Omagh is a town in County Tyrone in Northern Ireland. It's a centre of local government and market town with a population of 20,500 in 2021, at the confluence of two small rivers that form the Strule River. Its name is indelibly linked to the bombing of 1998, but its chief attraction is the nearby Ulster American Folk Park, exploring the emigrant experience.

In 1998 there was optimism that the Troubles were over. The Good Friday Agreement of 10 April 1998 bound all sides to non-violence and a series of reforms on civil rights, policing, military de-escalation and recognition of sovereignty. Sinn Féin the republican political faction supported the agreement, but a splinter group called the Real IRA saw it as betraying the struggle for a united Ireland. They launched a campaign of bombings against symbolic targets and the security forces, and their car bomb in Omagh was the worst single act of violence in the entire Troubles.

On 13 Aug a maroon Vauxhall Cavalier was stolen in the Republic, fitted with fake Northern Ireland plates, and loaded with 500 lb (230 kg) of explosives; the man who stole the car was a double agent. On 15 Aug it was driven to Omagh, with a scout car ahead to warn of checkpoints. Security forces were listening to these mobile phone messages, and had other intelligence. The target in Omagh was the courthouse on High Street but they couldn't find a nearby parking spot, so they parked further east on Market Street near its junction with Dublin Rd. They set the timer for 40 minutes, walked clear and drove off in the scout car. A family of Spanish tourists happened to pose for a photo next to the car.

The Real IRA phoned three warnings, which caused police to believe the site was the courthouse, so people were evacuated along Market Street towards the bomb. It exploded at 3:10PM, turning the car into a fireball and hail of shrapnel. 27 people were killed outright or died of their injuries, including two of the Spanish tourists, and a woman who was pregnant with twins.

The aftermath was universal condemnation; the Real IRA became pariahs and abandoned their bombing campaign. There were years of police, legal, political and media enquiry, and several suspects were arrested but no convictions could be secured. However the families of children killed by the bomb launched civil litigation against the main suspects, and four were found liable for the deaths.

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Map of Omagh

By road from Belfast follow M1 onto A4 then at Ballygawley take A5.

Ulsterbus 273 runs from Belfast Grand Central hourly M-Sa and every two hours Sunday, taking 1 hr 40 min via Lurgan, Dungannon and Ballygawley. It continues to Newtonstewart, Sion Mills, Strabane and Derry. Bus 97 is an extra between Strabane and Omagh, twice M-F. From Cookstown change at Dungannon.

Goldliner X3 runs three times a day from Dublin Busáras and Airport via Monaghan and Ballygawley to Omagh (3 hours). It's heading to Derry but you can't ride it for that section.

Expressway 32 also runs every hour or two from Dublin Busáras and Airport, taking 3 hr 20 min via Monaghan, and continuing to Strabane, Lifford and Letterkenny. Unlike the X3, you can ride this between intermediate points.

Bus 94 runs from Enniskillen six times M-F, twice on Saturday and once on Sunday. Bus 96 runs from Castlederg, with five M-F and two on Saturday.

54.6015-7.30171 Omagh bus station is north bank of the river, corner of Bridge St and Mountjoy Rd.

Omagh lost its railway in 1965. There are calls for it to be re-connected to the main line at Portadown, but the track bed has been built over so that would be an expensive project.

For the Ulster American Folk Park, take Bus 273 / 97 towards Strabane. For the Abingdon motor collection, take the same bus as far as Mountjoy post office.

Taxi firms are Urgent Taxis (+44 28 8224 8999) and P & L (+44 28 8224 1010).

National Cycleway 95 runs mostly on-road from Armagh to Dungannon, Cookstown and Strabane, while Route 92 runs from Enniskillen to Omagh, Strabane and Derry.

• 54.6003-7.29891 Omagh Bomb Memorial is a glass obelisk marking the blast on Market St.
• 54.6014-7.29912 Memorial Garden of Light is north across the bridge, since space is limited on Market St. It's a set of mirrors each bearing the name of a victim.
• St Columba's is the Anglican church completed in 1871, west beyond High St.
• Sacred Heart is the RC church opposite.
• 54.6028-7.30713 Omagh Jail: all that remains is the octagonal tower of the Governor's House, built in 1804. (A monastery and Franciscan Friary also stood here, but were obliterated by later building.) It's privately owned and you can't go inside. Most of the inmates were debtors, but one notorious criminal hanged here in 1873 had killed the cashier while robbing the bank at Newtonstewart. The crime was diligently investigated by District Inspector Montgomery, but in a twist worthy of The Real Inspector Hound, the murderer turned out to be himself.
• 54.6447-7.33134 Abingdon Collection, 16 Gortnagarn Rd, Omagh BT78 5NW, ☏ +44 28 8224 3373. Daily 11AM-5PM. One enthusiast's motoring collection, with World War II militaria, civilian classics, and models. Only by pre-booked tour. Donation. (updated Aug 2025)

