Banagher Glen

Banagher Glen is a nature reserve and forest park south of Dungiven in County Londonderry. It became a National Nature Reserve in 1974 and is one of the largest and oldest ancient oak and ash woodlands in Ireland. The site is also a Special Area of Conservation and supports many native plants and animals. In spring, carpets of bluebells appear on the forest floor. The woods provide a home for butterflies and birds such as peregrine falcons and buzzards. Local legend tells of Lig na Paiste, the ‘last serpent in Ireland’, which once lived in the Owenrigh river. According to myth, Saint Patrick had missed the creature when banishing snakes, so it terrorised the valley. Some tales claim it could breathe fire. Saint Murrough O’Heaney, who had a church in the glen, tricked the serpent and trapped it beneath Lough Foyle forever. Three signed trails start from the Trailhead car park. The Owenrigh River Trail follows the river for five kilometres. The Reservoir Trail runs six kilometres to Banagher Dam and Altnaheglish Reservoir and returns the same way. The Forest Trail is an eleven-kilometre loop through Banagher Forest, sharing the first stretch with the Reservoir Trail before branching off.