Omagh (film)

Omagh is a film dramatising the events surrounding the Omagh bombing and its aftermath, co-produced by Irish state broadcaster RTÉ and UK network Channel 4, and directed by Pete Travis. It was first shown on television in both countries in June, 2004.

Michael Gallagher, whose son Aidan (Paul Kelly) was killed in the bombing, is played by Gerard McSorley, originally from Omagh. Out of respect for the residents of the town, it was filmed on location in Navan, County Meath in the Republic of Ireland.

The film ends with the Julie Miller song Broken Things, which was performed by local singer Juliet Turner at the memorial for the victims of the Omagh bombing.

Reception

Rotten Tomatoes reported that 88% of critics gave the film positive reviews, with an average score of 7.2/10, however this is based upon a sample of only 8 reviews. Critics particularly noted the gritty realism and powerful acting in the film. In his review, Scott Foundas of 'Variety magazine' said that it "serves as a companion piece to writer-producer Paul Greengrass' superb 2001 pic Bloody Sunday, but emerges as a startlingly powerful achievement in its own right".

Omagh

Coordinates: 54°35′N 7°17′W / 54.59°N 7.29°W / 54.59; -7.29

Omagh (/ˈoʊmə/ or /ˈoʊmɑː/; Irish pronunciation: [ˈomæ] – from Irish: an Ómaigh, meaning "the virgin plain" [ənˠ ˈoːmˠəi]) is the county town of County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is situated where the rivers Drumragh and Camowen meet to form the Strule. Northern Ireland's capital city Belfast is 68 miles (109.5 km) to the east of Omagh, and Derry is 34 miles (55 km) to the north. The closest public air links to the town are situated at these cities. Enniskillen Airport, a small air strip, lies 24 miles/38.5 km to the southwest of Omagh.

The town has a population of 21,297, and the district, which is the largest in County Tyrone, had a population of 51,356 at the 2011 Census. Omagh contains the headquarters of Omagh District Council and the Western Education and Library Board, and also houses offices for the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development at Sperrin House, the Department for Regional Development and the Northern Ireland Roads Service at the Tyrone County Hall and the Northern Ireland Land & Property Services at Boaz House. The town is twinned with L'Haÿ-les-Roses, a town in the suburbs of Paris, France.

Omagh District Council

Coordinates: 54°36′00″N 7°17′53″W / 54.600°N 7.298°W / 54.600; -7.298

Omagh District Council was a local council in Northern Ireland. It merged with Fermanagh District Council in April 2015 under local government reorganisation to become Fermanagh and Omagh District Council.

Its headquarters is in the town of Omagh, which is the traditional county town of Tyrone. The council area is about 440 square miles (1,100 km²), making it the second largest local council area in Northern Ireland (by area) with a population of just over 50,000 (25,000 of which live in Omagh town). Apart from Omagh the area contains smaller towns including Drumquin, Dromore, Trillick, Fintona, Beragh, Carrickmore and Sixmilecross.

The council was established in 1973 and originally had 20 councillors but following a review of local government boundaries in the early 1980s, the number of councillors was increased to 21. Omagh District Council consists of three electoral areas: Omagh Town, Mid Tyrone and West Tyrone. In the last elections in 2011 members were elected from the following political parties: 10 Sinn Féin, 3 Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), 3 Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), 3 Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and 2 Independents. The election of Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Council takes place annually in June. The current Chairman is Councillor Frankie Donnelly (Sinn Féin) and the Vice Chairman is Councillor Ross Hussey (UUP).