• 54.6597-7.33445 Ulster American Folk Park, 2 Mellon Rd, Omagh BT78 5QU, ☏ +44 28 8224 3292. Tu-Su 10AM-5PM. This was the birthplace in 1813 of Thomas Mellon, founder of the US banking dynasty. It's now an open air museum showing the emigrant experience from the 18th to 20th centuries. Start with the Old World section, in buildings depicting town and country life in Ulster. Then move through the dockyard and ship section, with a replica emigrant ship. Then in the New World section you see their life in the East Coast cities and farmlands, pushing west out to the Frontier. Adult £13.40, conc £11.50, child £8.75. (updated Aug 2025)
• 54.717-7.46 Newtonstewart is a village ten miles north of Omagh on the road to Strabane, with two ruined castles. Stewart Castle on main street is the gable-end shell of a 17th-century manor house. Harry Avery's Castle, half a mile south of the village, is two bulky D-shaped towers — a rare example of a Gaelic castle built in stone, and named for a 14th-century member of the O'Neill dynasty.
• 54.701-6.9397 Beaghmore: see Cookstown for this group of stone circles and other prehistoric monuments in the lanes east of Omagh.

• Strule Arts Centre, Townhall Square BT78 1BL, ☏ +44 28 8224 7831. Rotating art exhibitions in the gallery, 400-seat theatre, 125-seat lecture theatre, dance and recording studios and cafe. (updated Aug 2025)
• Omagh Leisure Complex on Old Mountfield Rd has a gym, fitness classes and pool.
• Cinema: Omniplex is on Kevlin Rd, south side. IMC Cinema has closed down.
• Gaelic games: Tyrone County GAA plays Gaelic football and hurling at Healy Park (capacity 18,500) along Gortin Rd half a mile north of town centre.
• Golf: Omagh GC is on Dublin Rd. Fintona GC is 5 km south and Newtonstewart GC is 8 km north.
• Bluegrass Omagh is held at the Ulster American Folk Park over the late May holiday weekend.

• The town centre retail strip is Main Street, the pedestrianised mall off High Street.
• The edge-of-town retail park is a mile southwest, junction of A5 and A32. Asda petrol here is the cheapest place to refuel.

• Number 19 at 19 Main St is open M-Sa 8:30AM-5PM.
• The Kitchen at 10 High St is open daily 9AM-4PM.
• Marco's at 28 John St is open Th 5-11PM, F Sa noon-1AM, Su noon-11PM.
• Main Street Omagh (Rue), 12 Main Street BT78 1BA, ☏ +44 28 8225 7575. Daily 10AM-9PM. Restaurant with trad food, good beer and live music. Also has rooms. (updated Aug 2025)
• Grants of Omagh, 29 George's St BT78 1DE, ☏ +44 28 8225 0900. Th-Sa 5-9:30PM, Su 1-8PM. Long-established Irish restaurant with trad food, named for Ulysses Grant. (updated Aug 2025)

• Bogan's Bar is at 26 Market St.
• Daly's is at 9 High St.
• Seán Óg’s is a modern replica thatched pub within Rooms at Rue.
• Broderick's is at 23 George's St.
• Top of the Town is at 13 John St.
• Sallys of Omagh, 33 John St BT78 1DW, ☏ +44 28 8224 2521. Daily 10AM-8PM. Lively bar with TV sport and bistro. (updated Aug 2025)
• Tipplers is at 45 John St.

• Rooms at Rue, 12 Main St BT78 1ER, ☏ +44 28 8225 7575. Comfy welcoming place right in town centre. B&B double £120. (updated Aug 2025)
• 54.6088-7.30031 Silverbirch Hotel, 5 Gortin Rd BT79 7DH, ☏ +44 28 8224 2520. Friendly comfy hotel north side of town, good food, live music at weekends. B&B double £120. (updated Aug 2025)
• 54.6086-7.27992 Mullaghmore House, Old Mountfield Rd BT79 7EX, ☏ +44 28 8224 2314. Quirky Georgian property, but it's room-only and doesn't do breakfast. (updated Aug 2025)
• 54.5877-7.31983 Pinewood Lodge, 2 Loughmuck Rd BT78 1SE, ☏ +44 28 8224 4093. Friendly cosy B&B southwest edge of town. (updated Aug 2025)
• 54.5791-7.37034 The Laurels, 18B Laurel Rd BT78 5DH, ☏ +44 7543 967297. Splendid welcoming B&B in the countryside. (updated Aug 2025)
• 54.3704-7.39315 Goldenhill Guesthouse, 32 Tattykeel Rd BT78 5DA, ☏ +44 7862 702450. Peaceful B&B four miles out of town. B&B double £100. (updated Aug 2025)
• Mellon Country Hotel is on A5, 1 km north of the Folk Park. It's basic but clean.

As of Aug 2025, Omagh and its approach roads have 4G from EE, Three and Vodafone, and 5G from O2.

• Cookstown has a famously long wide main street, but the chief attractions are the ancient sites (including the inauguration site of the Kings of Tyrone), and the "beetling mill" that put the final shine on Ulster linen.
• County Fermanagh starts 15 miles southwest. Irvinestown, the first place you reach, has a couple of castles, though they're really mansion houses.
• Derry is a fascinating historic city and its walls still stand.

Derry ← Strabane ←

NW  SE

→ continues as → Monaghan → Dublin