Omagh District Council
Encyclopedia
Omagh District Council is a local council in County Tyrone
in Northern Ireland
. Its headquarters is in the town of Omagh
, which is the traditional county town of Tyrone. The council area is about 440 square miles (1,139.6 km²), making it the second largest local council area in Northern Ireland with a population of just over 50,000 (25,000 of which live in Omagh
town). Apart from Omagh the area contains smaller towns including Drumquin
, Dromore
, Trillick
, Fintona
, Beragh
, Carrickmore
and Sixmilecross
.
The council was established in 1973 and originally had 20 councillors but following a review of local government boundaries in the early 1980s, the number of councillors was increased to 21. Omagh District Council consists of three electoral areas: Omagh Town, Mid Tyrone and West Tyrone. In the last elections in 2011 members were elected from the following political parties: 10 Sinn Féin
, 3 Social Democratic and Labour Party
(SDLP), 3 Ulster Unionist Party
(UUP), 3 Democratic Unionist Party
(DUP) and 2 Independents. The election of Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Council takes place annually in June. The current Chairman is Councillor Frankie Donnelly (Sinn Féin) and the Vice Chairman is Councillor Ross Hussey (UUP).
In both the Westminster Parliament and the Northern Ireland Assembly
, Omagh is completely contained within the West Tyrone constituency.
in 2011 to form a single council for the enlarged area totalling 2829 km² and a population of 105,479. The next election was due to take place in May 2009, but on April 25, 2008, Shaun Woodward
, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
announced that the scheduled 2009 district council elections were to be postponed until the introduction of the eleven new councils in 2011.
town) has seen significant growth in the past few years, with the population rising by the most in years. Many housing estates and shopping areas have sprung up in recent times as well.
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Population:
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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...
in 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...
. Its headquarters is in the town of 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...
, which is the traditional county town of Tyrone. The council area is about 440 square miles (1,139.6 km²), making it the second largest local council area in Northern Ireland with a population of just over 50,000 (25,000 of which live in 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...
town). Apart from Omagh the area contains smaller towns including Drumquin
Drumquin
Drumquin is a small village and townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It lies between Omagh and Castlederg, on the banks of the Drumquin River...
, Dromore
Dromore, County Tyrone
Dromore is a village in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is situated nine miles south west of Omagh on the A32 road and sixteen miles from Enniskillen. The town had a population of 1,101 in the 2001 Census. Agriculture and the building trades are the primary sources of employment in the town...
, Trillick
Trillick
Trillick is a small village in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 303 people in the 2001 Census. Trillick lies within the civil parish of Cleenish and the barony of Clanawley.-History before the 18th century:...
, Fintona
Fintona
Fintona is a village and townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is the second largest settlement in the Omagh District Council area, after Omagh itself. Its 2010 population was estimated to be 1,410.-History:...
, Beragh
Beragh
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...
, Carrickmore
Carrickmore
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.-History:...
and Sixmilecross
Sixmilecross
Sixmilecross is a small village in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Its toponym is said to be derived from a Celtic cross that stood in a field at the top of the village and also from its distance of six Irish miles from Omagh. The village has a wide, tree lined main street and a population of 282...
.
The council was established in 1973 and originally had 20 councillors but following a review of local government boundaries in the early 1980s, the number of councillors was increased to 21. Omagh District Council consists of three electoral areas: Omagh Town, Mid Tyrone and West Tyrone. In the last elections in 2011 members were elected from the following political parties: 10 Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
, 3 Social Democratic and Labour Party
Social Democratic and Labour Party
The Social Democratic and Labour Party is a social-democratic, Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. Its basic party platform advocates Irish reunification, and the further devolution of powers while Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom...
(SDLP), 3 Ulster Unionist Party
Ulster Unionist Party
The Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...
(UUP), 3 Democratic Unionist Party
Democratic Unionist Party
The Democratic Unionist Party is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. Founded by Ian Paisley and currently led by Peter Robinson, it is currently the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons of the...
(DUP) and 2 Independents. The election of Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Council takes place annually in June. The current Chairman is Councillor Frankie Donnelly (Sinn Féin) and the Vice Chairman is Councillor Ross Hussey (UUP).
2011 election results
| Party | seats | change +/- | |
|---|---|---|---|
| • | Sinn Féin Sinn Féin Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970... |
10 | = |
| • | Democratic Unionist Party Democratic Unionist Party The Democratic Unionist Party is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. Founded by Ian Paisley and currently led by Peter Robinson, it is currently the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons of the... |
3 | = |
| • | Ulster Unionist Party Ulster Unionist Party The Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland... |
3 | = |
| • | Social Democratic and Labour Party Social Democratic and Labour Party The Social Democratic and Labour Party is a social-democratic, Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. Its basic party platform advocates Irish reunification, and the further devolution of powers while Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom... |
3 | = |
| • | Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
2 | = |
| Party | seats | change +/- | |
| • | Sinn Féin Sinn Féin Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970... |
10 | +2 |
| • | Democratic Unionist Party Democratic Unionist Party The Democratic Unionist Party is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. Founded by Ian Paisley and currently led by Peter Robinson, it is currently the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons of the... |
3 | +1 |
| • | Ulster Unionist Party Ulster Unionist Party The Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland... |
3 | = |
| • | Social Democratic and Labour Party Social Democratic and Labour Party The Social Democratic and Labour Party is a social-democratic, Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. Its basic party platform advocates Irish reunification, and the further devolution of powers while Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom... |
3 | -3 |
| • | Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
2 | = |
In both the Westminster Parliament and the Northern Ireland Assembly
Northern Ireland Assembly
The Northern Ireland Assembly is the devolved legislature of Northern Ireland. It has power to legislate in a wide range of areas that are not explicitly reserved to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and to appoint the Northern Ireland Executive...
, Omagh is completely contained within the West Tyrone constituency.
Review of Public Administration
Under the Review of Public Administration (RPA), the council is due to merge with Fermanagh District CouncilFermanagh District Council
Fermanagh District Council is a local council in Northern Ireland. The borders of the district are very similar to those of the traditional County Fermanagh, containing all of that county plus a small section of County Tyrone in the Dromore Road and Kilskeery Road areas. Council headquarters are...
in 2011 to form a single council for the enlarged area totalling 2829 km² and a population of 105,479. The next election was due to take place in May 2009, but on April 25, 2008, Shaun Woodward
Shaun Woodward
Shaun Anthony Woodward is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for St Helens South since 2001. He served in the Cabinet from 28 June 2007 to 11 May 2010 as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland...
, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, informally the Northern Ireland Secretary, is the principal secretary of state in the government of the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Northern Ireland. The Secretary of State is a Minister of the Crown who is accountable to the Parliament of...
announced that the scheduled 2009 district council elections were to be postponed until the introduction of the eleven new councils in 2011.
Population growth
The council area (especially 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...
town) has seen significant growth in the past few years, with the population rising by the most in years. Many housing estates and shopping areas have sprung up in recent times as well.
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Population:
- 1982: 44,417
- 1992: 46,372
- 2002: 48,919
- 2004: 50,082
- Population Density - 44 per km²
- Home Ownership - 72%
- Unemployment - 4.5%
- Car Ownership (Households) - 75%
- 16-74 Population In Work - 56%
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