Dungannon
Encyclopedia
Dungannon is a medium-sized town
in County Tyrone
, Northern Ireland
. It is the third-largest town in the county (after Omagh
and Strabane
) 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. It contains the headquarters of the Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council
.
which ruled most of Ulster
until the seventeenth century and was the most powerful Gaelic family. Dungannon was the clan's main stronghold which made it by default the most important settlement in Gaelic Ireland. The traditional site of inauguration for 'The O'Neill', was Tullyhogue Fort
, an Iron Age mound some four miles northeast of Dungannon. The clan O'Hagan were the stewards of this site for the O'Neills.The last castle was located at what is today known as Castle Hill; the location was ideal for a fort as it was one of the highest points in Tyrone, and dominated the surrounding countryside with the ability to see seven counties depending on the weather. Its location ultimately led to the British Army
taking over the site for a security installation during The Troubles
, only being returned to the local council in August 2007.
This castle was burned in 1602 by Hugh O'Neill, 2nd Earl of Tyrone as the English forces closed in on the Gaelic lords towards the end of the Nine Years' War (Ireland)
. In 1607, ninety-nine Irish chieftains
and their followers, including Hugh O’Neill, set sail from Rathmullan
, Co. Donegal, bound for the continent. What followed became known as the Plantation of Ulster
and the town and its castle were granted to Sir Arthur Chichester, the architect of the Plantation.
The castle was partially excavated in October 2007, by the Channel 4
show 'Time Team
', uncovering part of the moate
and walls of the castle.
. In 1973, the town became the seat of the new district of Dungannon
.
In 1782, the town was the location where the independence of the Irish Parliament was declared by members of the Protestant Ascendancy
who controlled the parliament at the time.
For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service
N.B. Since the undertaking of the census in 2001, a number of migrant workers, especially Portuguese, have settled in the town mainly working in the food processing industry. As of 2004, there were around 1200 Portuguese living in the town.
barracks at the top right-hand corner of the market square which is quite unlike any other barracks of a similar vintage in Ireland. A popular but apocryphal story relates that the unusual design of this building is due to a mix-up with the plans in Dublin which meant Dungannon got a station designed for the Khyber Pass
in Afghanistan
and they got a standard Irish barracks, complete with a traditional Irish fireplace. Dungannon Park is a seventy acre oasis centred round an idyllic still-water lake, with miles of pathways and views of the surrounding townland.
called Drumcoo, within the parish
of Drumglass. Over time, the urban area has spread into the neighbouring townlands. Many of its roads and housing estates are named after them.
The following is a list of these townlands and their likely etymologies:
Enterprise
Dungannon Enterprise Centre, located on the Coalisland Road, supports start-up and growth businesses in the Council area. Dungannon Enterprise Centre's mission is to encourage the development of local economy through the fostering of the local enterprise culture. Its services includes rented workspace units at "easy in - easy out" lease terms, business training on marketing and finance and advice/mentoring on many aspects of business. In 2009, the Centre assisted 123 entrepreneurs to start new businesses and over 55 established businesses to grow.
The nearest railway station is on Northern Ireland Railways
.
Portadown, Dungannon and Omagh Junction Railway
(PD&O) linked the town with from 1858 and Omagh
from 1861, completing the – Derry
railway route that came to be informally called "The Derry Road". The Great Northern Railway
took over the PD&O in 1876 and built a branch line
from Dungannon to Cookstown
in 1879.
The GNR Board cut back the Cookstown branch to Coalisland
in 1956 and the Ulster Transport Authority
(UTA) closed the branch altogether in 1959. In accordance with the Benson Report submitted to the Government of Northern Ireland
1963 the UTA closed the "Derry Road" through Dungannon in 1965. The site of Dungannon station is now a public park and the former trackbed through the station is now a greenway.
), the first signatory of the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic (Poblacht na hÉireann). Clarke was a key figure in the 1916 Easter Rising
and was executed by the British authorities on 3 May 1916, aged 59, for his role in the Rising. The Dungannon GAA club is named after him.
Dungannon is the birthplace of professional golf
er Darren Clarke
, motorcycle
racer Ryan Farquhar
, artist Victor Sloan
, snooker player Patrick Wallace
, TV presenters Adrian Logan
, Joanne Salley
, and rally driver Kris Meeke
.
Dungannon is also the birthplace of actor Birdy Sweeney
, who appeared in numerous television programmes and motion pictures.
