-height:14.4pt;background:white">The name "Derry" is
preferred bynationalistsand it is broadly used throughout
Northern Ireland's Catholic community,as
well as that of the Republic of Ireland, whereas manyunionistsprefer "Londonderry";however in everyday conversation Derry
is used by most Protestant residents of the city.Apart from this local government
decision, the city is usuallyknown
as Londonderry in official use within the UK. In the Republic of Ireland, the
city and county are almost always referred to as Derry, on maps, in the media
and in conversation.In April
2009, however, the Republic of Ireland's Minister for Foreign Affairs,Micheál Martin, announced that Irish
passport holders who were born there could record either Derry or Londonderry
as their place of birth.Whereas
official road signs in the Republic use the nameDerry, those in Northern
Ireland bearLondonderry(sometimes abbreviated toL'Derry), although some of
these have been defaced with the reference toLondonobscured.Usage varies among
