Editing Limavady (section)

== History ==
[[File:Alexander Hall, Limavady (geograph 4391509) (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|Limavady Town Hall, now part of the [[Roe Valley Arts & Cultural Centre]]]]
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 [[Columba|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.<ref name="CN">{{cite web | title=Limavady | work=Culture Northern Ireland | url=http://www.culturenorthernireland.org/YourArea.aspx?location=437 | access-date=15 July 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080609022419/http://www.culturenorthernireland.org/YourArea.aspx?location=437 |archive-date = 9 June 2008}}</ref>

[[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.<ref name="CN"/> 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 of Ulster|Plantation]] settlement founded by [[Thomas Phillips (Irish adventurer)|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 [[Thomas Phillips (Irish adventurer)|Sir Thomas Phillips]] by [[King James I of England|King James I]] to distil whiskey.<ref name="Hill1877">{{cite book|author=George Hill|title=An historical account of the plantation in Ulster at the commencement of the seventeenth century, 1608-1620|url=https://archive.org/details/historicalaccoun00hill_0|access-date=31 October 2010|year=1877|publisher=M'Caw, Stevenson & Orr|page=[https://archive.org/details/historicalaccoun00hill_0/page/393 393]}}</ref>

<blockquote>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...</blockquote>

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.<ref name="PS"/> Limavady Town Hall, later known as the Alexander Memorial Hall and now part of the [[Roe Valley Arts & Cultural Centre]], was completed in 1872.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ulsterarchitecturalheritage.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/North-Derry.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029175121/https://www.ulsterarchitecturalheritage.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/North-Derry.pdf |archive-date=2021-10-29 |url-status=live  |title=North Derry|page=8| publisher=Ulster Architectural Heritage Society|date=1 August 1975|first=W. D.|last=Girvan|access-date=12 October 2021}}</ref>

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 [[Fleet Air Arm|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 crossing|transatlantic]] [[hot air balloon]] crossing by [[Richard Branson]] and [[Per Lindstrand]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-foyle-west-40478397|title=When Branson's balloon hit a Limavady wall|first=Seán|last=O'Halloran|date=4 July 2017|work=[[BBC News]]|access-date=1 April 2018|archive-date=15 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171115072446/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-foyle-west-40478397|url-status=live}}</ref>