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Dungiven

Coordinates:54°55′41″N6°55′30″W/ 54.928°N 6.925°W/54.928; -6.925
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Dungiven
Dungiven is located in Northern Ireland
Dungiven
Location withinNorthern Ireland
Population3,346 (2021 Census)
Irish grid referenceC689024
•Belfast53 miles (85 km)
District
County
CountryNorthern Ireland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townLONDONDERRY
Postcode districtBT47
Dialling code028
PoliceNorthern Ireland
FireNorthern Ireland
AmbulanceNorthern Ireland
UK Parliament
NI Assembly
List of places
UK
Northern Ireland
County Londonderry
54°55′41″N6°55′30″W/ 54.928°N 6.925°W/54.928; -6.925

Dungiven(fromIrishDún Geimhin,meaning 'Gevin's fort')[1]is a small town,townlandandcivil parishinCounty Londonderry,Northern Ireland.It is near the mainA6BelfasttoDerryroad, which bypasses the town. It lies where the riversRoe,Owenreagh and Owenbeg meet at the foot of the 1,525 ft (465 m)Benbradagh.Nearby is theGlenshane Pass,where the road rises to over 1,000 ft (300 m). It had a population of 3,346 people in the2021 Census.[2]It is withinCauseway Coast and Glensdistrict council area.

History

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

Between the 12th and 17th centuries the area was ruled by theÓ Catháinclan, one of the most influential clans inUlster

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

Politics

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The town is part of theEast LondonderryUK Parliamentary constituency. The MP for the constituency since 2001 has beenGregory Campbellof theDUP.The UK constituency is coterminous with theNorthern Ireland Assemblyconstituency of the same name. The fiveMLAselected in 2017 were 2DUP,1 independent unionist, 1Sinn Féinand 1SDLP.It forms part of the Benbradagh district electoral area ofCauseway Coast and Glens Borough Council.In 2019 this area elected 3Sinn Féin,1SDLPand 1DUPcouncillors.

The Troubles

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Main article:The Troubles in Dungiven

DuringThe Troublesin 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).[6]

Education

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There are two secondary schools in the town,Gaelcholáiste DhoireandSt. Patrick's College.Located on Main Street and Curragh Road respectively.[7][8]There are also two primary schools in the town, Gaelscoil Neachtain and St. Canice's Primary School.[9] Gaelcholáiste Dhoire and Gaelscoil Neachtain are both co-educational, interdenominational Irish-medium secondary and primary schools.[10][11]

Sport

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Gaelic gamesare the most popular sports in the area.St Canice's Dungivenis the localGaelic footballclub;[12]the team plays at O'Cahan Park and have won theDerry Senior Football Championship7 times, and won theUlster Senior Football Championshiponce, in 1997.

Kevin Lynch'sis the localhurlingclub; they have won theDerry Senior Hurling Championshipa record 22 times. The team plays at Kevin Lynch Park.

Dungiven Celtic F.C.is anassociation footballclub playing in the C&DL Premier League.

Demography

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2021 Census

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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.[13]
  • 51.02% of the population were female, and 48.98% were male.[14]
  • 94.32% were from aCatholicbackground, 2.93% were from aProtestantor other Christian background, 0.42% were from an 'other' religious background, and 2.33%did not adhere toor weren't from any religious background.[15]
  • 72.8% identified as Irish,[16]24.1% identified as Northern Irish,[17]5.9% identified as British,[18]3.08% identified as 'other'.[19]
  • 28.10% had some knowledge of theIrish languageand.3.08% had some knowledge ofUlster Scots[20][21]

2011 Census

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According to theNorthern 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.[22][23]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 aCatholicbackground and 3.65% were from aProtestantor other Christian background
  • 8.63% of people aged 16–74 were unemployed

Transport

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  • Dungiven sits beside the mainA6 roadand has good road links to Derry (29 km to the west) andLimavady(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 theLimavady 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.[24]

Rivers

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TheRiver Roeis 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.

TheOwenbeg Riveris a large tributary to the Roe it starts nearFeenyand 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

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Dungiven is mentioned in theBrian FrielplayMaking History,as the place where Mabel Bagnel goes after theSiege of Kinsale.

'Banagher old church' is said to be the resting place of Saint Murrough O'Heaney.[25]He is said to have tamed the dragon Paiste.[26]

See also

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References

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  1. ^"Dún Geimhin/Dungiven".logainm.ie.Retrieved14 April2023.
  2. ^ab"Settlement 2015".NISRA.Retrieved21 August2023.
  3. ^"Dungiven Priory".Roe Valley.Retrieved26 April2020.
  4. ^"Dungiven profile".Culture Northern Ireland.Archived fromthe originalon 9 June 2008.Retrieved15 June2008.
  5. ^ab"Dungiven Settlement Designation".Planning Service - Draft Northern Area Plan 2016.Retrieved25 June2008.
  6. ^Sutton Index of Deaths - 1969,cain.ulst.ac.uk; accessed 5 May 2014.
  7. ^"Gaelcholáiste Dhoire".
  8. ^"St. Patrick's College".St. Patrick's College.Retrieved26 April2020.
  9. ^"St. Canice's Primary School".St. Canice's Primary School.Retrieved26 April2020.
  10. ^"Gaelcholáiste Dhoire".Gaelcholáiste Dhoire.Retrieved16 May2020.
  11. ^"Gaelscoil Neachtain".Gaelscoil Neachtain.Retrieved26 April2020.
  12. ^"St Canice's GAC, Dungiven".St Canice's GAC website.Retrieved18 April2012.
  13. ^"Preview data for your table | NISRA Flexible Table Builder".build.nisra.gov.uk.Retrieved27 March2024.
  14. ^"Preview data for Sex (MS-A07) | NISRA Flexible Table Builder".build.nisra.gov.uk.Retrieved27 March2024.
  15. ^"Religion or religion brought up in".NISRA.Retrieved21 August2023.
  16. ^"National Identity (Irish)".NISRA.Retrieved21 August2023.
  17. ^"Preview data for your table | NISRA Flexible Table Builder".build.nisra.gov.uk.Retrieved27 March2024.
  18. ^"Preview data for your table | NISRA Flexible Table Builder".build.nisra.gov.uk.Retrieved27 March2024.
  19. ^"Preview data for National identity (person based) - basic detail (classification 1) (MS-B15) | NISRA Flexible Table Builder".build.nisra.gov.uk.Retrieved27 March2024.
  20. ^"Preview data for Knowledge of Irish (MS-B05) | NISRA Flexible Table Builder".build.nisra.gov.uk.Retrieved27 March2024.
  21. ^"Preview data for Knowledge of Ulster-Scots (MS-B08) | NISRA Flexible Table Builder".build.nisra.gov.uk.Retrieved27 March2024.
  22. ^"Census 2011 Population Statistics for Dungiven Settlement".Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency(NISRA).Retrieved23 July2019.
  23. ^"Census 2001 Usually Resident Population: KS01 (Settlements) - Table view".Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency(NISRA).Retrieved23 July2019.
  24. ^"Dungiven station"(PDF).Railscot–Irish Railways.Retrieved12 October2007.
  25. ^"Legend of saint holds a blessing in disguise".Retrieved14 April2023– via www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk.
  26. ^"Paiste | Dragons of Fame | The Circle of the Dragon".www.blackdrago.com.Retrieved14 April2023.
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