There is evidence of settlement in the area for at least 1000 years. There may have been an abbey in the area around 700AD. The Augustinian abbey of St Mary's was built in the 11th century. Its ruins contain the tomb of O'Cahan, laid to rest in 1385. A thicket of thorn bushes hung with rags conceals a bullaun stone, visited for wart cures. Between the 12th and 17th centuries the area was ruled by the Ó Catháin clan, one of the most influential clans in Ulster and respected throughout Ireland. In the early 17th century they built Dungiven Castle, which - having been substantially rebuilt in the 19th century - remains today as a restaurant and guesthouse. The world-famous song Danny Boy is taken from a melody composed by the Ó Catháin bard, Ruairí Dall Ó Catháin. The original version concerns the passing of the Chief Cooey-na-Gall, whose death brought an end to the long line of O'Cahan chiefs. The town sprang up around Dungiven Castle and the Church of Ireland, later spreading westwards along Chapel Road and Main Street towards the bridging point on the River Roe. Because of the River Roe's flood plain and the line of a proposed by-pass, housing development has been mostly to the east and north of the town. It is an important service centre for the surrounding rural hinterland; offering educational, health, commercial, social, community and recreational facilities.
During The Troubles in 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.
Education
St. Patrick's College is the secondary school in the town. It is located on Curragh Road. St. Canice's is the primary school. Gaelscoil Neachtain is a co-educational, interdenominational Irish-medium primary school. In 2015, Gaelcholáiste Dhoire, an Irish-medium post-primary school, opened in Dungiven Castle.
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 a Catholic background and 3.65% were from a Protestant or other Christian background
8.63% of people aged 16–74 were unemployed
Transport
Dungiven sits on the main A6 road and has good road links to Derry and Limavady. 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.
John Mitchel, a 19th-century Irish patriot who inspired the Young Ireland Movement, was born at Camnish, between Dungiven and Burnfoot; the Mitchel Park area is named for him
Frances Molloy, novelist
John Eddie Mullan, former Derry player
Eoghan Quigg, musician, singer
Popular culture
Dungiven is mentioned in the Brian Friel play Making History, as the place where Mabel Bagnel goes after the Siege of Kinsale.
