Pomeroy, County Tyrone
Pomeroy
| |
|---|---|
| Population | Expression error: "604 (2001 Census)" must be numeric |
| District | |
| County | |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | DUNGANNON |
| Postcode district | BT70 |
| Dialling code | 028 |
| Police | Northern Ireland |
| Fire | Northern Ireland |
| Ambulance | Northern Ireland |
| UK Parliament | |
| NI Assembly | |
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, Surveyor General of Ireland. 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 and for many years after remained in a neglected state. In 1770, the Rev. James Lowry undertook its management replanted approximately 556 acres and bequeathed money to erect the mansion, Pomeroy House. The Lowry family played a prominent part in the life of the area for about two hundred years.
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.
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
Sport
- Pomeroy Plunketts is the local Gaelic Athletic Association club.
Education
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 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.[1] Of these:
- 29.6% were aged under 16 years and 15.5% were aged 60 and over [1]
- 47.2% of the population were male and 52.8% were female [1]
- 92.7% were from a Roman Catholic background and 6.6% were from a Protestant background [1]
- 8.0% of people aged 16-74 were unemployed [1]
For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service
References
- Parish of Pomeroy
- County Tyrone.com
- Pomeroy GAA
- Pomeroy parish directory