Some History and Geography
of the County Tyrone Environs
County
Tyrone lies
on the western shore of Lough Neagh, and borders in the south
with the counties of Armagh, Monaghan, and Fermanagh, in the west
with Donegal, and in the north with Londonderry.
The
Sperrin mountains cover much of northern Tyrone, while other regions
are occasioned by beautiful rivers, moors, and rolling forests.
Outside
of Omagh (the county town), Cookstown, and Dungannon, the landscape
is sparsely settled, though rich in both history and Celtic remains.
Some of County Tyrone’s modern day tourist attractions consist
of the Neolithic site of Beaghmore (stone circles near Cookstown),
the chambered cairn of Knockmany at Clogher, the Ulster History
Park near Gortin Glen Forest Park,
the
ancient High Cross at Ardboe (18 feet high; below),
and
another High Cross in Donaghmore village. Tullaghoge hill (below)
near Cookstown was the chief crowning place of the Tyrone O'Neill
Kings and sports a fine view of the old Kingdom of Tyrone from
its top.
Nearly
a thousand ancient standing stones dot the landscape of Tyrone,
as well as the ruins of several castles, and abbeys.
Cookstown
and the near vicinity have many tourist attractions including
Killymoon Castle (below) which was originally constructed in 1671
by the Stewart family, and was rebuilt in 1803 by Col. William
Stewart.
Tullyhogue
Fort was the place of inauguration of the O'Neill clan, between
the 12th and 16th centuries. The Beaghmore Stone Circles date
from the early Bronze Age, and may have been the first site of
human settlement in Ireland. The Ardboe Cross is also in Cookstown
district and is a National Monument.
Two other places
of interest in the area are Springhill Manor (a 17th century plantation
house in Moneymore), and Wellbrook Beetling Mill (below x2) which
is a remnant of the once strong linen industry.
The
Ballinderry River in the Parish of Derryloran (northwestern Cookstown)
is a good location for Trout fishing. Cookstown is located in
the heartland of Northern Ireland, with ready access to all other
parts of the region.