Limavady factfile

How to get to Limavady
Limavady is in the north of Northern Ireland on the A37/A2. The nearest large cities are Belfast, 100 km (62 miles) by road to the south-east and Derry, which is 29 km (18 mi) west of Limavady. The nearest train station is in the nearby town of Bellarena.

Famous people from Limavady
William Ferguson Massey, the 19th prime minister of New Zealand, was born in Limavady before emigrating to New Zealand while he was still a teenager. "Farmer Bill" served as New Zealand's head of government from 1912 to 1925 and founded the Reform Party.

Member of Parliament (MP) for the Labour Party and Secretary of State for Transport, Ruth Kelly, was also born in Limavady.

Limavady's claim to fame
Northern Ireland anthem Derry Air was collected by Limavady resident Jane Ross, who heard it being played by a musician there—thought by some to be Jimmy McCurry, a blind fiddler. Danny Boy is a popular set of lyrics to the tune.

Natural beauty spots around Limavady
Nature lovers should head to Roe Valley Country Park. There they can take a stroll in the woodlands, go fishing, canoeing or even try their hand at rock-climbing.

Benone Beach is also in the area. It's one of Ireland's longest beaches and has a European Blue Flag indicating good water quality, environmental initiatives and safety.

Things to see and do around Limavady
18th-century Mussenden Temple sits atop a cliff between the towns of Downhill and Castlerock, about 21 km (13 mi) north-east of Limavady. It was built by Bishop Earl Fredrick Hervey. The remains of both the temple and the bishop's house are open daily.

How Limavady got its name
Legend has it that a hound belonging to the clan chief O'Kane jumped across a chasm in the River Roe when his master was in danger. The Irish for "leap of the dog" is leim an mhadaigh, which over the years became Limavady.