Limvady

This village to the east of Derry City is named, in Celtic, “Leim an Mhadaidh”, translated as “Leap of the Dog”. The story behind this whimsical name comes from the history of the O’Cahans, or Ciannachta. This clan was predominant in the area from the 12th – 17th centuries.

Apparently, there was an unexpected enemy attack near the castle of the O’Cahan’s. One of the chieftains had a faithful dog that ran to warn the clan of the impending danger, and in the process, leapt over the Roe River Gorge, giving the village its name.

The O’Cahan Castle, now known as O’Cahan’s Rock, or what is left of it, is now one of the prime landmarks at Roe Valley Country Park.

Limvady Village is also known as the place of origin for one of Ireland’s (and the world’s) best known and most beloved ballads. In 1851, Jane Ross lived at No. 51 on the Georgian Main Street of the village, and wrote down a traveling fiddler’s tune, naming it “Londonderry Air”. The song later became known as “Danny Boy”.

While William Thackeray was visiting and staying in an inn on Ballyclose Street, he penned the verse of Peg of Limvaddy, in honor of the innkeeper’s daughter.

American President James Monroe’s ancestors are also said to have emigrated from this area.

The Broighter Gold:
Near Limvady Town in 1892, a farm worker named Thomas Nicholl turned up a piece of treasure that became known as the Broighter Gold. It was an exquisitely detailed model ship with many intricate features, including a beautiful Celtic collar.

The ship changed hands in quite a few sales transactions, until it was finally proclaimed a treasure trove by the Royal Irish Academy and put on display in a British Museum. A hearing was held to demonstrate that the gold item was buried and not thrown overboard from a ship as formerly believed, and the original is now located in the National Museum in Dublin, with copies on display at Belfast’s Ulster Museum.