St Columbkille Roman Catholic church, Carrickmore.

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Carrickmore (from Irish: an Charraig Mhór meaning "the big rock")^[1] is a village and townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It lies in the heart of the county on a raised site colloquially called "The Rock"; between Cookstown, Dungannon and Omagh. 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 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.

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 Galbally to Carrickmore Road (Inishatieve Road).

• Patrician Hall: An independent Community, Culture, Arts and Multi-purpose building in the centre of the village. It was renowned across Ireland has one of the top venues for Showbands in the 1960's and 70's. It also hosts the annual Mid-Ulster Drama Festival every March as well as other festivals and events throughout the year.

• The National Graves Monument: A memorial to republicans 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 Kelly 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 GAA 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 Ulsterbus 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.^[2]

Geography

The townlands that make up the area of Carrickmore border on the parishes of Ballygawley, Beragh, 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.

Sport

Carrickmore St. Colmcille's, 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.

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 Catholic 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

See also

• List of villages in Northern Ireland

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Carrickmore

• NI Conflict Archive on the Internet
• Creggandveskey Court Tomb
• Carrickmore GAA Club

Coordinates: 54°36′N 7°03′W / 54.6°N 7.05°W / 54.6; -7.05