Pomeroy, County Tyrone

Coordinates: 54°35′N 6°56′W / 54.59°N 6.93°W / 54.59; -6.93

Pomeroy
Irish: Cabhán an Chaorthainn
St Mary's Roman Catholic church, Pomeroy
Pomeroy  Pomeroy shown within Northern Ireland
Population	604 (2001 Census)[1]
District	Cookstown
County	County Tyrone
Country	Northern Ireland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Dungannon
Postcode district	BT70
Dialling code	028
EU Parliament	Northern Ireland
UK Parliament	Mid Ulster
NI Assembly	Mid Ulster
List of places: UK • Northern Ireland • Tyrone

Pomeroy is a small village in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is in the townland of Cavanakeeran,^[2] about 10 miles (16 km) from Cookstown, 8 miles (13 km) from Dungannon and 18 miles (29 km) from Omagh. The 2001 Census recorded a population of 604 people.^[1]

Pomeroy's prominent site dominates the surrounding countryside and is marked by several church spires. From the Cookstown end, the road through the village gradually climbs a gradient up to the middle of the square, The Diamond. In The Diamond are the Altedesert Church of Ireland. The Diamond is a popular drinking area and Market Day is held there every Tuesday.

The village is surrounded by the Pomeroy Hills and the Sperrins. The surounding countryside is a mixture of moorland and bog land. There are stone age and bronze age cairns in many places.

History

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

At the end of the 17th century there was no village in this area, just an extensive forest. In the plantation of Ulster James I and VI granted eight townlands to Sir William Parsons, Surveyor General of Ireland. In 1729 James Lowry inherited the land from his father, Robert of Aghenis Caledon.

In the 18th century two new parishes were created in Tyrone, and the same family, the Lowerys (from whom issued the Earls of Belmore), was involved in the establishment of both. Pomeroy was created from part of Donaghmore, while Clogherny was taken from Termonmaguirc. The arrangement was confirmed in 1731 by an Order in Council, which had the same legal status as an Act of Parliament, and the articles of agreement under which it was conducted by the two parties involved, Lord Tyrone and Robert Lowery, suggest the tone:

The name of each of the new erected parishes shall be wrote on a separate scrole of parchment, roll'd up and put into a hatt, to be held by an indeffernet person,... and that the said Marcus, Lord Viscount of Tyrone, and Robert Lowry shall each put his hand into the said hatt, and take thereout one of the said scroles, and that the advowson of that parish which shall be mentioned in the said scrole .. to be drawn out of the said hatte, by the said Lord Tyrone, shall stand and be the advowson of the said .. Tyrone, his heirs and assigns, for ever."

In 1750 Rev. James Lowry was granted the right to hold a weekly market in Pomeroy and an important event was the twice yearly Hiring Fair, held in May and November. Men and women from the surrounding countryside would gather at the fair and hire themselves out to work as farm labourers and servants. In the 1640s the large forest had been stripped of timber and for many years after remained neglected. In 1770 the Rev. James Lowry undertook its management, replanted approximately 556 acres (225 ha) and left money to erect the build, Pomeroy House. The Lowry family played a prominent part in the life of the area for about two hundred years.

In the square is the Church of Ireland church which dates from the early 1840s. Its belfry and tower were provided by the Lowry family as a token of their esteem for Pomeroy.

Much of the woodland is gone and the Georgian mansion demolished. All that remains is the family burial vault on Tanderagee Road. This was once approached by the longest avenue of Chilean pine^{[clarification needed]} trees in Ireland.

The road leading from Pomeroy to Donaghmore is known as the Royal Road because in 1689 James II and VII took this route to visit his troops in Derry during the historic siege. This route brought him through Cappagh and Altmore. King James’s Well is by the roadside just outside Cappagh.

Transport

The Portadown, Dungannon and Omagh Junction Railway opened Pomeroy railway station on 2 September 1861. From 1876 until 1958 it was part of the Great Northern Railway. The Ulster Transport Authority closed the station and the PD&O line on 15 February 1965.^[3] Throughout its history it had the highest altitude of any Irish gauge railway station in Ireland. West of Pomeroy the railway reached its summit, 561 feet (171 metres) above sea level,^[4] the highest point on Ireland's Irish gauge network.

Sport

• Pomeroy Plunketts is the local Gaelic Athletic Association club.

In the year 2004 the Pomeroy Senior team won the Ulster title and came runners-up in the All-Ireland at intermediate level.

Places of interest

• There is a modern forestry school on the estate of the Rev. James Lowry, the 18th century planner of the village.
• Mountains of Pomeroy
• Carrickmore
• Altmore
• Gortavoy Bridge
• Cavanakeeran
• Rowan Tree Centre

Demography

Pomeroy is classified as a small village or hamlet by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (i.e. with population between 500 and 1,000 people). Pomeroy village is situated in the townland of Cavanakeeran (the round hill of the mountain ash.) It is the highest town in Ulster.

On Census day (29 April 2001) 604 people were recorded as living in Pomeroy.^[1] Of these:

• 29.6% were aged under 16 years and 15.5% were aged 60 and over^[1]
• 47.2% of the population were male and 52.8% were female^[1]
• 92.7% were from a Roman Catholic background and 6.6% were from a Protestant background^[1]
• 8.0% of people aged 16–74 were unemployed^[1]

For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service

People

• Philomena Begley, Irish country music singer
• Patsy Quinn, fictional author and story teller

See also

• List of towns and villages in Northern Ireland

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Pomeroy, County Tyrone

• Parish of Pomeroy
• County Tyrone.com
• Pomeroy GAA
• Pomeroy parish directory^{[clarification needed]}