Dungannon factfile

How to get to Dungannon
Dungannon in County Tyrone is 65 km (42 mi) west of Belfast on the M1. The A29 goes through the town from north to south, and the West of Ireland is easily accessible down the A4.

Dungannon through the ages
The history of Dungannon is closely tied to the powerful O'Neill family, which ruled most of the Ulster region until the 17th century. As the family's main base, Dungannon essentially became the most important settlement in the whole of Gaelic Ireland.

Dungannon was also where the Protestant Ascendancy declared the independence of the Irish Parliament in 1782.

Famous people from Dungannon
Although born on the Isle of Wight, Thomas J Clarke, the first signatory of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic in 1916, is one of Dungannon's most famous sons. Instrumental in the Easter Rising of 1916, he was later executed by the British authorities.

More recently, Dungannon has been the birthplace of Ryder Cup golfing hero Darren Clarke. It's home to international rugby stars Jimmy Davidson and Jim McCoy, snooker ace Patrick Wallace, motorcycle racer Ryan Farquar and artist Victor Sloan, who was awarded an MBE in 2002.

Things to see and do around Dungannon
Once the hub of the town's thriving linen industry, the Moygashel Mills in Dungannon is now The Linen Green, a craft, design and factory outlet centre and one of the biggest attractions in the region.

With the linen industry now largely replaced by glass blowing, another major draw to the area is the famous Tyrone Crystal Factory, complete with factory tours and an on-site shop.

A slightly more unusual landmark is the town's former police station. According to local legend, the slightly bizarre design of the building is due to a mix-up between the original plans for the police station and those for a fort designed to guard the Khyber Pass in India.

Sports and leisure in Dungannon
Dungannon's modern leisure centre offers swimming pool, fitness studio, basketball and numerous classes. The town also has an 18-hole golf course and its famous rugby club can field half a dozen teams at once.

At a more leisurely pace, you can opt for the well-stocked library, or the 70-acre oasis that is Dungannon Park. The park, centred around Stillwater Lake, is a prime spot for camping and caravanning and has a range of activities to keep restless types occupied, including tennis courts, football and cricket pitches, fly fishing and miles of walkways through the surrounding countryside.