Pittsburgh industrialist Henry W. Oliver
and his brother, United States Senator George T. Oliver
, were born in Dungannon in 1840 and 1848 respectively.
Thomas Wilson Spence
, Wisconsin lawyer and legislator, was born in Dungannon.
Geraldine McQueen, singer, fictitious character of comedian Peter Kay
.
was Governor of New Zealand and there was no ground available until his return. The club became affiliated to the NCU in 1913 and played in the Junior Cup in 1913 and 1914 until the club was discontinued during the Great War.
Attempts were made to reestablish the club after the war and this was done in 1929 and survived until 1933 when Lord Ranfurly died to again leave the club without a ground. Cricket was kept alive by the Royal School, Bankers and the RUC
until 1939 when the Second World War broke out.
The club was reformed in 1948 mainly due to the efforts of Eddie Hodgett and the NCU leagues in 1952 and continues to do so to the present time. The club has never quite reached senior cricket as it has limited resources and relies on the District Council for a ground. The club has played on at least five different locations during its existence. Home games are played at Dungannon Park.
to form a rugby
club, probably due to the Royal School. Dungannon's rugby team's most recent success was sharing the Ulster Senior League title with Ballymena
. They were also the first Ulster club to win the All Ireland League.
At least one player from Dungannon is listed in the first ever Irish side. The rugby club was founded in 1873, was the sixth club in Ireland and a founder member of the IRFU. Despite being a rugby union
club since inception its official title is Dungannon Football Club. This was in common with other clubs, such as the now defunct North of Ireland club from Belfast
, who were founded prior to the formal division of the different styles of football into Association (soccer) and rugby. The town also has connections to New Zealand
rugby. The Earl of Ranfurly presented the Ranfurly Shield
to the NZRFU.
and hurling. Dungannon has produced many footballers, especially for the Tyrone County Team, who won the All-Ireland Gaelic Football Championship in 2003, 2005 and 2008, in particular, Gerard Cavlan
and Thomas "Tommy C" Colton. The local Gaelic Football club is Dungannon Thomas Clarkes
(Thomáis Uí Chléirigh Dún Geanainn)and the local Hurling club is Eoghan Ruadh Dungannon(Cumann Iomanaiocht Eoghan Ruadh Dún Geanainn),the reigning tyrone senior hurling champions.
is the town's local team, which plays in the IFA Premiership
, and is Tyrone's only representative in the league, following Omagh Town's
collapse. The club represented Northern Ireland in European competition in 2005-06 and 2006-07.
grew up in Dungannon, and was a member of Dungannon Golf Club. The club is one of the oldest 18-hole courses in Northern Ireland, being founded in 1890. Six new greens were recently designed by Patrick Merrigan.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
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 is the third-largest town in the county (after 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...
and Strabane
Strabane
Strabane , historically spelt Straban,is a town in west County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It contains the headquarters of Strabane District Council....
) and a population of 11,139 people was recorded in the 2001 Census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
. In August 2006, Dungannon won Ulster In Bloom's Best Kept Town Award for the fifth time. It contains the headquarters of the Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council
Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council
Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council is a local council in Northern Ireland. Its main town is Dungannon, where the council is headquartered. The council area covers the southern part of County Tyrone and has a population of nearly 48,000...
.
History
Dungannon's fortunes have been closely tied to that of the O'Neill dynastyO'Neill dynasty
The O'Neill dynasty is a group of families that have held prominent positions and titles throughout European history. The O'Neills take their name from Niall Glúndub, an early 10th century High King of Ireland from the Cenél nEógain...
which ruled most of Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
until the seventeenth century and was the most powerful Gaelic family. Dungannon was the clan's main stronghold which made it by default the most important settlement in Gaelic Ireland. The traditional site of inauguration for 'The O'Neill', was Tullyhogue Fort
Tullyhogue Fort
Tullyhogue Fort, also spelt Tullaghoge or Tullahoge , is large mound on the outskirts of Tullyhogue village near Cookstown, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It has a depressed centre and is surrounded by trees...
, an Iron Age mound some four miles northeast of Dungannon. The clan O'Hagan were the stewards of this site for the O'Neills.The last castle was located at what is today known as Castle Hill; the location was ideal for a fort as it was one of the highest points in Tyrone, and dominated the surrounding countryside with the ability to see seven counties depending on the weather. Its location ultimately led to the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
taking over the site for a security installation during 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...
