County Tyrone Explained

County Tyrone
Native Name:
Coontie Owenslann (Ulster-Scots)
Settlement Type:County
Nickname:The Red Hand County
Motto:
"By Wisdom and Prudence"
Area Total Sq Mi:1261
Area Rank:8th
Area Footnotes:[1]
Seat Type:County town
Seat:Omagh
Population:188383
Population Rank:11th[2]
Population As Of:2021
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type2:Province
Subdivision Name2:Ulster
Unit Pref:Imperial
Elevation Max M:678
Elevation Max Point:Sawel Mountain
Timezone:GMT
Utc Offset:±0
Timezone Dst:BST
Utc Offset Dst:+1
Postal Code Type:Postcode area
Postal Code:BT
Established Date:1585
Established Title:Established
Footnotes:Irish: Contae Thír Eoghain is the Irish name; Scots: Countie Tyrone,[3] Scots: Coontie Tyrone[4] and Scots: Coontie Owenslann[5] are Ulster Scots spellings (the latter used only by Dungannon & South Tyrone Borough Council).
Subdivision Name:United Kingdom
Subdivision Type1:Region
Subdivision Name1:Northern Ireland

County Tyrone (;[6]) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the thirty-two traditional counties of Ireland. Its county town is Omagh.

Adjoined to the south-west shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 3266km2,[1] making it the largest of Northern Ireland's six counties by size, and the second largest county in Ulster after Donegal. With a population of 188,383 as of the 2021 census, Tyrone is the 5th most populous county in both Northern Ireland and Ulster, and the 11th most populous county on the island of Ireland. The county derives its name and general geographic location from Tír Eoghain, a Gaelic kingdom under the O'Neill dynasty which existed until the 17th century.

Name

The name Tyrone is derived, the name given to the conquests made by the Cenél nEógain from the provinces of Airgíalla and Ulaid.[7] Historically, it was anglicised as Tirowen or Tyrowen, which are closer to the Irish pronunciation.

History

See main article: List of Kings of Tír Eógain.

Historically Tyrone (then Tír Eoghain or Tirowen) was much larger in size, stretching as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern-day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610 and 1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on natural resources located there. Tyrone was the traditional stronghold of the various O'Neill clans and families, the strongest of the Gaelic Irish families in Ulster, surviving into the seventeenth century. The ancient principality of Tír Eoghain, the inheritance of the O'Neills, included the whole of the present counties of Tyrone and Londonderry, and the four baronies of West Inishowen, East Inishowen, Raphoe North and Raphoe South in County Donegal.[8]

In 1608 during O'Doherty's Rebellion areas of the country were plundered and burnt by the forces of Sir Cahir O'Doherty following his destruction of Derry. However, O'Doherty's men avoided the estates of the recently fled Earl of Tyrone around Dungannon, fearing Tyrone's anger if he returned from his exile.[9]

Geography

With an area of 3266km2, Tyrone is the largest county in Northern Ireland. The flat peatlands of East Tyrone border the shoreline of the largest lake in the British Isles, Lough Neagh, rising gradually across to the more mountainous terrain in the west of the county, the area surrounding the Sperrin Mountains, the highest point being Sawel Mountain at a height of 678m (2,224feet). The length of the county, from the mouth of the River Blackwater at Lough Neagh to the western point near Carrickaduff hill is 55miles. The breadth, from the southern corner, southeast of Fivemiletown, to the northeastern corner near Meenard Mountain is 37.5miles; giving an area of 1261sqmi.[8] Annaghone lays claim to be the geographical centre of Northern Ireland.

Tyrone is connected by land to the counties of Fermanagh to the southwest; Monaghan to the south; Armagh to the southeast; Londonderry to the north; and Donegal to the west. Across Lough Neagh to the east, it borders County Antrim. It is the eighth largest of Ireland's thirty-two counties by area and tenth largest by population.[10] It is the second largest of Ulster's nine traditional counties by area and fourth largest by population.[11]

Administration

The county was administered by Tyrone County Council from 1899 until the abolition of county councils in Northern Ireland in 1973.[12]

Demography

It is one of four counties in Northern Ireland which currently has a majority of the population from a Catholic community background, according to the 2021 census.[13] In 1900 County Tyrone had a population of 197,719,[8] while in 2021 it was 188,383. At the time of the 2021 census, 66.49% were from a Catholic background, 28.88% were from a Protestant and Other Christian (including Christian related), 0.66% were from other religions, and 3.97% had no religious background.[13]

Religion or religion brought up in (2021 Census)!Religion or religion brought up in!Number!%
Catholic125,25166.49%
Protestant and Other Christian54,40728.88%
Other religions 1,2510.66%
None (no religion)7,4743.97%
Total188,383100.00%
National identity (2021 Census)[14] [15] [16] [17] !National identity!Number!(%)
Irish only78,29141.6%
British only39,55121.0%
Northern Irish only38,69820.5%
British and Northern Irish only8,1974.4%
Irish and Northern Irish only3,8532.1%
British, Irish and Northern Irish only1,1750.6%
British and Irish only7370.4%
Other identity17,8819.5%
Total188,383100.0%
All Irish identities84,56244.9%
All British identities50,76827.0%
All Northern Irish identities52,66728.0%

Irish language and Ulster Scots

In the 2021 UK census in County Tyrone:

Settlements

See main article: List of places in County Tyrone.

