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Family pilgrimage to First Derry Church
Religious Heritage 22 October 2025 · 4 min read

Family pilgrimage to First Derry Church

Descendants of Rev Robert Craighead visit ancestral 'spiritual' home

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Christopher Sherrard

Veritas Tours

#First Derry #pilgrimage #Presbyterian #Craighead family

It was a momentous day on Monday, October 20th, 2025 when a very special visitor and his family toured the City Walls with Veritas Tours.

A direct descendant of the church's earliest Minister - Rev Robert Craighead, his great-grandson (x8), Reverend Tom Craighead, made a pilgrimage to his ancestor's church. Rev Robert Craighead was the first Minister at the church when, with money from Queen Mary herself, the congregation built their spiritual home in the city back in the early 1690s.

Rev Tom Craighead and his family travelled all the way from Washington DC (USA) on a pilgrimage to Northern Ireland specifically to see the churches in which Rev Robert Craighead preached in during his tenureship in Ministry.

Reverend Robert Craighead was minister of First Derry Presbyterian Church from 1690-1711 and it was he who was at the helm when the donation of money from Queen Mary was made to the Presbyterians in the city.

Undeniably a spiritually uplifting day for the Craighead contingent, who were in awe of what Derry/Londonderry has to offer by way of history and culture, it was also a day of special significance for VT Guide Christopher, who is a member of the First Derry family.

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Written by

Christopher Sherrard

Christopher Sherrard is a certified Level 2 Tour Guide with Veritas Tours, specializing in the history and heritage of Derry/Londonderry. A member of the First Derry Presbyterian Church family, he brings a deep personal connection to the city's rich religious and cultural story.

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