, only being returned to the local council in August 2007.
This castle was burned in 1602 by Hugh O'Neill, 2nd Earl of Tyrone as the English forces closed in on the Gaelic lords towards the end of the Nine Years' War (Ireland)
Nine Years' War (Ireland)
The Nine Years' War or Tyrone's Rebellion took place in Ireland from 1594 to 1603. It was fought between the forces of Gaelic Irish chieftains Hugh O'Neill of Tír Eoghain, Hugh Roe O'Donnell of Tír Chonaill and their allies, against English rule in Ireland. The war was fought in all parts of the...
. In 1607, ninety-nine Irish chieftains
Flight of the Earls
The Flight of the Earls took place on 14 September 1607, when Hugh Ó Neill of Tír Eóghain, Rory Ó Donnell of Tír Chonaill and about ninety followers left Ireland for mainland Europe.-Background to the exile:...
and their followers, including Hugh O’Neill, set sail from Rathmullan
Rathmullan
Rathmullan is a small seaside village on the Fanad Peninsula in County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in Ireland. It is situated on the western shore of Lough Swilly, 11 km north-east of Ramelton and 12 km east of Milford...
, Co. Donegal, bound for the continent. What followed became known as the Plantation of Ulster
Plantation of Ulster
The Plantation of Ulster was the organised colonisation of Ulster—a province of Ireland—by people from Great Britain. Private plantation by wealthy landowners began in 1606, while official plantation controlled by King James I of England and VI of Scotland began in 1609...
and the town and its castle were granted to Sir Arthur Chichester, the architect of the Plantation.
The castle was partially excavated in October 2007, by the Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
show 'Time Team
Time Team
Time Team is a British television series which has been aired on Channel 4 since 1994. Created by television producer Tim Taylor and presented by actor Tony Robinson, each episode features a team of specialists carrying out an archaeological dig over a period of three days, with Robinson explaining...
', uncovering part of the moate
Moate
Moate is a town in County Westmeath, Ireland.The name An Móta is derived from the term motte-and-bailey as the Normans built an example of this type of fortification here. The earthwork is still visible behind the buildings on the main street....
and walls of the castle.
After the O'Neills
Dungannon remained the county seat of County Tyrone after the Plantation, but High Court judges who travelled to Dungannon to the courthouse were attacked in the village of Cappagh and the county town was then moved to OmaghOmagh
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...
. In 1973, the town became the seat of the new district of Dungannon
Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council
Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council is a local council in Northern Ireland. Its main town is Dungannon, where the council is headquartered. The council area covers the southern part of County Tyrone and has a population of nearly 48,000...
.
In 1782, the town was the location where the independence of the Irish Parliament was declared by members of the Protestant Ascendancy
Protestant Ascendancy
The Protestant Ascendancy, usually known in Ireland simply as the Ascendancy, is a phrase used when referring to the political, economic, and social domination of Ireland by a minority of great landowners, Protestant clergy, and professionals, all members of the Established Church during the 17th...
who controlled the parliament at the time.
The Troubles
- On 24 August 1968, the Campaign for Social JusticeCampaign for Social JusticeCampaign for Social Justice was an organisation based in Northern Ireland which campaigned for civil rights in the country.The Campaign for Social Justice in Northern Ireland was inaugurated on 17 January, 1964...
(CSJ), the Northern Ireland Civil Rights AssociationNorthern Ireland Civil Rights AssociationThe Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association was an organisation which campaigned for equal civil rights for the all the people in Northern Ireland during the late 1960s and early 1970s...
(NICRA), and other groups, held the first civil rights march in Northern Ireland from CoalislandCoalislandCoalisland is a small town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, with a population of 4,917 people . As its name suggests, it was formerly a centre for coal mining.-History:...
to Dungannon. The rally was officially banned, but took place and passed off without incident. The publicity surrounding the march encouraged other protesting groups to form branches of NICRA. - Dungannon was one corner of the infamous murder triangle during the Troubles. For more information see The Troubles in DungannonThe Troubles in DungannonThe Troubles in Dungannon recounts incidents during, and the effects of, The Troubles in Dungannon, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.Dungannon was one corner of the infamous murder triangle during the Troubles....
, which includes a list of incidents in Dungannon during the Troubles resulting in two or more fatalities.
