It was the conditions in the city that killed far more than any military presence at its walls. After 105 days of the blockade, relief ships managed to breach a boom, which had been erected at the mouth of Lough Foyle and reach the city. Within three days the Jacobites had withdrawn and the siege was over. The Siege has grown to almost mythical status in Northern Ireland. Derry became the Maiden City as its Walls were unbreached and the Apprentice Boys Society was established to remember the actions of those who defended their faith and their people.
Commemorations still take place today.
In the wake of the Siege the city began to grow a strong industrial base, with the Port helping the development of a vibrant linen industry. Derry was particularly renowned for its shirt making, an industry that still features in the town today. The Port has also given Derry a strong legacy of emigration. In the 16th century many Presbyterian settlers left Derry for a new, peaceful, life abroad. As the famine of the 18th century had its impact along the west coast of Ireland, so people flocked to Derry to board the famine ships to the USA and to Canada.