Towns in County Tyrone.

(Virgin plain or sacred plain.)

Omagh grew around the point where the rivers Camowen and Drumragh converge to form the River Strule, a fortress was established there by the O’Neill clan who ruled the ancient province of Ulster until the 17th century. Today it is a market town, and center of public and agricultural services, There is also some light industry that includes textile manufacture, and traditional crafts such as linen embroidery.

The Ulster-American Folk Park 8 km (5 mi) north of Omagh recalls the lives of prominent figures in American history who traced their origins to County Tyrone. They include the 19th-century banker and industrialist Thomas Mellon, and James Buchanan, President of the United States from 1857 to 1861.

Omagh was the scene of one of the bloodiest terrorists atrocities in the 30-year history of the “troubles” in Northern Ireland. In August 1998 a car bomb exploded in Omagh, killing 29 people and injuring hundreds. The playwright Brian Friel was born in Omagh.