Large towns

(population of 18,000 or more and under 75,000 at 2021 Census)[18]

Medium towns

(population of 10,000 or more and under 18,000 at 2021 Census)[18]

Small towns

(population of 4,500 or more and under 10,000 at 2021 Census)[19]

Intermediate settlements

(population of 2,250 or more and under 4,500 at 2021 Census)[18]

Villages

(population of 1,000 or more and under 2,250 at 2001 Census)[19]

Small villages

(population of less than 1,000 at 2001 Census)[19]

Subdivisions

Baronies

See main article: Barony (Ireland).

Parishes

See main article: List of civil parishes of County Tyrone. Townlands

See main article: List of townlands in County Tyrone.

Future railway revival

There is the possibility of the line being reopened to Dungannon railway station from Portadown.[20]

Sport

Major sports in Tyrone include Gaelic games, association football, rugby union and cricket:

Notable people

See also

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Northern Ireland General Register Office . Census of Population 1971; Summary Tables . PDF . Belfast . HMSO . 28 August 2019 . 1 . Table 1: Area, Buildings for Habitation and Population, 1971 . 1975 . 23 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190723205332/https://www.nisra.gov.uk/sites/nisra.gov.uk/files/publications/1971-census-summary-tables.pdf#page=21 . live .
  2. Web site: Religion or religion brought up in . NISRA . 17 August 2023.
  3. Web site: North-South Ministerial Council: 2010 Annual Report in Ulster Scots. 18 January 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130227120523/http://www.northsouthministerialcouncil.org/annual_report_2010_ulster_scots.pdf . 27 February 2013.
  4. Web site: North-South Ministerial Council: 2006 Annual Report in Ulster Scots. 18 January 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130227120556/http://www.northsouthministerialcouncil.org/web_2006_ulster_scots_report.pdf . 27 February 2013.
  5. Web site: Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council . Dungannon.gov.uk . 18 January 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130408052025/http://www.dungannon.gov.uk/index.cfm/area/Ulsterscotch . 8 April 2013.
  6. Book: BBC. 1990. BBC pronouncing dictionary of British names. New York. Graham E. Pointon. Oxford University Press. 248. 2. 0192827456. Tyrone Co. name, ti'roʊn.
  7. Art Cosgrove (2008); "A New History of Ireland, Volume II: Medieval Ireland 1169–1534". Oxford University Press.
  8. Book: Joyce. Patrick Weston. Atlas and Cyclopedia of Ireland. Sullivan. Alexander Martin. Nunan. P. D.. Murphy and McCarthy. 1900. 24 February 2009. 19 September 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080919081550/http://www.libraryireland.com/Atlas/Tyrone.php. live.
  9. McCavitt, John. The Flight of the Earls. Gill & MacMillan, 2002. p.143-44
  10. Book: Corry, Eoghan. The GAA Book of Lists. Hodder Headline Ireland. 2005. 186–191. 0-340-89695-7.
  11. Marie Veronica Tarpey The role of Joseph McGarrity in the struggle for Irish independence
  12. Web site: Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972. Legislation.gov.uk. 29 November 2019. 30 October 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191030152505/http://www.legislation.gov.uk/apni/1972/9/contents. live.
  13. Web site: Religion or religion brought up in . NISRA . 17 August 2023.
  14. Web site: National Identity (Irish) . NISRA . 18 August 2023.
  15. Web site: National Identity (British) . NISRA . 18 August 2023.
  16. Web site: National Identity (Northern Irish) . NISRA . 18 August 2023.
  17. Web site: National identity (person based) - basic detail (classification 1) . NISRA . 18 August 2023.
  18. Web site: Settlement 2015 . NISRA . 17 August 2023.
  19. Web site: Statistical classification of settlements . NI Neighbourhood Information Service . 23 February 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100217122433/http://www.ninis.nisra.gov.uk/mapxtreme_towns/statistical%20classification.htm . 17 February 2010 . dead .
  20. Web site: All aboard! Dungannon railway hopes revived. 1 September 2021. 1 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210901115956/https://www.midulstermail.co.uk/news/all-aboard-dungannon-railway-hopesrevived-2714182. live.
  21. The Tyrone GAA team have won the Ulster Senior Championship on eight occasions in the 20th century
  22. News: Sean Moran . Tyrone's superiority is total . 29 April 2002 . . 14 February 2022.
  23. Web site: Tyrone outclass Laois . 4 May 2003 . . 14 February 2022.
  24. News: Tyrone Kane given first Ireland call-up for World T20 qualifiers . 1 June 2015 . BBC Sport . 2 June 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150602102440/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/32957490 . live .
  25. http://www.cricketworld.com/irelands-bready-cricket-club-gets-iccs-recognition/41256.html Ireland's Bready Cricket Club Gets ICC's Recognition
  26. Web site: ICC announces schedule of ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier 2015 . 14 May 2015 . International Cricket Council . https://web.archive.org/web/20150518100208/http://www.icc-cricket.com/news/2015/media-releases/87946/icc-announces-schedule-of-icc-world-twenty20-qualifier-2015 . 18 May 2015 . dead.
  27. Web site: Kansas Governor Walter Roscoe Stubbs. National Governors Association. 29 September 2012. 14 June 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120614064139/http://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/past-governors-bios/page_nebraska/col2-content/main-content-list/title_boyd_james.html. live.
  28. Sidney Elisabeth Croskery: Whilst I Remember (1983),
  29. Book: Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607–1896. Marquis Who's Who. Chicago, IL. 1963.
  30. Web site: Ryan Kelly. 24 November 2015. 25 November 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151125111056/http://www.celticthunder.ie/artists/ryan_kelly. live.
  31. http://www.gerrymckenna.co.uk Professor P G (Gerry) McKenna

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