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Cookstown

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A walk through Cookstown’s market legacy

Beyond the town’s historic ties to linen, today Cookstown’s weekly market square offers a living snapshot of everyday Ulster commerce. On Saturdays, the market stalls spill onto the centre of the town, where you’ll find home‑grown vegetables, artisanal breads and locally roasted coffee alongside traditional crafts. The rhythm of the market reflects a community that still values face‑to‑face trade, a contrast to the chain‑store dominance elsewhere in the region. Visitors who linger long enough can chat with the vendors about seasonal produce, pick up a hand‑spun wool scarf, or sample a slice of soda bread still baked in a wood‑fired oven. The market’s modest scale makes it a gentle entry point for travellers interested in the social fabric of a small Northern Irish town.

Railway remnants and cycling routes

Cookstown’s former railway line, closed to passenger traffic in the mid‑20th century, has been repurposed as a scenic cycling corridor that links the town to neighbouring villages and the River Bann. The flat, well‑maintained path follows the old track bed, punctuated by historic railway bridges and signal posts, offering cyclists a quiet route through pastoral landscapes. Renting a bike in town and heading eastwards provides an unexpected way to experience the rolling drumlin countryside, with stops at small pubs where the locals still serve a modest selection of craft ales. The route also connects to wider network trails that lead toward Dungannon, making it a practical segment for a day‑long cycling itinerary.

Local flavour in the food scene

While Cookstown lacks the culinary hype of larger cities, its food scene quietly showcases the region’s agricultural bounty. Several family‑run eateries source beef, lamb and dairy from farms within a 20‑kilometre radius, resulting in dishes that taste of the surrounding fields rather than a generic menu. The town’s bakery, operating since the early 1900s, still uses a sourdough starter passed down through generations, and their oatcakes pair impeccably with a dram of locally distilled whisky. For those keen to explore beyond the usual tourist fare, booking a table at one of these establishments provides an authentic taste of Mid Ulster’s terroir, complemented by the warm hospitality of hosts who are often happy to share the story behind each recipe.

Introduction

Town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland This article is about the town in Northern Ireland. For other places of the same name, see Cookstown (disambiguation). Human settlement in Northern IrelandCookstownIrish: An Chorr ChríochachScots: Cookestoun or CookstoonCookstown coat of armsCookstownLocation within Northern IrelandPopulation12,546 (2021 Census)Irish grid referenceH8178• Belfast47 milesDistrictMid UlsterCountyCounty TyroneCountryNorthern IrelandSovereign stateUnited KingdomPost townCOOKSTOWNPostcode districtBT80Dialling code028PoliceNorthern IrelandFireNorthern IrelandAmbulanceNorthern Ireland UK ParliamentMid UlsterNI AssemblyMid Ulster List of places UK Northern Ireland Tyrone 54°38′49″N 6°44′42″W / 54.647°N 6.745°W / 54.647; -6.745 Cookstown is a town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is the fourth-largest town in the county and had a population of 12,546 in the 2021 census. It, along with Magherafelt and Dungannon, is one of the main towns in the local government district of Mid Ulster. It was founded around 1620 when the townlands in the area were leased by an English ecclesiastical lawyer, Dr. Alan Cooke, from the Archbishop of Armagh, who had been granted the lands after the Flight of the Earls during the Plantation of Ulster. It was one of the main centres of the linen industry west of the River Bann, and until 1956 the flax-related processes of spinning, weaving, bleaching and beetling were carried out in the town.

History

[edit] The main street, looking north. Slieve Gallion is in the background. In 1609 land was leased to an English ecclesiastical lawyer, Dr Cooke, who fulfilled the covenants entered in the lease by building houses on the land. In 1628, Charles I granted Letters Patent to Cooke permitting the holding of a twice-weekly market for livestock and flaxen goods. In 1641, the native Irish revolted against the Planters in a bloody rebellion and the town was destroyed. The rebellion had a devastating effect on the town and development ceased for nearly a century. Over the succeeding years, the lands around Cookstown were progressively bought up by William Stewart of Killymoon until in 1671 all of Dr Cooke's lands were in the hands of the Stewart family. William Stewart and later his son James set out plans for the town soon after this. Inspired by the Wide Streets Commission's work in Dublin, they planned a new town to be built along a tree lined boulevard which was to be 135 feet (41 m) wide. In 1802, Colonel William Stewart (James Stewart's unmarried son) approached the London architect, John Nash, and requested that he visit the area to rebuild Killymoon Castle. Nash also designed the Rectory at Lissan for the Rev John Molesworth Staples in 1807. With the establishment of Gunning's Linen Weaving Mill, with over 300 looms, Cookstown developed in the 19th century as the local centre of the linen trade. Two railways established terminus railway stations at Cookstown - the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway (1856-1955) and the Great Northern Railway (1879-1959). Prominent developments in the second half of the 19th century included J.J. McCarthy's Church of the Holy Trinity on Chapel Street. On 17 June 1920, during the Irish War of Independence, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) raided the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) barracks in Cookstown, with help from four sympathetic RIC officers. In a brief firefight, IRA member Patrick Loughran was killed. He was the first IRA man killed on active service in what became Northern Ireland. Cookstown Town Hall was designed by the town surveyor, Charles Geoffrey Birtwell, and built on the Burn Road by James Corrigan of Pomeroy: it was officially opened on 27 May 1953. During the Troubles, Cookstown suffered from several bomb attacks: on 2 November 1990 an off duty soldier from the Ulster Defence Regiment was killed by a car bomb. Cookstown Town Hall was demolished in 1998 and the Burnavon Arts and Cultural Centre opened on the site in 2000. On 17 March 2019, three teenagers were killed in a crowd crush outside the Greenvale Hotel in Cookstown during a St Patrick's Day disco.

