The city of Omagh is situated at the point in Northern Ireland where therivers Drumragh and Camowen meet and become the river Strule. It is 68 mileswest of Belfast, the capital, and 34 miles south of Derry and can be reachedeasily by road from the airport in either of these cities. Its central locationwithin the county of Tyronehas helped to make it a major shopping destination, but there is much more to Omagh than retail.
Attractionsin Omagh
The UlsterAmerican Folk Park manages to combine a chance to get back to naturewith a fascinating look at the history of Omagh. It is particularly fascinating in its explorationof how so much of the Irish diaspora has come to be settled in the USA. As wellas the open air museum, which is accessible throughout the year, the park isfamous for events such as celebrations on the Fourth of July and Halloween andfor its yearly Bluegrass musical festival which attracts in excess of 100,000visitors.
For visitors wishing to take the chance to escapefurther into the natural beauty of Ireland,the GortinGlens Forest Park, which is situated less than 10 miles from Omagh, offers the chance toexplore forests, lakes, waterfalls and a deer enclosure.
Back in the centre of Omagh itself, the 21st century buildings andbustling shopping areas rub shoulders with over 20 children’s playgrounds and alarge number of open green spaces. The banks of the River Strule have, in manyplaces, been developed in a way which makes them perfect for a post-shopping orpre-dinner stroll.
Shopping inOmagh
When it comes to retail, Omagh truly offers somethingfor everyone. The town centre features streets such as Campsie, Sedan Avenue,Foundry Lane, John Street, Castle Street and Bridge Street, all of which arepacked with independent shops and boutique fashion houses offering designerclothing and other specialist items. The rest of the compact town centre islaid out in a manner which makes it easy to access the convenient mix ofpopular high street names and local traders, with the Showgrounds and GreatNorthern Retail Parks playing host to larger outlets and household names.
Entertainmentin Omagh
The Strule Arts Centre opened in 2007 and has goneon to become the beating heartbeat of the city’s cultural and artistic life.The artists using the centre run the gamut from up and coming locals tointernational stars, and the facilities include an auditorium, a lecturetheatre, a recording studio, rehearsal rooms, an art workshop and an exhibitionspace. No matter when you visit, the Arts Centre is bound to be offering plentyof fascinating things to see and do. On a smaller scale, visitors can while anevening away in one of the many traditional Irish pubs in Omagh centre, sippingGuinness whilst listening to live performances of Irish folk music.
Omaghoffers a beguiling and entertaining mix of cosmopolitan, internationalattractions, the beauty of nature and the temptation of local food, drink andgifts. As a place to stay or a base to explore from, it’s extremely hard to beat.
