Dungiven

Dungiven Irish: Dún Geimhin
Location within Northern Ireland
Population	3,346 (2021 Census)
Irish grid reference	C689024
• Belfast	53 miles (85 km)
District	Causeway Coast and Glens
County	County Londonderry
Country	Northern Ireland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LONDONDERRY
Postcode district	BT47
Dialling code	028
Police	Northern Ireland
Fire	Northern Ireland
Ambulance	Northern Ireland
UK Parliament	East Londonderry
NI Assembly	East Londonderry

Dungiven (from Irish Dún Geimhin, meaning 'Gevin's fort')[1] is a small town, townland and civil parish in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is near the main A6 Belfast to Derry road, which bypasses the town. It lies where the rivers Roe, Owenreagh and Owenbeg meet at the foot of the 1,525 ft (465 m) Benbradagh. Nearby is the Glenshane Pass, where the road rises to over 1,000 ft (300 m). It had a population of 3,346 people in the 2021 Census.[2] It is within Causeway Coast and Glens district council area.

History

There is evidence of settlement in the area for at least 1000 years. There may have been an abbey in the area around 700AD. The Augustinian abbey of St Mary's was built in the 11th century. Its ruins contain the tomb of O'Cahan (Cooey na Gall O' Cahan), laid to rest in 1385.[3] A thicket of thorn bushes hung with rags conceals a bullaun stone, visited for wart cures.[4]

Between the 12th and 17th centuries the area was ruled by the Ó Catháin clan, one of the most influential clans in Ulster

The town sprang up around Dungiven Castle and the Church of Ireland (Anglican church), later spreading westwards along Chapel Road and Main Street towards the bridging point on the River Roe.[5]

Dungiven Priory

The Priory in 1832, Dublin Penny Journal

An O'Cahan tomb in the priory.

The Augustinian priory built in the 1100s stands on the foundations of earlier churches. St Nechtan died 679 may have established the first, and St Patrick the second in the 5th century.[6]

Politics

The town is part of the East Londonderry UK Parliamentary constituency. The MP for the constituency since 2001 has been Gregory Campbell of the DUP. The UK constituency is coterminous with the Northern Ireland Assembly constituency of the same name. The five MLAs elected in 2017 were 2 DUP, 1 independent unionist, 1 Sinn Féin and 1 SDLP. It forms part of the Benbradagh district electoral area of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council. In 2019 this area elected 3 Sinn Féin, 1 SDLP and 1 DUP councillors.

The Troubles

Main article: The Troubles in Dungiven

During The Troubles in Northern Ireland, seven people were killed in or near Dungiven in connection with the conflict, six of whom were members of the security forces. The one civilian, Francis McCloskey, was found beaten to death in disputed circumstances during street riots, in which the police were called to respond. He has sometimes been deemed as the first person killed in the last installment of the Troubles (1969-1997).[7]

Education

There are two secondary schools in the town, Gaelcholáiste Dhoire and St. Patrick's College. Located on Main Street and Curragh Road respectively.[8][9] There are also two primary schools in the town, Gaelscoil Neachtain and St. Canice's Primary School.[10] Gaelcholáiste Dhoire and Gaelscoil Neachtain are both co-educational, interdenominational Irish-medium secondary and primary schools.[11][12]

Sport

Gaelic games are the most popular sports in the area. St Canice's Dungiven is the local Gaelic football club;[13] the team plays at O'Cahan Park and have won the Derry Senior Football Championship 7 times, and won the Ulster Senior Football Championship once, in 1997.

Kevin Lynch's is the local hurling club; they have won the Derry Senior Hurling Championship a record 22 times. The team plays at Kevin Lynch Park.

Dungiven Celtic F.C. is an association football club playing in the C&DL Premier League.

Demography

2021 Census

On Census day (21 March 2021) there were 3,346 people living in Dungiven.[2] Of these:

• 24.65% were aged under 16, 63.04% were aged between 16-65, and 12.31% were aged 66 or over.[14]
• 51.02% of the population were female, and 48.98% were male.[15]
• 94.32% were from a Catholic background, 2.93% were from a Protestant or other Christian background, 0.42% were from an 'other' religious background, and 2.33% did not adhere to or weren't from any religious background.[16]
• 72.8% identified as Irish,[17] 24.1% identified as Northern Irish,[18] 5.9% identified as British,[19] 3.08% identified as 'other'.[20]
• 28.10% had some knowledge of the Irish language and .3.08% had some knowledge of Ulster Scots[21][22]

2011 Census

According to the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA), on Census day (27 March 2011) there were 3,288 people living in Dungiven, an increase of 10% over the 2001 population of 2,993.[23][24] Of these:

• 24.57% were aged under 16 and 10.55% were aged 65 and over
• 48.87% of the population were male and 51.13% were female
• 95.41% were from a Catholic background and 3.65% were from a Protestant or other Christian background
• 8.63% of people aged 16–74 were unemployed

Transport

• Dungiven sits beside the main A6 road and has good road links to Derry (29 km to the west) and Limavady (13 km to the north). A proposed by-pass for Dungiven, following a route to the south west of the town, has been marked-out since the 1973 Limavady Area Plan, and opened to traffic in 2022.[5]
• Dungiven was the terminus of the Limavady railway, which closed in 1950. Dungiven railway station opened on 4 July 1883, closed for passenger traffic on 1 January 1933 and closed altogether on 3 July 1950.[25]

Rivers

The River Roe is a major river in Northern Ireland and the largest river in the town. The river can be seen at the western end of Dungiven at Dungiven Bridge. It starts up the Glenshane Pass and flows in a northwestern way towards the town and then north through Burnfoot and then Limavady.

