Carrickmore
Encyclopedia
Carrickmore is a village and townland
in County Tyrone
, Northern Ireland
. It lies in the heart of the county on an raised site colloquially called "The Rock"; between Cookstown
, Dungannon
and Omagh
. It had a population of 612 in the 2001 Census.
The Dean Brian Maguirc College, a second level education school, is named after Dean Brian McGurk who was Vicar-General
to St Oliver Plunkett
during the Penal Times
and died in Armagh Gaol aged 91 where he was imprisoned by the English authorities.
Carrickmore holds the annual Tyrone County Commemoration of the 1916 Easter Rising
and a remembrance ceremony for all republicans killed in The Troubles
since 1969.
Two historical figures from the Clan na Gael
and Irish Republican Brotherhood
hailed from the Carrickmore area: Joseph McGarrity
and Patrick McCartan, who helped fund the 1916 Easter Rising
.
Irish Civil rights campaigner, activist and author, the Rev. Denis Faul
, became the Catholic parish Priest of Termonmaguirc (also known as Termonmaguirk and Termonmcgurk) in 1998. Msgr. Faul died of cancer in a hospital in Dublin on 21 June 2006, and is buried in the cemetery of St. Colmcille's Catholic Church in the village.
route 86, which runs between Dungannon
and Omagh
via Dungannon, Donaghmore
, Pomeroy
, Carrickmore, Drumnakilly
and Omagh
.
The Portadown, Dungannon and Omagh Junction Railway
opened Carrickmore railway station on 2 September 1861. The Ulster Transport Authority
closed the station on 5 October 1959 and the line on 15 February 1965.
, Galbally
, Kildress
, Kileeshil, Pomeroy
. Carrickmore also shares the parish of Termonmagurk with Loughmacrory
and Creggan.
Carrickmore has the smallest townland
in Ireland known as Old Church Yard.
, Gaelic Football
club and Éire Óg Hurling and Camogie Club, are the main sporting organisation in the village and surrounding area, producing teams in Gaelic football
, Irish Handball Hurling
and Camogie
.
Recently Carrickmore has become the subject of unsavoury incidents on the GAA pitch. In the 2011 Tyrone football final against Dromore, After an unsavorary incident were a Dromore fan attacked a Carrickmore player with a sports umbrella whilst he was taking a free kick, the team and fans became involved in on and off the field violence. This was a follow-on incident to when supporters of a Carrickmore assaulted a referee in a ladies football game in the same year.
For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service
Townland
A townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...
in County Tyrone
County Tyrone
Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. It lies in the heart of the county on an raised site colloquially called "The Rock"; between Cookstown
Cookstown
Cookstown may refer to either of the following:*Cookstown, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland*Cookstown, Ontario, Canada*Cookstown, New Jersey, United States...
, Dungannon
Dungannon
Dungannon is a medium-sized town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is the third-largest town in the county and a population of 11,139 people was recorded in the 2001 Census. In August 2006, Dungannon won Ulster In Bloom's Best Kept Town Award for the fifth time...
and Omagh
Omagh
Omagh is the county town of County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is situated where the rivers Drumragh and Camowen meet to form the Strule. The town, which is the largest in the county, had a population of 19,910 at the 2001 Census. Omagh also contains the headquarters of Omagh District Council and...
. It had a population of 612 in the 2001 Census.
History
The area is steeped in history and there are many tales and legends connected with St. Colmcille and the town, including the saint's well, chair and bed which are still in existence. A wide range of historic monuments can be found in the Carrickmore area, including cairns, stone circles, standing stones and raths.The Dean Brian Maguirc College, a second level education school, is named after Dean Brian McGurk who was Vicar-General
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
to St Oliver Plunkett
Oliver Plunkett
Saint Oliver Plunkett was the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland....
during the Penal Times
Penal Laws (Ireland)
The term Penal Laws in Ireland were a series of laws imposed under English and later British rule that sought to discriminate against Roman Catholics and Protestant dissenters in favour of members of the established Church of Ireland....
and died in Armagh Gaol aged 91 where he was imprisoned by the English authorities.
Carrickmore holds the annual Tyrone County Commemoration of the 1916 Easter Rising
Easter Rising
The Easter Rising was an insurrection staged in Ireland during Easter Week, 1916. The Rising was mounted by Irish republicans with the aims of ending British rule in Ireland and establishing the Irish Republic at a time when the British Empire was heavily engaged in the First World War...
and a remembrance ceremony for all republicans killed in The Troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
since 1969.