Places of interest

[edit] Ardboe High Cross and Abbey (Seanchrois Ard Bó agus Ministir Naomh Colmán), one of the best examples of a 9th/10th century High cross in Ireland, is 10 mi (16 km) from Cookstown. It forms the only remaining part of an early monastery on the site. Other ancient sites nearby include Beaghmore stone circles and Tullyhogue Fort (beside the village of Tullyhogue), the inauguration site of the chiefs of Tyrone (Tir Eogain), the O'Neills. The Donaghrisk walled cemetery to the southwest of (and clearly visible from) the fort is the resting place of the O'Hagans, the chief justices of Tyrone (and as such, they presided over the inauguration ceremonies of the O'Neills). Lissan House lies on the outskirts of Cookstown. It is a large structure which was the home of the Staples family for 350 years. Killymoon Castle is about 1 mi (1.6 km) south east of Cookstown. This structure is regarded as one of Cookstown's finest pieces of architectural heritage.[citation needed] It was built in just over a year at a cost of £80,000 and was Nash's first Irish commission. Gortalowry House Drum Manor, approximately 5 mi (8 km) from the town. Alexander Richardson, a burgess from Edinburgh, Scotland, bought the estate of Craigbalk in 1617 and built Drum Manor, originally known Manor Richardson. Alexander's son Sir William Richardson left it to his second son, Alexander, from which the Richardsons of Drum descend. Sir William's third son, William, who inherited lands near Augher, obtained a lease for lands in the townland of Tullyreavy on the Drum Manor estate, where he built a house by the lake known as Oaklands. St Luaran's Church St Luaran's Church of Ireland church is on Church Street. Church of the Holy Trinity James Joseph McCarthy's Catholic church, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, was constructed between 1855 and 1860 with a tower and spire at the east end. Derryloran Old Cemetery is a historic site of interest, located on the Sandholes Road on the outskirts of the town, which features an old graveyard and churchyard dating back to the 17th Century. Wellbrook Beetling Mill, located 4 mi (6.4 km) southwest of Cookstown, is the last working water-powered beetling mill in Northern Ireland.

Climate

[edit] Climate data for Lough Fea, Elevation: 225 m (738 ft), 1991–2020 normals Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 6.0(42.8) 6.5(43.7) 8.3(46.9) 10.9(51.6) 13.9(57.0) 16.2(61.2) 17.6(63.7) 17.2(63.0) 15.2(59.4) 11.6(52.9) 8.4(47.1) 6.3(43.3) 11.5(52.7) Daily mean °C (°F) 3.6(38.5) 3.8(38.8) 5.1(41.2) 7.3(45.1) 10.0(50.0) 12.5(54.5) 14.1(57.4) 13.9(57.0) 12.0(53.6) 8.9(48.0) 5.9(42.6) 3.9(39.0) 8.4(47.1) Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 1.1(34.0) 1.1(34.0) 2.0(35.6) 3.6(38.5) 6.1(43.0) 8.8(47.8) 10.6(51.1) 10.5(50.9) 8.8(47.8) 6.1(43.0) 3.4(38.1) 1.5(34.7) 5.3(41.5) Average precipitation mm (inches) 140.3(5.52) 111.1(4.37) 106.4(4.19) 93.4(3.68) 88.3(3.48) 96.6(3.80) 102.0(4.02) 116.1(4.57) 102.9(4.05) 128.3(5.05) 141.1(5.56) 144.9(5.70) 1,371.2(53.98) Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 19.3 16.6 16.6 14.5 14.2 13.8 15.7 16.2 14.7 17.5 18.8 19.4 197.2 Source: Met Office

Politics

[edit] In elections for the Westminster Parliament and the Northern Ireland Assembly it is part of the Mid Ulster constituency. Cookstown District Council, was established in 1973, and included part of County Londonderry, notably the villages of Moneymore, The Loup and Ballyronan. As part of the Local Government Reform (NI) Cookstown District Council merged with Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council and Magherafelt District Council to form a larger Mid Ulster District Council in 2015.

