Omagh is a market town in western Northern Ireland. It lies about 60 miles (97 kilometers) west of Belfast, Northern Ireland, and 20 miles (32 kilometers) from the border with the Republic of Ireland. In Irish, Omagh is called An Ómaigh.
Omagh was the county town (administrative center) of County Tyrone, one of Northern Ireland’s six historic counties. County Tyrone ceased to serve as an administrative area in 1973, when a reorganization of local government divided it into smaller districts. From 1973 to 2015, Omagh was the name of a local government district centered on the town of Omagh. In 2015, the Omagh district was combined with the Fermanagh district to form the Fermanagh and Omagh district.
The area around the town of Omagh includes several small market towns, such as Fintona and Sixmilecross. The area’s economy depends on mixed farming. The Sperrin Mountains dominate the area and attract many tourists.
On Aug. 15, 1998, 29 people were killed when a car bomb exploded in the town of Omagh. The Real Irish Republican Army (RIRA), an Irish terrorist group seeking to unite all of Ireland, claimed responsibility for the blast. The explosion caused more deaths than any other single incident in the history of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
See also Northern Ireland (The Troubles); Tyrone, County.
