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County Tyrone
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County Tyrone (Ulster Scots: Coontie Owenslann) is the second largest of the nine counties of Ulster and the largest of the six counties of Northern Ireland. It has an area of 3,155 square kilometres (1,218 square miles). The county borders the Northern Ireland counties of Armagh, to the south-east, Fermanagh, to the south-west and County Londonderry to the north-east. The county also borders Lough Neagh to the east. The borders with the Republic of Ireland are County Monaghan to the south and County Donegal to the north-west.
Gaelic form of the name is Tir-Eoghain, signifying the land or territory (tir) of Eoghan or Owen.
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Encyclopedia
County Tyrone (Ulster Scots: Coontie Owenslann) is the second largest of the nine counties of Ulster and the largest of the six counties of Northern Ireland. It has an area of 3,155 square kilometres (1,218 square miles). The county borders the Northern Ireland counties of Armagh, to the south-east, Fermanagh, to the south-west and County Londonderry to the north-east. The county also borders Lough Neagh to the east. The borders with the Republic of Ireland are County Monaghan to the south and County Donegal to the north-west.
Name
The Gaelic form of the name is Tir-Eoghain, signifying the land or territory (tir) of Eoghan or Owen. This Owen was son of king Niall of the Nine Hostages, and brother of Conall, who gave his name to Tirconnell.
History
Historically Tyrone stretched 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 1610-1620 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 Tir-Owen, the inheritance of the O'Neills, included the whole of the present counties of Tyrone and Londonderry, and the two baronies of Inishowen and Raphoe in County Donegal.
Geography
With an area of 3,155 square kilometres (1,218 square miles), Tyrone is the largest county in Northern Ireland. The flat peatlands of East Tyrone borders the shoreline of the largest lake in Ireland, 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 678 m (2,224 ft). The length of the county, from the mouth of the River Blackwater at Lough Neagh to the western point near Carrickaduff hill is 55 miles. The breadth, from the southern corner, southeast of Fivemiletown, to the northeastern corner near Meenard Mountain is 37.5 miles; giving an area of 1,260 square miles (in 1900).
Demography
It is one of four counties in Northern Ireland which presently has a majority of the population from a Catholic community background, according to the 2001 census. In 1900 County Tyrone had a population of 197,719, while in 2001 it was 166,516.
Settlements
Large towns
(population of 18,000 or more and under 75,000 at 2001 Census)
Medium towns
(population of 10,000 or more and under 18,000 at 2001 Census)
Small towns
(population of 4,500 or more and under 10,000 at 2001 Census)
Intermediate settlements
(population of 2,250 or more and under 4,500 at 2001 Census)
Villages
(population of 1,000 or more and under 2,250 at 2001 Census)
Small villages or hamlets
(population of less than 1,000 at 2001 Census)
Sport
People
Notable residents of County Tyrone have included:
- Philomena Begley, Irish Country Music Singer - Ireland's Queen Of Country Music
- John Dunlap (1747-1812), Publisher of the first American daily newspaper the Pennsylvania Packet in 1784, was also the printer of the American Declaration of Independence.
- John Hughes, (1797-1864), born in Annaloghan, first Archbishop of Roman Catholic diocese of New York.
- Peter Canavan, former All Ireland winning Tyrone captain and second top scorer in Senior Ulster Championship football.
- Ryan Kelly, one of the men of Celtic Thunder
- Brian Dooher, current captain of the Tyrone senior football team.
- Hugo Duncan, singer and broadcaster on BBC Radio.
- Dennis Taylor, former World Snooker Champion.
- Aaron Hughes, current captain of the Northern Ireland football team and also plays for Fulham.
- Benedict Kiely (1919-2007), writer and broadcaster
- Thomas Mellon, Founder of Mellon Bank, Now Bank of New York Mellon
- Flann O'Brien, 1911-1966, Writer
- William Burke, 1792-1829, Grave robber and murderer
- William Carleton, 1794-1869, Writer
See also
External links
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