Omagh served as a refuge for fugitives from the east of County Tyrone during the 1641 Rebellion. In 1689, the same year as the Battle of the Boyne, James II arrived at Omagh, en route to Derry. Supporters of William III, Prince of Orange, later burned the town. Omagh acquired railway links to Derry with the Londonderry and Enniskillen Railway in 1852, Enniskillen in 1853 and Belfast in 1861. The original crest of the town of Omagh was Three lions couchant but it was never officially registered.
Learn more about Omagh’s varied and exciting History and some of the famous people in whose footsteps you are now walking by completing this series that has been created using a trail set up by the former Omagh District Council. The trail starts at the Tourist Information Centre, Market Street and you will be able to absorb quite a bit of the town’s history and character in the course of this little stroll. The walk itself will take about an (not including time needed to search for the caches). Omagh has been a market town, a garrison town, and the county town of Tyrone since 1768. As you walk through its main thoroughfare you are walking the line of the town centre as it was on its foundation as a town in 1610, although there have been settlements along the banks of its rivers since the days of antiquity. Sample the quiet charm of Omagh, and experience the good humour of its people, as you examine some of the features that have shaped this historic town. PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE IS NOT A GEOCACHE AT EACH LOCATION BECAUSE OF THE LIMITATIONS ON DISTANCE BETWEEN GEOCACHES.
Following on from caches GC602FM, GC602GH, GC602H4 and GC6031K, you can continue this trail past the following points of interest:
THE CENOTAPH (Omagh trail #17) - The Cenotaph is a granite obelisk on three dressed granite steps. It was unveiled on the 28th September 1927 by the Duke of Abercorn the then Governor of Northern Ireland. Its full title is the County Tyrone War Memorial, representing the County’s 2000 dead in the First World War.
THE ORANGE HALL (Omagh trail #18) - Situated opposite the cenotaph is the Orange Hall, built in 1869.
Although not right beside the Cenotaph or the Orange Hall, the cache is close by. It is well camouflagued and will take a keen eye to spot. Seasoned geocachers will find this one a little easier than newbies!