Sir, - The city of Derry is a creation of the 17th century planters, who had strong links with various London trade guilds. The place hardly existed on 15th and 16th century maps of Ireland but the enterprise and initiative of the planters soon established Derry as a major commercial and industrial centre. Since they built the city they were entitled to call it whatever they pleased, and did so appropriately by prefixing "London" to the local name.
Ironically, the very enterprise and initiative of the city's founders resulted in today's nationalist majority, due to the opportunities created for job seekers from surrounding counties. Perhaps President Clinton struck the right (and legally precise) balance on his recent visit when he referred to "the city of Derry" and "the county of Londonderry". It was a refreshing break from the usual rigid and sterile Catholics versus Protestant squabble over the name. Personally, I have no preferences and use Derry/Londonderry interchangeably depending on who is being addressed. - Yours, etc.,
Park Lane,
Dublin.