Tyrone

Historic county of Northern Ireland; area 3,160 sq km/1,220 sq mi. The county is largely rural, and still contains evidence of the once-flourishing linen industry. The principal towns and cities are Omagh, Dungannon, Strabane, and Cookstown. Lough Neagh is in the east and the Sperrin Mountains in the north. The main rivers are the Derg, Blackwater, and Foyle. Administrative responsibility for the county is held by the councils of Omagh, Dungannon, Strabane, and Cookstown.

The county contains several Neolithic graves and stone circles, notably at Beaghmore, west of Cookstown. The Ulster History Park, north of Omagh, presents history from Neolithic times, with reconstuctions of typical historic buildings. Many Tyrone villages have heritage centres, describing the linen industry and linen polishing is demonstrated at Wellbrook Beetling Mill. The Peatlands Park, east of Dungannon, preserves an ancient Irish bog. The family home of the US president Woodrow Wilson is at Dergalt, near Strabane, and 11 US presidents have had ancestors from Tyrone. The Ulster-American Folk Park, north of Omagh, was endowed by the Mellon banking family of Pittsburgh.