Omagh factfile

How to get to Omagh
Omagh is just over 109 km (68 mi) by road (A26, M1, A4, A5) due west from Belfast International Airport and 174 km (108 mi) north-west of Ireland's Dublin Airport. It's also 53 km (33 miles) south of Derry on the A5. Its central location makes it an ideal base to explore Northern Ireland from.

How Omagh got its name
The name Omagh comes from the Irish An Omaigh, meaning "the sacred plain"—a reference to the fact that the town lies in the foothills of the Sperrin Mountains.

Omagh through the ages
Omagh was founded as a town in 1610, nearly 150 years after a Franciscan Friary was built here in 1464. All that is left of the monastery these days is an old ivy-covered wall along the riverbank.

By 1761, Omagh had replaced Dungannon as the county town of Tyrone.

Tragedy struck Omagh on 15 August 1998 when the Real Irish Republican Army (Real IRA) exploded a bomb in the town centre. Some 29 people were killed and around 220 more were injured in the blast.

Natural beauty spots around Omagh
There is a wealth of stunning countryside in the area around Omagh. The beautiful Gortin lakes in nearby Gortin Glen Forest Park are just a few short miles north of Omagh. Around 10,000 years ago, retreating glaciers left their mark on Omagh's surroundings in the form of the small pointed hills found at Boorin Nature Reserve.

Things to see and do around Omagh
Whether it's megalithic tombs dating back as far as 3800 B.C. or Copney's stone circles and other archaeological sites, you're sure to find something to pique your interest around Omagh.

The Ulster American Folk Park, an open-air museum a museum dedicated to those who emigrated from the region to America in the 18th and 19th centuries, is also well worth a visit.

Famous people from Omagh
Brian Friel, the playwright and short story writer was born in Omagh.