Demographics
Dungannon is classified as a medium town by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (i.e. with population between 10,000 and 18,000 people). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 11,139 people living in Dungannon. Of these:- 24.0% were aged under 16 years and 17.8% were aged 60 and over
- 47.4% of the population were male and 52.7% were female
- 57.6% were from a Catholic background and 40.3% were from a ProtestantProtestantismProtestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
background - 3.7% of people aged 16–74 were unemployed.
For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service
N.B. Since the undertaking of the census in 2001, a number of migrant workers, especially Portuguese, have settled in the town mainly working in the food processing industry. As of 2004, there were around 1200 Portuguese living in the town.
Places of interest
An interesting feature of the town is the former policeRoyal Irish Constabulary
The armed Royal Irish Constabulary was Ireland's major police force for most of the nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries. A separate civic police force, the unarmed Dublin Metropolitan Police controlled the capital, and the cities of Derry and Belfast, originally with their own police...
barracks at the top right-hand corner of the market square which is quite unlike any other barracks of a similar vintage in Ireland. A popular but apocryphal story relates that the unusual design of this building is due to a mix-up with the plans in Dublin which meant Dungannon got a station designed for the Khyber Pass
Khyber Pass
The Khyber Pass, is a mountain pass linking Pakistan and Afghanistan.The Pass was an integral part of the ancient Silk Road. It is mentioned in the Bible as the "Pesh Habor," and it is one of the oldest known passes in the world....
in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and they got a standard Irish barracks, complete with a traditional Irish fireplace. Dungannon Park is a seventy acre oasis centred round an idyllic still-water lake, with miles of pathways and views of the surrounding townland.
Townlands
Dungannon sprang up in a townlandTownland
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...
called Drumcoo, within the parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
of Drumglass. Over time, the urban area has spread into the neighbouring townlands. Many of its roads and housing estates are named after them.
The following is a list of these townlands and their likely etymologies:
- Ballynorthlan
- Ballysaggart
- Drumcoo (likely )
- Drumharriff (from Druim Thairbh meaning "ridge of the bull")
- Gortmerron (from Gort Mearain meaning "Merron's field")
- Killymaddy (from Coill na Madaí meaning "wood of the dogs")
- Killymeal
- Lisnaclin (from Lios na Clinge meaning "ringfort of the bell chime")
- Lisnahull (from Lios na hOlna meaning "ringfort of the wool")
- Lurgaboy (from Lurga Buí meaning "long yellow hill")
- Mullaghadun (from Mullach a' Dúin meaning "hilltop of the stronghold")
- Mullaghannagh (from Mullach Eanach meaning "marshy hilltop")
- Mullaghconnor (from Mullach Chonchobhair meaning "Conchobhair's hilltop")
- Mullaghmore (from Mullach Mór meaning "big hilltop")
Economy
The economy of Dungannon has evolved from agriculture and linen production dominating the landscape to food and light engineering being the main industrial employers.Enterprise
Dungannon Enterprise Centre, located on the Coalisland Road, supports start-up and growth businesses in the Council area. Dungannon Enterprise Centre's mission is to encourage the development of local economy through the fostering of the local enterprise culture. Its services includes rented workspace units at "easy in - easy out" lease terms, business training on marketing and finance and advice/mentoring on many aspects of business. In 2009, the Centre assisted 123 entrepreneurs to start new businesses and over 55 established businesses to grow.
Education
- Aughamullan Primary School
- Bush Primary School
- Clintyclay Primary School
- Derrylatinee Primary School
- Donaghey Primary School
- Drumglass High SchoolDrumglass High SchoolDrumglass High School is a secondary school located on the outskirts of Dungannon, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is a state controlled school for girls and boys aged from 11 to 18 and has approximately 600 pupils...
- Dungannon Primary SchoolDungannon Primary SchoolDungannon Primary School is a primary school located in Dungannon, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It caters for girls and boys aged from 4 to 11 and has approximately 200 pupils. It is within the Southern Education and Library Board area....
- Integrated College DungannonIntegrated College DungannonIntegrated College Dungannon is an integrated secondary school in Dungannon, County Tyrone and is attended by students from ages 11–18 who are from Dungannon, Armagh, Moy, Portadown, Keady and Richill.-Curriculum:...
