Pomeroy, County Tyrone

Infobox UK place
official_name= Pomeroy
irish_name= Cabhán an Chaorthainn
scots_name=
local_name=
static_

static_image_caption=
map_type= Northern Ireland
latitude= 54.59
longitude= -6.93
belfast_distance=
unitary_northern_ireland= Cookstown
population= 604 (2001 Census)
irish_grid_reference=
country= Northern Ireland
post_town= DUNGANNON
postcode_area= BT
postcode_district= BT70
dial_code= 028
constituency_westminster= Mid Ulster
constituency_ni_assembly= Mid Ulster
lieutenancy_northern_ireland=County Tyrone
website=

Pomeroy is a small village in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, situated 10 miles from Cookstown, 8 miles from Dungannon and 18 miles from Omagh. According to the 2001 Census it had a population of 604 people.

Pomeroy is the highest village in County Tyrone. Its prominent site dominates the surrounding countryside, and is marked out 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 and the Central Bar on the opposite side of the road. The Diamond is a popular drinking area and Market Day is held there every Tuesday.

Several mountain ranges surround the village, including the Mountains of Pomeroy and the Sperrins. The countryside around consists of a mixture of moorland and bog land. Stone age and Bronze age cairns are situated in many places.

History

At the end of the 17th Century there was no village in this area, just an extensive forest. During the plantation of Ulster, some eight townlands were granted by James I to Sir William Parsons. In 1729 the land was inherited by James Lowry on the death of his father, Robert of Aghenis Caledon.

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. During the 1640’s the large forest had been stripped of timber but in the 1770’s Rev. Lowry replanted approximately 556 acres and bequeathed money to erect the mansion, Pomeroy House.

In the attractive little square is the Anglican Church which dates from the early 1840’s. The belfry and tower of the church 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 their burial vault on the Tanderagee Road. This was once approached by the longest avenue of Chilean Pine trees in Ireland.

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

The Troubles

For more information see The Troubles in Pomeroy (Tyrone), which includes a list of incidents in Pomeroy during the Troubles resulting in two or more fatalities.

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

People

*Philomena Begley, Irish country music singer

port

*Pomeroy Plunketts is the local Gaelic Athletic Association club.

Education

*Queen Elizabeth II Primary School
*St. Mary's Primary School

Transport

*Pomeroy railway station opened on 2 September 1861 and finally closed on 15 February 1965. Throughout its time the station had held the title as the highest mainline station in Ireland.

Demography

Pomeroy is classified as a small village or hamlet by the [http://www.nisra.gov.uk/ NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA)] (ie with population between 500 and 1,000 people).On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 604 people living in Pomeroy.cite web| url = http://www.ninis.nisra.gov.uk/mapxtreme_towns/pf_report.asp?settlementName=Pomeroy&BandName=Small%20Village,%20Hamlet%20and%20Open%20Countryside
publisher = NINIS| title = Pomeroy statistics| date= 2007-04-30| accessdate = 2008-02-04] Of these:
*29.6% were aged under 16 years and 15.5% were aged 60 and over
*47.2% of the population were male and 52.8% were female
*92.7% were from a Roman Catholic background and 6.6% were from a Protestant background
*8.0% of people aged 16-74 were unemployed

For more details see: [http://www.ninis.nisra.gov.uk/ NI Neighbourhood Information Service]

References

* [http://www.pomeroyparish.homestead.com/ Parish of Pomeroy]
* [http://www.countytyrone.com/ County Tyrone.com]
* [http://www.pomeroygac.com/ Pomeroy GAA]
*Pomeroy parish directory

See also

*List of villages in Northern Ireland
*List of towns in Northern Ireland