Glenviggan
Glenviggan is a townland in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland with a population of 43 people. In 1911, the population was 77.[1]
Glenviggan is in the Civil Parish of Ballynascreen, the Barony of Loughinsholin and County of Londonderry.[2] Glenviggan has an area of about 2.7 square miles, making it one of the smallest in Ulster.[2] Census records for the 1901 and 1911 censuses are available.[2]
The Irish name for Glenviggan is Gleann-Bheichcean,[2] or Gleann Bhig Fhinne, for the now-drained Loch Beigfhine (pronounced "Glen Vigan"), or "after St. Veggan who was a follower of St. Colmcille," but this folk etymology is derided.[3] The little-known St. Becan of Cork[4] (a/k/a Veggan or Beccán) is supposed to be the origin of Bigín's glen, but even the sources claiming that note the alternate, and more likely, origin as "the little glen" from a 1821 original source.[5] Also, there is a hill near Glenviggan named Crocanlocha ("which means 'the lough hill', referring to the lough which was formally there") and "the Gaelic words bhig gleann [means] 'small glen'."[3]
Although there is evidence of human settlement from the Bronze Age, the agricultural valley was virtually uninhabited until c. 1832.[3] Bog iron ore was mined there in the mid-19th century, which was red enough to be suitable for paint.[6]