- Killyman Primary School
- Lisfearty Primary School
- Newmills Primary School
- The Royal School DungannonRoyal School DungannonThe Royal School is a school located in Dungannon, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It was one of a number of 'free schools' created by James I in 1608 to provide an education to the sons of local merchants and farmers during the plantation of Ulster. Originally setup in Mountjoy near Lough Neagh...
is one of the oldest schools in IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. It was one of several royal schools chartered in 1608 by James IJames I of EnglandJames VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
with the intended purpose "that there shall be one Free School at least appointed in every County, for the education of youth in learning and religion." These schools provided an English style education to the sons of landed settlersPlantation of UlsterThe Plantation of Ulster was the organised colonisation of Ulster—a province of Ireland—by people from Great Britain. Private plantation by wealthy landowners began in 1606, while official plantation controlled by King James I of England and VI of Scotland began in 1609...
in Ireland, most of whom were of ScottishScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
or EnglishKingdom of EnglandThe Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
descent. A royal charter of May 13, 1614 records the appointment of John Bullingbroke as the first Headmaster. - St. Mary's Primary School
- St. Patrick's Academy, Dungannon has numerous sporting achievements, including five MacRory Cups and two Hogan Cups, as well as success in Gaelic footballGaelic footballGaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
, ladies football, hurlingHurlingHurling 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 soccer. The academy, previously split up into separate boys and girls schools, was amalgamated in 2003 to form one school. - St. Patrick's Primary School
- Tamnamore Primary SchoolTamnamore Primary SchoolTamnamore Primary School was a primary school on the outskirts of Tamnamore village, about five miles from Dungannon, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. The pupils come from the local area. It is a state controlled school for girls and boys aged from 3 to 11 and has 50 pupils. It is within the...
- Tullyroan Primary School
- Walker Memorial Primary School
- Windmill Integrated Primary School
Transport
There is a town bus service that runs daily that serves the town's suburbs.The nearest railway station is on Northern Ireland Railways
Northern Ireland Railways
NI Railways, also known as Northern Ireland Railways and for a brief period of time, Ulster Transport Railways , is the railway operator in Northern Ireland...
.
Former railways
The Irish gaugeIrish gauge
Irish gauge railways use a track gauge of . It is used in* Ireland * Australia where it is also known as Victorian Broad Gauge* Brazil where it is also known as Bitola larga no Brasil....
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:...
(PD&O) linked the town with from 1858 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...
from 1861, completing the – 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"...
railway route that came to be informally called "The Derry Road". The Great Northern Railway
Great Northern Railway (Ireland)
The Great Northern Railway was an Irish gauge railway company in Ireland.The Great Northern was formed in 1876 by a merger of the Irish North Western Railway , Northern Railway of Ireland, and Ulster Railway. The Ulster Railway was the GNRI's oldest constituent, having opened between Belfast and...
took over the PD&O in 1876 and built a branch line
Branch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
from Dungannon to Cookstown
Cookstown
Cookstown may refer to either of the following:*Cookstown, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland*Cookstown, Ontario, Canada*Cookstown, New Jersey, United States...
in 1879.
The GNR Board cut back the Cookstown branch to Coalisland
Coalisland
Coalisland is a small town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, with a population of 4,917 people . As its name suggests, it was formerly a centre for coal mining.-History:...
in 1956 and 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...
(UTA) closed the branch altogether in 1959. In accordance with the Benson Report submitted to the Government of Northern Ireland
Government of Northern Ireland
The Government of Northern Ireland is, generally speaking, whatever political body exercises political authority over Northern Ireland. A number of separate systems of government exist or have existed in Northern Ireland....
1963 the UTA closed the "Derry Road" through Dungannon in 1965. The site of Dungannon station is now a public park and the former trackbed through the station is now a greenway.
Notable people
One of Dungannon's most famous sons is Thomas J. Clarke (although he was actually born on the Isle of WightIsle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
), the first signatory of the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic (Poblacht na hÉireann). Clarke was a key figure in 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 was executed by the British authorities on 3 May 1916, aged 59, for his role in the Rising. The Dungannon GAA club is named after him.
Dungannon is the birthplace of professional golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er Darren Clarke
Darren Clarke
Darren Christopher Clarke is a professional golfer from Northern Ireland who currently plays on the European Tour and has previously played on the PGA Tour. He has won 22 tournaments worldwide on a number of golf's main tours including the European Tour, the PGA Tour, the Sunshine Tour and the...
, motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
racer Ryan Farquhar
Ryan Farquhar
Ryan Farquhar is a motorcycle racer who has primarily competed in road racing, having won the Dukes road race rankings 4 times. He has also won five races at the Cookstown 100 in one day and is the only person to do both...
