Carrickmore

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Carrickmore (Irish: An Charraig Mhór) is a village in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is centrally located in the heart of the county, on an elevated site colloquially known as "The Rock". The original name of the village came from the Irish Carraig Mhor which means "Big Rock". It had a population of 612 in the 2001 Census.

It lies 12 miles east of Omagh, 14 miles west of Cookstown and 14 miles north-west of Dungannon. It is situated in central Ulster.

1 History
2 Places of interest
3 Sport
4 2001 Census
5 References
6 External links
7 See also

[edit] History

The area is steeped in history and there are many tales and legends connected with St. Colmcille and the town, including the saint's well, chair and bed which are still in existence. A wide range of historic monuments can be found in the Carrickmore area, including cairns, stone circles, standing stones and raths.

The High School in Carrickmore is named after Dean Brian Maguirc, a famous priest of the Maguirc (McGurk) family who was Vicar-General to St Oliver Plunkett.

An important event in the town each year is the Mid Ulster Drama Festival which attracts participants and visitors from many parts of Ireland and is hosted in the Patrician Hall.

Carrickmore holds the annual Tyrone County Commemoration of the 1916 Easter Rising and a remembrance ceremony for all Republicans killed in the northern Irish conflict since 1969. Carrickmore was part of the notorious Provisional IRA East Tyrone Brigade.

Two major figures in Irelands struggle for independance from Britain hail from the Carrickmore area; Joseph McGarrity and Dr Patrick McCartan, both major players in the organisation and funding of the 1916 Easter Rising.

The renowned human rights campaigner, Monsignor Denis Faul, became Roman Catholic parish priest of Carrickmore in 1998. Mons. Faul died of cancer in a hospital in Dublin on 21 June 2006, and is buried in the cemetery of St. Colmcille's Church in the village.

[edit] Places of interest

St Colmcilles Bed, Chair and Well. Situated on the hill beside St. Colmcille's Roman Catholic Church, Creggan Road.
Dunmisk Fort. Evidence of Ireland's first glass manufacturing plant. Accessed from the main Galbally to Carrickmore Road (Inishatieve Road).
The Tyrone National Graves Monument - memorial to Republicans killed during the Anglo-Irish conflict. It is situated on the Drumnakilly road, close to the village centre.

[edit] Sport

Gaelic Athletic Association, is the main sporting organisation in the village and surrounding area, producing teams in Gaelic football, Hurling, Camogie, and Irish Handball.

[edit] 2001 Census

Carrickmore is classified as a small village or hamlet by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (ie with a population between 500 and 1,000). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 612 people living in Carrickmore. Of these:

28.3% were aged under 16 and 14.9% were aged 60 and over
47.1% of the population were male and 52.9% were female
98.0% were from a Catholic background and 1.5% were from a Protestant background
5.2% of people aged 16-74 were unemployed.

For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service