Townlands

[edit] The following is a list of townlands within Cookstown's urban area, alongside their likely etymologies: Clare (from Clár meaning "level land") Cookstown (an English name from Alan Cooke, bishop of Armagh) Coolkeeghan (from Cúil Caocháin meaning "Keighen's corner") Coolnafranky (from Cúil na Francaigh meaning "corner of the rats" or "French") Coolnahavil (from Cúil na hAbhaill meaning "corner of the orchard") Coolreaghs (from Cúil Riach meaning "grey corner") Gortalowry (from Gort an Leamhraigh meaning "field of the elm place") Loy (from Láigh meaning "hill") Maloon (from Magh Luan meaning "plain of the lambs") Monrush (from Móin Rois meaning "wooded peatland") Sullenboy (from Sailean Buí meaning "yellow willows") Tullagh (from Tulach meaning "hilltop") Cookstown townland[edit] Cookstown townland itself is situated in the historic barony of Dungannon Upper and the civil parish of Derryloran and covers an area of 217 acres. The population of the townland increased overall during the 19th century: Year 1841 1851 1861 1871 1881 1891 Population 27 - 16 123 119 93 Houses 5 1 4 23 28 22

Sport

[edit] Motorcycling[edit] The town plays host to the Cookstown 100 Road Races, the longest running motorcycle road race in Ireland. Held in April of each year the races are seen as the curtain raiser to the Irish National Road Racing Championship. Gaelic Football[edit] Cookstown Fr. Rock's, the local Gaelic Athletic Association club, won the All-Ireland Intermediate Club Football Championship in 2013. Association Football[edit] Local association football clubs include Cookstown Olympic F.C. (an intermediate-level football club), Mid-Ulster Ladies F.C. (a women's football club), Killymoon Rangers F.C., Coagh United F.C. and Sofia Farmer F.C. (clubs in the Cookstown District that play in the Ballymena & Provincial Intermediate League). Hockey[edit] Cookstown Hockey Club is the town's field hockey team.

Demography

[edit] 19th century population[edit] The population of the town increased during the 19th century: Year 1841 1851 1861 1871 1881 1891 Population 3006 2993 3257 3501 3870 3841 Houses 550 576 600 728 822 835 Cookstown is classified as a medium town (i.e. with population between 10,000 and 18,000 people) by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA).: 11  2021 Census[edit] National Identity of Cookstown residents (2021) Nationality Per cent British   31.7% Irish   31.3% Northern Irish   28.6% On census day in 2021 there were 12,546 people living in Cookstown. Of these: 21.05% were aged under 16, 63.93% were aged between 16 and 65, and 15.03% were aged 66 and over. 51% were female, and 49% were male. 56.21% (7,053) were from a Catholic background, and 34.34% (4,308) were from a Protestant or other Christian background, 1.12% were from other religious backgrounds and 8.33% (1,045) had no religious background. 31.68% indicated they had a British national identity, 31.29% had an Irish national identity, and 28.58% had a Northern Irish national identity. (respondents could select more than one national identity). 14.55% had some knowledge of Irish, and 8.88% had some knowledge of Ulster-Scots. 2011 Census[edit] On census day (27 March 2011) there were 11,599 people living in Cookstown. Of these: 98% were from the white ethnic group 56% were from a Catholic background, and 39% were from a Protestant or other Christian background 40% indicated that they had a British national identity, 30% had a Northern Irish national identity, and 28% had an Irish national identity (respondents could choose more than one) 2001 Census[edit] On census day (29 April 2001) there were 10,646 people living in Cookstown. Of these: 26.0% were aged under 16 years and 15.6% were aged 60 and over 49.7% of the population were male and 50.3% were female 52.8% were from a Catholic background and 45.1% were from a Protestant background 3.9% of people aged 16–74 were unemployed.

Notable people

[edit] Arts Jimmy Cricket - comedian Nick Laird - poet and novelist Eamonn McCrystal - singer and broadcaster Owen O'Neill - writer, actor, director, and comedian Oliver Sheppard (1865–1941) - sculptor, born in Cookstown Jonathan Swift - stayed at Loughry Manor as a guest of the Lindsay family while writing Gulliver's Travels (published in 1726) Business Finbarr O'Neill - former CEO of J.D. Power. Sport Kenny Acheson - racing driver David Ames - Olympian 2016, 2020 and 2024 (Captain), Great Britain Jackie Burns - footballer, Northern Ireland women's national football team Stuart Dallas - footballer, Northern Ireland Team Terry Devlin - footballer, EFL Championship, Portsmouth F.C. Aaron Hughes - footballer, Northern Ireland Team Owen Mulligan - Tyrone GAA footballer Ian Sloan - 2016 and 2020 Olympian, Great Britain Martin Sloan - field hockey, Ireland men's national field hockey team captain of 1990 Men's Hockey World Cup team Politics William Craig - politician, founder of Ulster Vanguard, born in Cookstown Bernadette Devlin - Republican Socialist political activist, raised in a small housing estate called Rathbeg Mallon (foreground) in a hospital bed Medical Major-General Sir Richard Havelock Charles, 1st Baronet (1858–1934) - medical doctor, Serjeant Surgeon to George V Mary Mallon, aka Typhoid Mary