Places of interest

• The scenery around Altmore is breathtaking, and the Mountains of Pomeroy
  Mountains of Pomeroy
  Mountains of Pomeroy are a small range of hills that run west of the town of Pomeroy in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. The area around the mountain range is scenic, with a variety of moorland, forestry and rural farming. The mountain range is recalled in the ballad The Mountains of Pomeroy by Dr....
  
   are a dominating feature in the landscape. Ancient relic
  Relic
  In religion, a relic is a part of the body of a saint or a venerated person, or else another type of ancient religious object, carefully preserved for purposes of veneration or as a tangible memorial...
  
  s can be seen on country lanes. Their origin is unknown though they may be ancient burial grounds dating back as far as three thousand years. These can be seen at various stages on roadways along Altmore. Though modern farming methods have diminished a number of them visibly a few can still be seen.
• Altmore Fisheries - a small holiday place where locals and visitors can relax with children and stay in a caravan site. It is an ideal stop-over site for ramblers
  Ramblers
  The Ramblers, formerly known as the Ramblers' Association, is the largest walkers' rights organisation in Great Britain which aims to look after the interests of walkers...
  
   who enjoy an area of Ireland that is seldom explored and enjoy the benefit of a landscape and way of life that has changed little over the years. The site comprises static caravans and areas to erect tents; there are also log cabins which can be rented and a small shop on site.
• Altmore House - The House was built after 1734 by Patrick Shields. He married Susannah Morris the daughter of the High Sherrif of Tyrone. He had been appointed keeper of a deserted barracks higher up the mountain. That premises was converted into Barracktown House also a Shields Family Home. The Family lived permanently in the House until the 1970s when it was sold and turned into a hotel. The Hotel was blown up during the troubles on two occasions and after many years of dormancy the ruins were eventually knocked down. The House was the birthplace of James Shields
  James Shields
  James Shields was an American politician and United States Army officer who was born in Altmore, County Tyrone, Ireland. Shields, a Democrat, is the only person in United States history to serve as a U.S. Senator for three different states...
  
   who became a well-known politician in North America (being the only person to have served as a United States Senator from three different states) and a well known name during the American Civil War
  American Civil War
  The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
  
  .
• Shane Bernagh’s Chair - this is a small rocky area on the outskirts of Cappagh
  Cappagh
  Cappagh is a small village in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is between Pomeroy, Ballygawley, Galbally and Carrickmore, with the hamlet of Galbally about one mile to the east...
  
   and Altmore. It received its fame from the highwayman Shane Bernagh Donnelly, who used the mountain area as a vantage point to hold up carriages travelling on the main Dublin to Derry
  Derry
  Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
  
   road nearby. Local legend has it that the highwayman assisted impoverished locals with his robberies, mainly from English gentry and English soldiers. A barracks was built in the Altmore area in an attempt to curb his activities but to little avail. Because of this Bernagh has over time become a local legend in the mould of Robin Hood
  Robin Hood
  Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
  
   who robbed from the rich and gave to the poor. He was eventually captured and executed by the English. His body was cast into a lough
  Lough
  A lough is a body of water and is either:* A lake* A sea lough, which may be a fjord, estuary, bay, or sea inlet.It can also be used as a surname, with various pronunciations: law, loch, low, lowe, loth, loff....
  
   at the summit of Slieve Beagh, which straddles the counties of Tyrone, Fermanagh and Monaghan
  Monaghan
  Monaghan is the county town of County Monaghan in Ireland. Its population at the 2006 census stood at 7,811 . The town is located on the main road, the N2 road, from Dublin north to both Derry and Letterkenny.-Toponym:...
  
  . He was immortalised further by the local scholar Dr. George Sigerson in his popular ballad "The Mountains of Pomeroy". The actual rocky area looks like a chair and has thus become known as Shane Bernagh’s Chair.

See also

• List of villages in Northern Ireland