County Tyrone

Template:Short description Template:Use British English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox settlement County Tyrone (Template:IPAc-en;<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Template:Irish derived place name Template:IPA) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the thirty-two traditional counties of Ireland. Its county town is Omagh.

Adjoined to the south-west shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of Template:Convert,<ref name="census1971summary"/> making it the largest of Northern Ireland's six counties by size, and the second largest county in Ulster after Donegal. With a population of 188,383 as of the 2021 census, Tyrone is the 5th most populous county in both Northern Ireland and Ulster, and the 11th most populous county on the island of Ireland. The county derives its name and general geographic location from Tír Eoghain, a Gaelic kingdom under the O'Neill dynasty which existed until the 17th century.

Name

The name Tyrone is derived Template:Etymology, the name given to the conquests made by the Cenél nEógain from the provinces of Airgíalla and Ulaid.<ref name="Cosgrove">Art Cosgrove (2008); "A New History of Ireland, Volume II: Medieval Ireland 1169–1534". Oxford University Press.</ref> Historically, it was anglicised as Tirowen or Tyrowen, which are closer to the Irish pronunciation.

History

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Historically Tyrone (then Tír Eoghain or Tirowen) was much larger in size, stretching 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 and 1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on natural resources located there. Tyrone was the traditional stronghold of the various O'Neill clans and families, the strongest of the Gaelic Irish families in Ulster, surviving into the seventeenth century. The ancient principality of Tír Eoghain, the inheritance of the O'Neills, included the whole of the present counties of Tyrone and Londonderry, and the four baronies of West Inishowen, East Inishowen, Raphoe North and Raphoe South in County Donegal.<ref name="LI">Template:Cite book Template:PD-notice</ref>

In 1608 during O'Doherty's Rebellion areas of the country were plundered and burnt by the forces of Sir Cahir O'Doherty following his destruction of Derry. However, O'Doherty's men avoided the estates of the recently fled Earl of Tyrone around Dungannon, fearing Tyrone's anger if he returned from his exile.<ref>McCavitt, John. The Flight of the Earls. Gill & MacMillan, 2002. p.143-44</ref>

Geography

With an area of Template:Convert, Tyrone is the largest county in Northern Ireland. The flat peatlands of East Tyrone border the shoreline of the largest lake in the British Isles, Lough Neagh, rising gradually across to the more mountainous terrain in the west of the county, the area surrounding the Sperrin Mountains, the highest point being Sawel Mountain at a height of Template:Convert. The length of the county, from the mouth of the River Blackwater at Lough Neagh to the western point near Carrickaduff hill is Template:Convert. The breadth, from the southern corner, southeast of Fivemiletown, to the northeastern corner near Meenard Mountain is Template:Convert; giving an area of Template:Convert.<ref name="LI"/> Annaghone lays claim to be the geographical centre of Northern Ireland.

Tyrone is connected by land to the counties of Fermanagh to the southwest; Monaghan to the south; Armagh to the southeast; Londonderry to the north; and Donegal to the west. Across Lough Neagh to the east, it borders County Antrim. It is the eighth largest of Ireland's thirty-two counties by area and tenth largest by population.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> It is the second largest of Ulster's nine traditional counties by area and fourth largest by population.<ref>Marie Veronica Tarpey The role of Joseph McGarrity in the struggle for Irish independence Template:Webarchive</ref>

File:Blackrock Bridge - geograph.org.uk - 467291.jpg

Blackrock Bridge near Newtownstewart, carrying the closed GNR mainline that ran through the county

Administration

The county was administered by Tyrone County Council from 1899 until the abolition of county councils in Northern Ireland in 1973.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Demography

Template:Bar box It is one of four counties in Northern Ireland which currently has a majority of the population from a Catholic community background, according to the 2021 census.<ref name="NI county religions 2021">Template:Cite web</ref> In 1900 County Tyrone had a population of 197,719,<ref name="LI"/> while in 2021 it was 188,383. At the time of the 2021 census, 66.49% were from a Catholic background, 28.88% were from a Protestant and Other Christian (including Christian related), 0.66% were from other religions, and 3.97% had no religious background.<ref name="NI county religions 2021"/>

Religion or religion brought up in (2021 Census)
Religion or religion brought up in	Number	%
Catholic	125,251	66.49%
Protestant and Other Christian	54,407	28.88%
Other religions	1,251	0.66%
None (no religion)	7,474	3.97%
Total	188,383	100.00%

National identity (2021 Census)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
National identity	Number	(%)
Irish only	78,291	41.6%
British only	39,551	21.0%
Northern Irish only	38,698	20.5%
British and Northern Irish only	8,197	4.4%
Irish and Northern Irish only	3,853	2.1%
British, Irish and Northern Irish only	1,175	0.6%
British and Irish only	737	0.4%
Other identity	17,881	9.5%
Total	188,383	100.0%
All Irish identities	84,562	44.9%
All British identities	50,768	27.0%
All Northern Irish identities	52,667	28.0%

Irish language and Ulster Scots

In the 2021 UK census in County Tyrone:

18.44% claim to have some knowledge of the Irish language, whilst 5.84% claim to be able to speak, read, write and understand spoken Irish. 3.62% claim to use Irish daily. 0.38% claim that Irish is their main language.
8.15% claim to have some knowledge of Ulster Scots, whilst 0.91% claim to be able to speak, read, write and understand spoken Ulster Scots. 1.26% claim to use Ulster Scots daily.

