Sound of silence: 2 years ago first lockdown 2020 Derry & Inishowen

Two years on from the first lockdown we share some pictures George Sweeney took for the Derry Journal as the shutters came down and the streets fell silent.

The din of traffic and the bustle of the day was replaced by birds tweeting and the rustling of trees in gentle breezes.

Thankfully, with so many unknowns back then in early 2020, the spring proved to be one of the most beautiful in decades with unbroken sunshine for weeks on end. We couldn’t enjoy much, but we could at least walk under blue skies and appreciate the chance to slow down and really take in what a beautiful part of the world it is that we live in.

So much of life has been restored to what it was pre-pandemic, and the past two years almost feels like a dream.