SOMETIMES, we can forget how great the attractions right on our doorstep are.
There are so many options for a weekend away now with cheap flights across Europe that we’re prone to forget the quality of what’s available at home.
We should remember that Ireland is one of the world’s premier tourist destinations with people from far away spending lots of money to get here – so why not enjoy it ourselves?
In that spirit, we spent a weekend at a destination a shorter drive from Belfast than Dublin airport – Omagh, the county town of Tyrone.
First stop was the Ulster American Folk Park which brilliantly tells the story of Irish emigration to America. Allow at least 90 minutes to follow the journey of the emigrants from Ulster cottages to the brave new world in the 18th and 19th centuries.
The first section of the trail shows the dwellings and the lifestyle of the peasants in the old world before they left home. Costumed characters show you the traditional crafts and cooking.
Linking the New World with the old is the Ship and Dockside gallery, which includes a full-size replica of an immigrant sailing ship.
If you have children at your side, this is the bit they’ll love most, as they wonder at the size of the bunks which had to fit whole families and the fact the toilet facility for hundreds of people was a bucket.
The park is built around the original site of the Mellon homestead, the birthplace of Irish-American banker and lawyer Thomas Mellon. But when you exit the ship on the other side, you are suddenly in the streets and two-storey houses of the New World. It's quite an impressive transition.
There are a number of original houses to walk through which have been taken apart in the US and transported in pieces back to Ireland to be reconstructed in Tyrone. As you journey through the open-air museum you can see the advancement in the New World, with houses becoming bigger and adding floors as you travel through the decades.
After imagining ourselves as 19th century immigrants, we travelled into Omagh and our accommodation at the Silverbirch Hotel. The Silverbirch will be well known to GAA fans as it's within a short walk of Healy Park and Tyrone’s home ground, but it’s also a perfect spot to enjoy what Omagh has to offer.
A bright and modern hotel, we checked into our large executive room with a recently refurbished and impressive ensuite. The staff were exceptionally welcoming and gave us that comfortable feeling which perhaps only comes from family-run establishments.
A short walk brought us into the centre of town and the Strule Arts Centre, where we were booked in for the Omagh Literary Festival celebrating the life and works of Benedict Kiely. Kiely, known as the Bard of Omagh, is a significant literary figure whose work reflects his early life growing up in Tyrone.
He died in 2007 and is clearly still loved in his own town. The literary festival was a wonderful reminder of how writers are at the centre of things in Ireland in a way that's unique to us.
But there are also other things to do in Omagh. The beautiful Sperrin Mountains are just outside town for the energetic and lovers of the outdoors – but we opted for some indoor fun and the craic at Main Street.
Not knowing Omagh very well, this confused us a little, and I have to admit we had some difficulty finding Main Street – not realising the main street in Omagh is Market Street and that the 'Main Street' we were looking for is a collection of pubs and restaurants.
Not to worry, we soon got the hang of it and had a great time in one of the great get-a-way destinations nearer to home that the airport.
FACT FILE
For more information and special offers at the Silverbirch Hotel, Gortin Road, Omagh go to silverbirch.com.
For what’s on and itinerary ideas, check out Omagh and Sperrins Tourism at exploreomaghsperrins.com
The Ulster American Folk Park is five miles north of Omagh on the A5. Adult tickets are £9 and family tickets start from £19 via Nmni.com.
Main Street has three bars, two restaurants, a coffee shop, a nightclub, accommodation and live music. Mainstreetomagh.com.
Find the Strule Arts Centre, Omagh’s home of theatre, music, comedy and events, at Struleartscentre.co.uk.