Two historical figures from the Clan na Gael
Clan na Gael
The Clan na Gael was an Irish republican organization in the United States in the late 19th and 20th centuries, successor to the Fenian Brotherhood and a sister organization to the Irish Republican Brotherhood...
and Irish Republican Brotherhood
Irish Republican Brotherhood
The Irish Republican Brotherhood was a secret oath-bound fraternal organisation dedicated to the establishment of an "independent democratic republic" in Ireland during the second half of the 19th century and the start of the 20th century...
hailed from the Carrickmore area: Joseph McGarrity
Joseph McGarrity
Joseph McGarrity was born in Carrickmore, County Tyrone, Ireland. He emigrated to the USA in 1892 at the age of 18 and settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. From 1893 until his death he was a leading member of the Clan na Gael organisation. He also was a successful businessman; however, his...
and Patrick McCartan, who helped fund the 1916 Easter Rising
Easter Rising
The Easter Rising was an insurrection staged in Ireland during Easter Week, 1916. The Rising was mounted by Irish republicans with the aims of ending British rule in Ireland and establishing the Irish Republic at a time when the British Empire was heavily engaged in the First World War...
.
Irish Civil rights campaigner, activist and author, the Rev. Denis Faul
Denis Faul
The Right Rev. Monsignor Denis O'Beirne Faul , was an Irish Roman Catholic priest and civil rights campaigner best known for his role in the 1981 Irish Hunger Strike...
, became the Catholic parish Priest of Termonmaguirc (also known as Termonmaguirk and Termonmcgurk) in 1998. Msgr. Faul died of cancer in a hospital in Dublin on 21 June 2006, and is buried in the cemetery of St. Colmcille's Catholic Church in the village.
Places of interest
- St Colmcille's Bed, Chair and Well: Situated on the hill beside St Colmcille's Roman Catholic Church, Creggan Road.
- Dunmisk Fort: Evidence of Ireland's first glass manufacturing plant. Accessed from the main GalballyGalballyGalbally may refer to:*Galbally, County Limerick, Republic of Ireland*Galbally, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland...
to Carrickmore Road (Inishatieve Road).
- Mid-Ulster Drama Festival: An important event in the town each year which attracts participants and visitors from many parts of Ireland and is hosted in the Patrician HallPatrician HallThe Patrician Hall is a cultural, arts and entertainment venue in the village of Carrickmore, County Tyrone. It was built by the Roman Catholic Parish of Termonmaguirk under the Diocese of Armagh as a means of using it to raise money to build Roman Catholic sector education facilities in the form...
.
- The National Graves Monument: A memorial to republicansIrish RepublicanismIrish republicanism is an ideology based on the belief that all of Ireland should be an independent republic.In 1801, under the Act of Union, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merged to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
killed during the Anglo-Irish conflict. It is located at the junction of Main St and Legnashamer Rd, close to the town centre.
- Quinns Corner: On the corner of Main street and Creggan road, this elevated platform in the centre of the village was the setting for speeches given by many famous nationalist figures; including Tomás Mac Giolla, Liam KellyLiam KellyLiam Kelly is an Irish musician. He is a native of Sligo and a founding member of the band Dervish.Born into a musical family, Liam began playing traditional Irish music at a very young age. He started on the accordion but later switched to the whistle and in turn the flute, which he learned mainly...
and Bernadette Devlin. It is also the place the local GAA teams return to after winning sporting events.
- The Nally stand: During the redevelopment of GAAGaelic Athletic AssociationThe Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
headquarters at Croke Park in Dublin, one of the stands surrounding the pitch was transported to Carrickmore and is now situated in the GAA ground were spectators can sit and watch a match. The Nally Stand in Carrickmore also has a museum charting the history of Patrick Nally, of who the stand is named after and also the history of Carrickmore club and the community.
Transport
Carrickmore is served by UlsterbusUlsterbus
Ulsterbus is a public transport operator in Northern Ireland and operates bus services outside Belfast. It is part of Translink , which also includes Northern Ireland Railways, Metro Belfast and Flexibus.-Services:Ulsterbus is responsible for most of the province-wide bus...
route 86, which runs between Dungannon
Dungannon
Dungannon is a medium-sized town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is the third-largest town in the county and a population of 11,139 people was recorded in the 2001 Census. In August 2006, Dungannon won Ulster In Bloom's Best Kept Town Award for the fifth time...
and Omagh
Omagh
Omagh is the county town of County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is situated where the rivers Drumragh and Camowen meet to form the Strule. The town, which is the largest in the county, had a population of 19,910 at the 2001 Census. Omagh also contains the headquarters of Omagh District Council and...
via Dungannon, Donaghmore
Donaghmore
Donaghmore is a village and townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, about five kilometres northwest of Dungannon. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 947 people...
