Drumsurn is a small village

Village

A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...

 and townland

Townland

A townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...

 in the Limavady Borough Council

Limavady Borough Council

Limavady Borough Council is a Local Council in County Londonderry in Northern Ireland. Its headquarters is in the town of Limavady. The Borough has a population of over 32,000 with 63% of the population living in a rural setting. It covers an area of 586 square kilometres and includes the valley...

 area of County Londonderry

County Londonderry

The place name Derry is an anglicisation of the old Irish Daire meaning oak-grove or oak-wood. As with the city, its name is subject to the Derry/Londonderry name dispute, with the form Derry preferred by nationalists and Londonderry preferred by unionists...

, Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

. It is 8 kilometres (5 mi) southeast of Limavady

Limavady

Limavady is a market town in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, with Binevenagh as a backdrop. It lies east of Derry and south west of Coleraine. It had a population of 12,135 people in the 2001 Census, an increase of some 17% compared to 1991...

 and 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) northeast of Dungiven

Dungiven

Dungiven is a small town and townland in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is on the main A6 Belfast to Derry road. It lies where the rivers Roe, Owenreagh and Owenbeg meet at the foot of the Benbradagh. Nearby is the Glenshane Pass, where the road rises to over...

. It lies in the Roe Valley, at the foot of Donald's Hill

Donald's Hill

Donald's Hill is a hill in the middle of County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The summit reaches 399 metres above sea level and classifies as a Marilyn...

 and at the edge of the Sperrins

Sperrins

The Sperrins or Sperrin Mountains are a range of mountains in Northern Ireland and one of the largest upland areas in Ireland. The range stretches the counties of Tyrone and Londonderry from south of Strabane eastwards to Maghera and north towards Limavady...

. Drumsurn had a population of 357 people in the 2001 Census

United Kingdom Census 2001

A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....

.

Features

Drumsurn is mainly residential with educational, social, and recreational facilities. These include the high quality recreation grounds and community centre at St Matthew’s GAC to the south of the village. There is a limited range of commercial services. The village of Drumsurn has a Roman Catholic

Roman Catholic Church

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

 population of greater than 95%. The Drumsurn Road is split between a mainly Protestant

Protestantism

Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...

 northern section up to Balteagh Presbyterian Church and a mainly Roman Catholic southern section thereafter. Relations between the two religious communities are good, with both sending their children to Limavady Grammar School

Limavady Grammar School

Limavady Grammar School, styled locally as the Grammar, is a secondary school in Limavady, County Londonderry in Northern Ireland. Situated on the Ballyquin Road, it is close to other schools in the town, including Limavady High School and St. Mary's High School...

.

The Troubles

During the Troubles

The Troubles

The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...

, loyalist

Ulster loyalism

Ulster loyalism is an ideology that is opposed to a united Ireland. It can mean either support for upholding Northern Ireland's status as a constituent part of the United Kingdom , support for Northern Ireland independence, or support for loyalist paramilitaries...

 paramilitaries bombed a pub in Drumsurn, O Connors Bar, and threatened to bomb a bus full of children going to a Gaelic Athletic Association

Gaelic Athletic Association

The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...

 match in 2001.

Places of interest

• Legavannon and Legananam Pot, unusual landscape features formed by glaciers, are near the village.
• Kings Fort, one of the best preserved ráth
  Ringfort
  Ringforts are circular fortified settlements that were mostly built during the Iron Age , although some were built as late as the Early Middle Ages . They are found in Northern Europe, especially in Ireland...
  
  s in Northern Ireland, is nearby, but on private land.

Transport

• Drumsurn railway station opened on 4 July 1883, closed for passenger traffic on 1 January 1933 and finally closed altogether on 3 July 1950.

Gallery