Limavady, Causeway Coast and Glens, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

🇮🇪 Limavady is a market town in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, with Binevenagh as a backdrop. It is situated 17 miles (27 km) east of Derry and 14 miles (23 km) south-west of Coleraine. Limavady is within Causeway Coast and Glens Borough. The large industrial estate at Aghanloo is 2 miles (3 km) north of the town.

History Limavady and its surrounding settlements derive from Celtic roots, although no-one is sure about the exact date of Limavady's origins. Estimates date from around 5 CE. Early records tell of Saint Columba, who presided over a meeting of the Kings at Mullagh Hill near Limavady in 575 CE, a location which is now part of the Roe Park Resort.

Gaelic Ireland was divided into kingdoms, each ruled by its own family or clan. In the Limavady area, the predominant family was the O'Cahans. Their mark is found everywhere in the town and surrounding area. O'Cahan's Rock is one of Limavady's main historical points. This is where, according to local myth, a dog belonging to one of the Chiefs jumped the river to get help from nearby clans after a surprise enemy attack. This gave Limavady its name, Limavady being the anglicised version of Leim an Mhadaidh, which means leap of the dog. This rock, along with other relics of Limavady's history, can be seen at Roe Valley Country Park.

The town developed from a small Plantation settlement founded by Sir Thomas Phillips. In 1610 Sir Thomas Phillips was granted 13,100 acres of land at Limavady which included an O’Cahan castle. He commenced the building of the 'Newtown of Limavady' which was laid out in a cruciform road pattern. Newtown Limavady was incorporated, with the appointment of a Provost and 12 Burgesses, on 31 March 1613 with a charter granted by King James I. By 1622, 18 one-storey houses and an inn had been built and they were centred on the crossroads which contained a flagpole, a cross and stocks.

Limavady had an early association with the linen and Irish whiskey industries. In 1608, a licence was granted to Sir Thomas Phillips by King James I to distil whiskey.

for the next seven years, within the countie of Colrane, otherwise called O Cahanes countrey, or within the territorie called Rowte, in County Antrim, by himselfe or his servauntes, to make, drawe, and distil such and soe great quantities of aquavite, usquabagh and aqua composita, as he or his assignes shall thinke fitt; and the same to sell, vent, and dispose of to any persons, yeeldinge yerelie the somme 13s 4d…

The Limavady Distillery was founded in 1750 on the banks of the River Roe. Limavady, however, did not benefit from subsequent expansion of linen manufacturing in the 19th century. As a result, it remained a modest sized market town until the late 20th century. Limavady Town Hall, later known as the Alexander Memorial Hall and now part of the Roe Valley Arts & Cultural Centre, was completed in 1872.

In 1941 RAF Limavady, a base for air patrols over the Atlantic during World War II, was opened just to the north of the town. The RAF left the base in 1945 but it continued as a naval air station until 1958, when the land was returned to agricultural use.

During the Troubles in Northern Ireland, four people were killed in or near Limavady by the Provisional Irish Republican Army. Two were members of the security forces and two were civilians who were killed by a bomb as they drove past Limavady Royal Ulster Constabulary station.

See also: The Troubles in Limavady

In 1987, Limavady became famous as the unintended arrival point for the world's first transatlantic hot air balloon crossing by Richard Branson and Per Lindstrand.

Townlands Limavady sprang up within the townland of Rathbrady Beg in the parish of Drumachose and was originally known as Newtown Limavady. Over time, the urban area has expanded into the surrounding townlands. These include: • Bovally (from Irish Bó Bhaile 'townland of cows') • Coolessan (from Irish Cúil Leasáin 'nook of the little fort') • Enagh (from Irish Eanach 'marsh') • Killane (from Irish Coill Leathan 'broad wood') • Rathbrady Beg (from Irish Ráth Brighde Beag 'little fort of St. Brigid') • Rathbrady More (from Irish Ráth Brighde Mór 'great fort of St. Brigid')

Politics

Limavady is in both the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council area and the East Londonderry constituency for elections to the Westminster Parliament and Northern Ireland Assembly. In 2023, the residents of Limavady district elected 2 Democratic Unionist Party, 1 Social Democratic and Labour Party, 1 Sinn Féin and 1 Alliance Party councillor to the borough council.

Places of interest • Limavady lies in the scenic Roe Valley area and the Roe Valley Country Park on the River Roe lies to the south-west of the town. • The birthplace of New Zealand Prime Minister Rt. Hon. William Massey is on Irish Green Street. Nearby Massey Avenue is named after him. • The archaeologically significant Broighter Gold collection was found nearby in 1896. It is currently in the National Museum in Dublin. • Jane Ross, who first transcribed Londonderry Air, was born and lived in Limavady. A plaque is shown above her old house on Main Street.

Danny Boy Limavady is most famous for the tune "Londonderry Air" collected by Jane Ross in the mid-19th century from a local fiddle player. The tune was later (ca. 1913) used for the song "Danny Boy".

Events The town hosts events such as the NI Super Cup, the Danny Boy Jazz and Blues Festival, the Roe Valley Folk Festival the Stendhal Festival of Art, and the Bishop Hervey International Summer School.

Transport Limavady is in close proximity to City of Derry Airport, 9 miles (15 km) to the west, and the Port of Londonderry, 13 miles (22 km) to the west.

Transport: Road In 2003 a road bypass was completed to the north of Limavady at a cost of £11.5 million. This bypass aimed to reduce the time taken to travel on the A2 between Derry and Coleraine.

Transport: Rail The Limavady Railway was a branch line to the main Derry – Belfast line. Limavady railway station opened on 29 December 1852, closed for passenger traffic on 3 July 1950 and finally closed altogether on 2 May 1955. Limavady Junction railway station opened on 1 March 1855 and finally closed on 17 October 1976. Limavady is no longer served by the branch line – the nearest station is at Bellarena, approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) from the town.

Bellarena railway station has direct trains west to Derry and east to Castlerock, Coleraine (for stations to Portrush), and stations to Belfast Central and Belfast Great Victoria Street.

An All-Island Review on railways commissioned in 2021 recommended that a short spur of the Limavady branch line be reinstated up to Limavady to restore services.

Canal The Broharris Canal was constructed in the 1820s when a cut, some 2 miles (3.2 km) long on the south shore of Lough Foyle near Ballykelly was made in the direction of Limavady. The inhabitants of Limavady appealed for the building of a canal from Lough Foyle to the town but were turned down, and the Broharris Canal was the nearest they came to achieving such a navigable link.

Education There are four primary schools, three secondary schools, a regional college and a special needs school in Limavady. Limavady's schools are closely located in an 'education circle'. The three secondary schools are all located along the same stretch of road (Ballyquin Road and Irish Green Street), with Rossmar Special School opposite Limavady Grammar School, Termoncanice Primary opposite Limavady High School and St. Mary's High School. Limavady Central Primary School is located a short distance from the other schools.

Primary schools • Termoncanice Primary School • Roe Valley Integrated Primary • Limavady Central Primary School • Drumachose Primary School • Gaelscoil Leim an mhadaidh; Secondary schools • St Mary's High School • Limavady Grammar School • Limavady High School; Regional college • North West Regional College; Special needs schools • Rossmar Special School (formerly Limegrove/Greystone Hall)

Sport • Wolfhounds GAC is the local Gaelic Athletic Association club • Limavady United F.C. • Roe Valley F.C. • Roe Rovers F.C. • Newtowne F.C. • Drummond Cricket Club