, Pomeroy
Pomeroy
- Places :* Pomeroy, County Tyrone, a village in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland* Pomeroy , a townland in the parish of Desertcreat, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland* Pomeroy, Derbyshire, England* Pomeroy, Iowa, USA* Pomeroy, Ohio, USA...
, Carrickmore, Drumnakilly
Drumnakilly
Drumnakilly is a small village and townland between Carrickmore and Omagh in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 114 people. It lies within the Omagh District Council area.- References :*...
and Omagh
Omagh
Omagh is the county town of County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is situated where the rivers Drumragh and Camowen meet to form the Strule. The town, which is the largest in the county, had a population of 19,910 at the 2001 Census. Omagh also contains the headquarters of Omagh District Council and...
.
The Portadown, Dungannon and Omagh Junction Railway
Portadown, Dungannon and Omagh Junction Railway
The Portadown, Dungannon and Omagh Junction Railway was an Irish gauge railway in County Armagh and County Tyrone, Ulster, Ireland .-Early development:...
opened Carrickmore railway station on 2 September 1861. The Ulster Transport Authority
Ulster Transport Authority
The Ulster Transport Authority ran rail and bus transport in Northern Ireland from 1948 until 1966.-Formation and consolidation:The UTA was formed by the Transport Act 1948, which merged the Northern Ireland Road Transport Board and the Belfast and County Down Railway...
closed the station on 5 October 1959 and the line on 15 February 1965.
Geography
The townlands that make up the area of Carrickmore border on the parishes of Ballygawley, BeraghBeragh
Beragh is a village and townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is about east of Omagh. The 2001 Census recorded a population of 520.-History:One of the first known references to the village was on a 1690 Plantation map of Ireland...
, Galbally
Galbally
Galbally may refer to:*Galbally, County Limerick, Republic of Ireland*Galbally, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland...
, Kildress
Kildress
Kildress is a village on the outskirts of Cookstown in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is home to a Gaelic Athletics club of the same name, as well as being located close to Drum Manor Forest Park and Wellbrook Beetling Mill....
, Kileeshil, Pomeroy
Pomeroy
- Places :* Pomeroy, County Tyrone, a village in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland* Pomeroy , a townland in the parish of Desertcreat, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland* Pomeroy, Derbyshire, England* Pomeroy, Iowa, USA* Pomeroy, Ohio, USA...
. Carrickmore also shares the parish of Termonmagurk with Loughmacrory
Loughmacrory
Loughmacrory is a small village and townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is beside 8 miles east of Omagh, beside a small lake called Lough Macrory. It had a population of 237 in the 2001 Census. Loughmacrory has houses, shops, a church and a primary school...
and Creggan.
Carrickmore has the smallest townland
Townland
A townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...
in Ireland known as Old Church Yard.
Sport
Carrickmore St. Colmcille'sCarrickmore St. Colmcille's
Carrickmore St. Colmcille's is a Gaelic Athletic Association gaelic football club based in Carrickmore, Tyrone, Northern Ireland.They have an illustrious history in the Tyrone Senior Football Championship, having won it 15 times in their history, and in the Tyrone All County League, they are the...
, Gaelic Football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
club and Éire Óg Hurling and Camogie Club, are the main sporting organisation in the village and surrounding area, producing teams in Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
, Irish Handball Hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
and Camogie
Camogie
Camogie is an Irish stick-and-ball team sport played by women; it is almost identical to the game of hurling played by men. Camogie is played by 100,000 women in Ireland and world wide, largely among Irish communities....
.
Recently Carrickmore has become the subject of unsavoury incidents on the GAA pitch. In the 2011 Tyrone football final against Dromore, After an unsavorary incident were a Dromore fan attacked a Carrickmore player with a sports umbrella whilst he was taking a free kick, the team and fans became involved in on and off the field violence. This was a follow-on incident to when supporters of a Carrickmore assaulted a referee in a ladies football game in the same year.
Employment
Main areas of employment are engineering, quarrying and farming. The larger surrounding towns of Cookstown, Dungannon and Omagh also provide other forms of employment.2001 Census
Carrickmore is classified as a town by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (ie with a population between 500 and 1,000). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 612 people living in Carrickmore. Of these:- 28.3% were aged under 16 and 14.9% were aged 60 and over
- 47.1% of the population were male and 52.9% were female
- 98.0% were from a CatholicCatholicThe word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
background and 1.5% were from a Protestant background - 5.2% of people aged 16–74 were unemployed.
For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service