, artist Victor Sloan
Victor Sloan
Victor Sloan MBE is an Irish photographer and artist.Victor Sloan studied at the Royal School, Dungannon, Co. Tyrone and Belfast and Leeds Colleges of Art, England. He lives and works in Portadown, County Armagh in Northern Ireland...
, snooker player Patrick Wallace
Patrick Wallace
Patrick Wallace is a former professional snooker player from Dungannon in Northern Ireland. He is an accountancy graduate from Queens University, Belfast...
, TV presenters Adrian Logan
Adrian Logan
Adrian Logan is a Northern Irish television presenter and journalist.-Broadcasting career:Logan joined Ulster Television in 1985 as a sports reporter and presenter, later becoming the station's Sports Editor....
, Joanne Salley
Joanne Salley
Joanne Salley is a former Miss Northern Ireland winner, presently working as an art teacher and part-time television presenter....
, and rally driver Kris Meeke
Kris Meeke
Kris Meeke is a professional rally driver. He was the 2009 Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion. His current co-driver is Paul Nagle...
.
Dungannon is also the birthplace of actor Birdy Sweeney
Birdy Sweeney
Edmund "Birdy" Sweeney was an Irish actor and comedian.He was born in Dungannon, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland and gained his nickname "Birdy" from his childhood ability to imitate bird calls which he demonstrated on BBC Radio Ulster...
, who appeared in numerous television programmes and motion pictures.
Pittsburgh industrialist Henry W. Oliver
Henry W. Oliver
Henry W. Oliver was an American industrialist.-Biography:Henry W. Oliver was born in Ireland in 1845. Two years later his family settled in Pittsburgh. Oliver began working at the age of thirteen as a messenger boy for the National Telegraph Company in Pittsburgh. Oliver worked at various jobs...
and his brother, United States Senator George T. Oliver
George T. Oliver
George Tener Oliver was an American lawyer, publisher, and Republican party politician from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He represented Pennsylvania in the United States Senate...
, were born in Dungannon in 1840 and 1848 respectively.
Thomas Wilson Spence
Thomas Wilson Spence
Thomas Wilson Spence of Milwaukee, Wisconsin was a Wisconsin lawyer and a Republican member of the Wisconsin Legislature. A member of the “Ohio Five” matriculating at Cornell University during that institution’s early years, counselor Spence died suddenly, aged 65, on February 23, 1912 while...
, Wisconsin lawyer and legislator, was born in Dungannon.
Geraldine McQueen, singer, fictitious character of comedian Peter Kay
Peter Kay
Peter John Kay is an English comedian, writer, actor, director and producer. His work includes That Peter Kay Thing , Phoenix Nights , Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere , Britain's Got the Pop Factor... and other independent productions which have included two sell out tours.-Early career:Peter Kay...
.
Cricket
Dungannon Cricket Club is the oldest sporting club in Dungannon dating back to at least 1865. This was again due to the influence of the Royal School who were playing in 1861 and probably earlier. The club played continuously through to 1914 with a break from 1901 to 1904 when Lord RanfurlyUchter Knox, 5th Earl of Ranfurly
Uchter John Mark Knox, 5th Earl of Ranfurly GCMG, PC was a British politician and colonial governor. He was Governor-General of New Zealand from 1897 to 1904.-Early life:...
was Governor of New Zealand and there was no ground available until his return. The club became affiliated to the NCU in 1913 and played in the Junior Cup in 1913 and 1914 until the club was discontinued during the Great War.
Attempts were made to reestablish the club after the war and this was done in 1929 and survived until 1933 when Lord Ranfurly died to again leave the club without a ground. Cricket was kept alive by the Royal School, Bankers and the RUC
RUC
RUC may refer to: or Coimbra University Radio, a Portuguese university station* Rapid Update Cycle, an atmospheric prediction system* Renmin University of China* Roskilde University or Roskilde Universitetscenter...
until 1939 when the Second World War broke out.
The club was reformed in 1948 mainly due to the efforts of Eddie Hodgett and the NCU leagues in 1952 and continues to do so to the present time. The club has never quite reached senior cricket as it has limited resources and relies on the District Council for a ground. The club has played on at least five different locations during its existence. Home games are played at Dungannon Park.
Rugby
Dungannon was one of the first towns in IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
to form a rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
club, probably due to the Royal School. Dungannon's rugby team's most recent success was sharing the Ulster Senior League title with Ballymena
Ballymena
Ballymena is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and the seat of Ballymena Borough Council. Ballymena had a population of 28,717 people in the 2001 Census....
