On the afternoon of Saturday August 15, 1998, a 500-pound car bomb , planted by a dissident Republican group calling itself the Real IRA, exploded on Market Street in the centre of Tyrone's largest town, OMAGH . Twenty-six people were killed outright (a further three died later) and more than two hundred were injured. It was the worst single atrocity in the history of the Troubles and drew outrage and condemnation from every quarter. Indeed Sinn Féin's president, Gerry Adams, unprecedentedly denounced the bombing "without any equivocation whatsoever". Politicians moved frantically to save the peace process and prevent any Loyalist reprisals while the Irish and British governments announced their intentions to reinforce anti-terrorist legislation. Such efforts, however, offered scant consolation to the people of Omagh, a town more integrated and harmonious than most in Northern Ireland, and by then unified in its grief. Much of the eastern part of Omagh's main street was devastated by the bombing and has since undergone major reconstruction. The area uphill to the west, originally thought to be the bombers' target on the basis of their misleading warning, remained unscathed and contains two adjacent buildings which would grace any town - the fine classical courthouse and the irregular twin spires of the Catholic Sacred Heart Church . Omagh's tourist office is right in the centre of town at 1 Market St (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm; Easter-Sept also Sat 9am-5.30pm; tel 028/8224 7831). You'll need your own transport to see most of the region it promotes: you can rent cars from Johnson King Motors, 82 Derry Rd (tel 028/8224 2788), and bikes from Conway Cycles (tel 028/8224 6195) on Old Market Place. The Ulsterbus depot (tel 028/8224 2711) is just across the river in Mountjoy Road (north off the High Street). For accommodation , if you're hiking the Sperrins, a better bet might be to base yourself in Gortin . Within Omagh, Silverbirch Hotel , 5 Gortin Rd (tel 028/8224 2520; www.silverbirchhotel.com ; £70-90), is relatively luxurious, while Hawthorn House , 72 Mountfield Rd, signposted to Killyclogher off the A505 (tel 028/8225 2005; £40-55), is both friendly and comfortable. The nearest B&B is Ardmore , 12 Tamlaght Rd (tel 028/8224 3381; £26-33), up the left fork in front of the Sacred Heart and along the second turning on your right. Also near the centre is Bridie's , 1 Georgian Villas, Hospital Rd (tel 028/8224 5254; £26-33) - go down the main street away from the courthouse and, once across the river, turn to the right. The Omagh Independent hostel is two and a half miles north, at 9a Waterworks Rd (tel 028/8224 1973; mfyffe@netcomuk.co.uk ), signposted off the B48 and A505; the hostel managers will pick you up from Omagh bus station. Omagh is a good place to stop for food , particularly during the daytime. The Pink Elephant in the High Street is a local favourite, serving breakfast and lunches in huge helpings. Almost as popular are the nearby Carlton Coffee Lounge , a little further down the hill, and the Bridge Restaurant , round the corner on Bridge Street. Plenty of pubs serve food, though the best is undoubtedly the Coach Inn , 1 Railway Terrace, offering tasty lunchtime specials and an extensive evening menu. Hawthorn House is extremely popular in the evenings, specializing in lobster and other seafood and steaks (allow £30 per head including wine). Molly Sweeney's on Gortin Road has an excellent fish menu and Grant's on George Street offers a bistro menu or snacks in the wine bar. For nightlife , just outside town on the B4 Carrickmore Road is the Dún Úladh Cultural Heritage Centre of Ulster (tel 028/8224 2777), the provincial branch of the national organization Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, which promotes Irish traditional music and culture . There's all manner of events running here, including a traditional session on Saturday nights. However, Omagh is showband country and most of the pubs and hotels have live music at weekends: you can usually find something happening at McElroy's on Castle Street or the Silverbirch Hotel , and traditionalists may be satisfied by occasional sessions at Sally O'Brien's on John Street or Bogan's near the tourist office. Europe > Ireland > Northern Ireland > Tyrone and Fermanagh > County Tyrone > Omagh
| Online Users || Member Profile Search |
| 112 Guest Users 1 Registered Users |
|
WowBusiness,
|
| PopUp Blocker Software should be disabled for Online Chat to work properly. |
|
Omagh Videos
in the City! Promote your video - 
