 1688, after backing the British Parliament during the civil war, Derry was attacked by Catholic forces led by the earl of Antrim. At one point in the battle, messengers from the earl were sent into the city, ostensibly for talks, but it was a trick to distract the city leaders as the earl's troops prepared to attack. At the last minute, some of the town's apprentice boys saw the ruse for what it was, and locked the city gates -- thus saving the town, but setting off the Great Siege of Derry. For months, the town's population endured attacks, disease, and starvation as the earl's troops waited them out. By the time they were rescued, nearly a quarter of the city's residents had died.

The apprentice boys were seen as Protestant heroes, and have been celebrated by the town ever since in marches and parades held every summer, although these have been widely associated with conflict between Protestants and Catholics.