Limavady (Limavadde) derives from the Gaelic 'Leim an Mhadaidh' and means ‘Leap of the Dog’, which ties the original location of the settlement to around  the O’Cahan’s castle in the Roe Valley Park. The Dog Leap is marked here by a bridge, The story tells of a faithful dog leaping the river gorge to warn the clan of approaching enemies. The O’Cahans ruled the area from the 14^th century until their last chieftain Donal Ballagh surrendered to Sir Henry Docwra in 1602 during his campaign in Ireland under Elizabeth 1st.

The Limavady we know today  developed during the Plantation of Ulster and was originally known as Newtown Limavady. The County of Coleraine (O’Cahans Country) was granted to Thomas Phillips by James 1^st of England, he effectively became commander of the area and forged ahead with the building of new towns between Coleraine and Londonderry as part of the plantation. He built a substantial residence which included the remains of O’Cahans Castle where he resided, two miles north he built eighteen houses and an Inn which became Newtown Limavady, in 1870 the Newtown was dropped from the name.

On Limavady main street you will see an unique sculpture and water feature created by the artist Philip Flanagan to commemorate Jane Ross and the town’s connection to the world renown melody ‘Danny Boy’ or ‘Londonderry Air’. Jane was an avid collector of unpublished Irish melodies and one day heard the tune being played on a fiddle outside the Burns and Laird shipping office by blind Jimmy McCurry (1830-1910). Jane wrote down the notes of tune which she later passed on with her collection to her friend George Petrie who gave it the title of ‘Londonderry Air’ and published it in 1855.