. They were also the first Ulster club to win the All Ireland League.
At least one player from Dungannon is listed in the first ever Irish side. The rugby club was founded in 1873, was the sixth club in Ireland and a founder member of the IRFU. Despite being a rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
club since inception its official title is Dungannon Football Club. This was in common with other clubs, such as the now defunct North of Ireland club from Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, who were founded prior to the formal division of the different styles of football into Association (soccer) and rugby. The town also has connections to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
rugby. The Earl of Ranfurly presented the Ranfurly Shield
Ranfurly Shield
The Ranfurly Shield, colloquially known as the Log o' Wood, is a trophy in New Zealand's domestic rugby union competition. First played for in 1904, the Ranfurly Shield is based on a challenge system, rather than a league or knockout competition as with most football trophies...
to the NZRFU.
Gaelic games
The town has also achieved much success in Gaelic games, Gaelic footballGaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
and hurling. Dungannon has produced many footballers, especially for the Tyrone County Team, who won the All-Ireland Gaelic Football Championship in 2003, 2005 and 2008, in particular, Gerard Cavlan
Gerard Cavlan
Gerard Cavlan is a former Tyrone Gaelic footballer. He was part of the team that won the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship in 2003, but was ejected from the team in 2007 when it transpired he was embroiled in an illegal dog fighting ring....
and Thomas "Tommy C" Colton. The local Gaelic Football club is Dungannon Thomas Clarkes
Dungannon Thomas Clarkes
Dungannon Thomas Clarkes is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the town of Dungannon in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. They play at O'Neill Park in Dungannon...
(Thomáis Uí Chléirigh Dún Geanainn)and the local Hurling club is Eoghan Ruadh Dungannon(Cumann Iomanaiocht Eoghan Ruadh Dún Geanainn),the reigning tyrone senior hurling champions.
Soccer
Dungannon Swifts F.C.Dungannon Swifts F.C.
Dungannon Swifts F.C. is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club playing in the IFA Premiership. The club, founded in 1949, has risen from the Mid-Ulster league to the top tier in Northern Ireland since its election to the Irish League First Division in 1997...
is the town's local team, which plays in the IFA Premiership
IFA Premiership
The IFA Premiership – formerly the Irish Premier League, and before that the Irish Football League–and still known in popular parlance simply as the Irish League, is the national football league in Northern Ireland, and was historically the league for the whole of Ireland. Clubs in the league are...
, and is Tyrone's only representative in the league, following Omagh Town's
Omagh Town F.C.
Omagh Town Football and Athletic Club was a Northern Irish association football club that was based in Omagh, County Tyrone. Founded in 1962, the club played in the Irish Football League from 1990 up until its closure in 2005. They won the North West Senior Cup on six occasions and competed in the...
collapse. The club represented Northern Ireland in European competition in 2005-06 and 2006-07.
Golf
PGA Tour golfer Darren ClarkeDarren Clarke
Darren Christopher Clarke is a professional golfer from Northern Ireland who currently plays on the European Tour and has previously played on the PGA Tour. He has won 22 tournaments worldwide on a number of golf's main tours including the European Tour, the PGA Tour, the Sunshine Tour and the...
grew up in Dungannon, and was a member of Dungannon Golf Club. The club is one of the oldest 18-hole courses in Northern Ireland, being founded in 1890. Six new greens were recently designed by Patrick Merrigan.
Hare Coursing and Greyhound Racing
The local Hare Coursing Club has been in existence since the 1920s but the sport was popular in the area long before the formation of the club. With Hare Coursing currently suspended in Northern Ireland the Dungannon club organises meetings in the Republic of Ireland. Greyhound racing was a popular sport in Dungannon from the 1940s until the Oaks Park Greyhound Stadium finally closed in January 2003. Large crowds attended the weekly meetings on Wednesdays and Fridays with visitors travelling from as far away as Coalisland to enjoy the races.See also
- Abbeys and priories in Northern Ireland (County Tyrone)
- Ballysaggart LoughBallysaggart LoughBallysaggart Lough or Black Lough is a lough in Dungannon, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is part of the waterway created to service mills in nearby Moygashel.In 2002 a man drowned after getting into difficulties swimming across it....
- List of towns in Northern Ireland
- List of villages in Northern Ireland