Settlements

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Large towns

(population of 18,000 or more and under 75,000 at 2021 Census)<ref name="2021 pop">Template:Cite web</ref>

Omagh

Medium towns

(population of 10,000 or more and under 18,000 at 2021 Census)<ref name="2021 pop"/>

Small towns

(population of 4,500 or more and under 10,000 at 2021 Census)<ref name="NI">Template:Cite web</ref>

Coalisland

Intermediate settlements

(population of 2,250 or more and under 4,500 at 2021 Census)<ref name="2021 pop"/>

Castlederg

Villages

(population of 1,000 or more and under 2,250 at 2001 Census)<ref name="NI"/>

Small villages

(population of less than 1,000 at 2001 Census)<ref name="NI"/>

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Subdivisions

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Baronies Template:Main

Parishes Template:Main Townlands Template:Main

Future railway revival

There is the possibility of the line being reopened to Dungannon railway station from Portadown.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Sport

Major sports in Tyrone include Gaelic games, association football, rugby union and cricket:

Gaelic football is more widely played than hurling in Tyrone. The Tyrone GAA football side has had considerable success since 2000, winning four All Ireland titles (in 2003, 2005, 2008 and 2021). They have also won sixteen Ulster titles (1956, 1957, 1973, 1984, 1986, 1989, 1995, 1996, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2016, 2017 and 2021)<ref>The Tyrone GAA team have won the Ulster Senior Championship on eight occasions in the 20th century</ref> and two National League titles (in 2002<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and 2003<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>).
Association football also has a large following in Tyrone. Omagh Town F.C. were members of the Irish Football League until they folded in 2005 due to financial problems. Dungannon Swifts F.C. compete in the NIFL Premiership – the top division. Other teams include NIFL Championship side Dergview F.C.
Rugby union is very popular in the county. Dungannon RFC, Omagh Academicals RFC and Clogher Valley RFC play in the All-Ireland League. Other teams include Cookstown RFC and Strabane RFC.
International Cricket is also played on the Bready Cricket Club Ground which is owned by Bready Cricket Club. It is Ireland's fourth venue for International Cricket hosting its first International Cricket match when Ireland played against Scotland in a series of T20I matches in June 2015.<ref name="Scot-Ire">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Ireland's Bready Cricket Club Gets ICC's Recognition Template:Dead link</ref> It was selected as a venue to host matches in the 2015 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier tournament.<ref name="2015Fixtures">Template:Cite web</ref>

Notable people

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Philomena Begley, Irish country music singer
James E. Boyd, seventh Governor of Nebraska<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Paul Brady, musician
Conor Bradley, footballer
Colin Broderick, Author and Filmographer.
William Burke (1792–1829), grave robber and murderer
Peter Canavan, former All Ireland Tyrone captain
William Carleton (1794–1869), writer
Chipzel, musician
Darren Clarke, professional golfer
Tom Clarke, Irish Republican and leader of the 1916 Easter Rising
Jimmy Cricket, comedian
Sidney Elisabeth Croskery, doctor<ref>Sidney Elisabeth Croskery: Whilst I Remember (1983), Template:ISBN</ref>
Austin Currie, politician, founding member SDLP; Member of Parliament (MP) and later Teachta Dála (TD)
Janet Devlin, soul and pop artist and contestant on The X Factor (UK)
Ryan Dolan, Ireland representative at the Eurovision Song Contest 2013
Brian Dooher, former captain of the Tyrone senior football team
Hugo Duncan, singer and broadcaster on BBC Radio Ulster
John Dunlap (1747–1812), publisher of the first American daily newspaper the Pennsylvania Packet in 1784, also the printer of the American Declaration of Independence
Brian Friel, dramatist and theatre director
Sylvia Hermon, Member of Parliament for North Down, born in Galbally, County Tyrone
Aaron Hughes, captain of the Northern Ireland football team
John Hughes (1797–1864), first Archbishop of Roman Catholic Diocese of New York<ref name="Marquis 1607-1896">Template:Cite book</ref>
Martin Hurson, Irish Republican
Ryan Kelly, singer with Celtic Thunder<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Benedict Kiely (1919–2007), writer and broadcaster
Conor McKenna, AFL Player for the Template:AFL BL
Gerry McKenna MRIA (1953–), biologist; Vice Chancellor and President, University of Ulster; Senior Vice President, Royal Irish Academy<ref>Professor P G (Gerry) McKenna Template:Webarchive. gerrymckenna.co.uk.</ref>
William McMaster (1811–1887), founder of Canadian Bank of Commerce and namesake of McMaster University
Mary Mallon (1869–1938), more commonly known as Typhoid Mary
W. F. Marshall (1888–1954), the 'Bard of Tyrone', Presbyterian minister, author and poet
Thomas Mellon, founder of Mellon Bank, now Bank of New York Mellon
Sister Nivedita (1867–1911), Irish social activist
Flann O'Brien (1911–1966), writer
Dominic Ó Mongain (Template:Circa1715–1770s), poet and harpist
Arthur O'Neill (Template:Circa1737–1816), travelling blind Irish harpist
Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone (Aodh Mór Ó Néill) (Template:Circa1550–1616), Irish leader during the Nine Years' War
Thomas Porter, member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
Martha M. Simpson (1864–1948), educationalist
Victor Sloan, visual artist
Ivan Sproule, football player for Bristol City F.C.
Dennis Taylor, former world snooker champion
John K. Tener, former baseball player and Governor of Pennsylvania. Creator of Congressional Baseball Game.

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References

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External links

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