The Owenbeg River is a large tributary to the Roe it starts near Feeny and flows into the river downstream from Buttermilk Bridge.

The Owenreagh River is also a major tributary which starts up in Banagher Glen and flows into the river downstream from the new A6 Bridge.

The Pellipar Burn is a small river or stream which flows through the heart of the town mainly a polluted urban stream and parts flowing underground in culverts. The burn can be seen below New Bridge beside the Church on New Street. it flows into the Roe a short distance downstream from Pellipar Bridge. The burn is named after Pellipar House.

The Derryware Burn is another small stream that flows at the northern end of the town this burn is around the same size as the Pellipar and flows into the River Roe above Pellipar House Estate.

People

• Francis Brolly (1938-2020), Musician and Sinn Féin MLA for East Londonderry
• Joe Brolly (b. 1969), lawyer and member of Derry's 1993 All-Ireland winning team; won All Stars in 1996 and 1997
• Mary Dillon (b. 1964), folk singer
• Cara Dillon (b. 1975), folk singer
• Kevin Lynch (1956-1981), hunger striker who died in 1981; the Dungiven hurling team was renamed Kevin Lynch's Hurling Club for him after his death
• Paul McCloskey (b. 1979), professional boxer, former British and European light welterweight champion
• Brian McGilligan (b. 1963), member of Derry's 1993 All-Ireland winning team; won All Stars in 1987 and 1993
• Geoffrey McGonagle (b. 1974), former Derry dual player
• Jamie McGonigle (b.1996), professional footballer
• Kieran McKeever (b. 1968), member of Derry's 1993 All-Ireland winning team; won an All Star in 2000
• Sister Aloysius McVeigh (1923-2008), Artist, iconographer and teacher
• John Mitchel (1815-1875), a 19th-century Irish patriot who inspired the Young Ireland Movement, was born at Camnish, between Dungiven and Burnfoot; the Mitchel Park area is named for him
• Frances Molloy (1947-1991), novelist
• John Eddie Mullan (1923-2008), former Derry player
• Eoghan Quigg (b. 1992), musician, singer

Popular culture

Dungiven is mentioned in the Brian Friel play Making History, as the place where Mabel Bagnel goes after the Siege of Kinsale.

'Banagher old church' is said to be the resting place of Saint Murrough O'Heaney.[26] He is said to have tamed the dragon Paiste.[27]

See also

• List of civil parishes of County Londonderry

References

1. "Dún Geimhin/Dungiven". logainm.ie. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
2. "Settlement 2015". NISRA. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
3. "Dungiven Priory". Roe Valley. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
4. "Dungiven profile". Culture Northern Ireland. Archived from the original on 9 June 2008. Retrieved 15 June 2008.
5. "Dungiven Settlement Designation". Planning Service - Draft Northern Area Plan 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2008.
6. Hunter, Jim. "The Priory of Dungiven". NI Community Heritage Archive Causeway Coast and Glens Museum Services. CCGBC Museum Services. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
7. Sutton Index of Deaths - 1969, cain.ulst.ac.uk; accessed 5 May 2014.
8. "Gaelcholáiste Dhoire".
9. "St. Patrick's College". St. Patrick's College. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
10. "St. Canice's Primary School". St. Canice's Primary School. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
11. "Gaelcholáiste Dhoire". Gaelcholáiste Dhoire. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
12. "Gaelscoil Neachtain". Gaelscoil Neachtain. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
13. "St Canice's GAC, Dungiven". St Canice's GAC website. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
14. "Preview data for your table | NISRA Flexible Table Builder". build.nisra.gov.uk. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
15. "Preview data for Sex (MS-A07) | NISRA Flexible Table Builder". build.nisra.gov.uk. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
16. "Religion or religion brought up in". NISRA. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
17. "National Identity (Irish)". NISRA. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
18. "Preview data for your table | NISRA Flexible Table Builder". build.nisra.gov.uk. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
19. "Preview data for your table | NISRA Flexible Table Builder". build.nisra.gov.uk. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
20. "Preview data for National identity (person based) - basic detail (classification 1) (MS-B15) | NISRA Flexible Table Builder". build.nisra.gov.uk. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
21. "Preview data for Knowledge of Irish (MS-B05) | NISRA Flexible Table Builder". build.nisra.gov.uk. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
22. "Preview data for Knowledge of Ulster-Scots (MS-B08) | NISRA Flexible Table Builder". build.nisra.gov.uk. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
23. "Census 2011 Population Statistics for Dungiven Settlement". Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA). Retrieved 23 July 2019.
24. "Census 2001 Usually Resident Population: KS01 (Settlements) - Table view". Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA). Retrieved 23 July 2019.
25. "Dungiven station" (PDF). Railscot–Irish Railways. Retrieved 12 October 2007.
26. "Legend of saint holds a blessing in disguise". Retrieved 14 April 2023 – via www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk.
27. "Paiste | Dragons of Fame | The Circle of the Dragon". www.blackdrago.com. Retrieved 14 April 2023.