Ot77 by Claire Martin

Issue 77 Thursday 28th November 2013 EVERY FORTNIGHT

Oklahoma! Academy pupils al ic s u m ic s s la c e g a t s at Strule

Omagh businesswoman and Filipino native Rose McCrystal Kelly on the challenges of building a new life far from home, and her plans to help her countrymen in the wake of typhoon Haiyan.

This issue includes pictures from parties around the district and events close to your heart

26 Omagh’s Sinead

launches new album with Atmosphere

44 Cinderella returns to Omagh

PAGE 10 Olympic playground for Holy Family PS

PAGE 49

Darren remembered

PAGE 30

ONLY £1.25

Official Government Test Environmental Data. Fuel consumption figures mpg (litres/100km) and CO2 emissions (g/km). Vauxhall range (excl. Ampera): Urban: 14.4 (19.6) – 76.3 (3.7). Extra-urban: 27.4 (10.3) – 91.1 (3.1), Combined: 20.6 (13.7) – 85.6 (3.3). CO2 emissions: 324-88g/km. *Finance available on selected models only at participating retailers. Subject to status. Terms and conditions apply. Applicants must be 18 or over. Guarantee/Indemnity maybe required. Finance supplied by either Vauxhall Motor Finance RH11SR or Vauxhall Finance, PO Box 6666, Cardiff CF15 7YT. 24-60 month term excluding ADAM models (24-48 month term. **Vauxhall Deposit Contribution excludes ADAM, Mokka, Cascada and Corsa SXi models, or in conjunction with Astra GTC free insurance offer, other exclusions apply. Offer will apply to Vauxhall Associate Partners only. All other customers are excluded. Vauxhall Partners includes all employees and pensioners of nominated companies and their nominated eligible relatives. Vauxhall Partners discount is in addition to all other retail offers, and is applicable to the vehicle, factory fitted options, number plates and delivery. We reserve the right to change or withdraw any aspect of the Vauxhall Partners Programme without prior notice. Vauxhall Lifetime Warranty covers lifetime ownership of first registered keeper, 100,000 mile limit. Terms and conditions apply. Offers available on new vehicle orders or registrations between 14 and 17 June 2013 at participating retailers. Models shown for illustrative purposes only and may be fitted with options available at extra cost. We can introduce you to a limited number of finance providers, commission may be received. Correct at time of going to print.

CONTENTS 4

Big Interview

6 8

Santa on his way to An Creagan Brave, bald beauties raise money for Care for Cancer

This is your life

Omagh’s Sinead launches new album with Atmosphere New York state of mind

28 40

Omagh businesswoman and Filipino native Rose McCrystal Kelly on the challenges of building a new life far from home, and her plans to help her countrymen in the wake of typhoon Haiyan.

Local man James Hunt on the importance of recording your own family’s history and why he hopes his legacy will impart wisdom to a new generation

Young cancer survivor appeals for locals to ‘run for home’

Helloooo-ho-ho!

Well, it’s nearly time, isn’t it? December is just a hop, skip and a jump away and all our thoughts are turning to the most wonderful time of the year – the food, the drink, the shopping, friends and family gathering…how exciting! Of course at this time of year our thoughts also turn to those less fortunate than ourselves – and for one local woman in particular the fate of her countrymen caught up in Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines has been foremost in her mind. It’s twenty years since Rose McCrystal Kelly first set foot in Northern Ireland and she’s gone on to pioneer community services for ethnic minorities in our town as well as becoming a businesswoman in her own right – but she hasn’t forgotten where she comes from and is currently planning a fundraising drive to help those whose lives were torn apart by the super typhoon. We also had a great chat with local man James Hunt, who contacted us after reading Dr Haldane Mitchell’s story in the last edition. James has spent a number of years compiling his own life story as a source of both information and inspiration to his children, grandchildren and future descendants – check out our interview to find out why he believes we should all do likewise! Travelling further west around the globe and we were also in touch with local lass Aine Gallagher in New York, where she’s spent the last year living and working for TV company HBO – find out what it’s like to be in the thick of it in the Big Apple and also about all her celebrity sightings inside! And she’s not the only honorary New Yorker to feature this edition – check out the photo Damien Crowne sent us while on holiday of former local man ‘Johnny Mac’ enjoying the last edition outside his New Jersey pub! As usual we have tons of photo coverage and things are only set to get busier now in the run-up to the festive season so if you’re organizing a fundraiser or party night and you want Pat to attend, as they say in these parts, ‘get yer spake in early!’ Meantime check out photos of the Bald and Beautiful fundraiser for Care for Cancer on Main Street, Dunmullan PS’s Victorian Day, the Roscavey Run, Julie McCausland’s big 4-0, a Day at the Races in memory of Darren McBrearty and lots more. That’s it for now – our next issue will be our last before Christmas and it also happens to be our third birthday, so look out for our own celebrations and maybe a giveaway or two as well! Until next time!

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The contributors this issue are: Charlie Taggart, Andy Gordon, Cathy Quinn, Martin G. Taggart, Gerry McCusker, Hugh Donnelly, Paddy Hunter, Chloe Kerr, Roisin McEnhill and Ed Winters.

ONLINE at www.omaghtoday.com

Claire Martin - 077 2563 1646 | claire@omaghtoday.com Post to: Omagh Today, 79 Moylagh Road, Beragh, Omagh, Co. Tyrone, BT79 0UN

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BUILDING

AFRESH

Omagh businesswoman and Filipino native Rose McCrystal Kelly on the challenges of building a new life far from home, and her plans to help her countrymen in the wake of typhoon Haiyan.

ARROWING images coming out of the Philippines in the wake of super typhoon Haiyan, which struck the archipelago on November 8, have shocked the world - but even for some people here on the other side of the globe, the tragedy felt very close to home. It’s twenty years since Omagh businesswoman Rose McCrystal left her hometown in the northerly Luzon region of the Philippines, which is hundreds of miles from where the typhoon made landfall, but news of the catastrophe instantly transported her back to her childhood and memories of when she experienced first hand the terror of similar natural disasters, and the devastation visited on the thousands of very poor people living there. “I was born in Pantalan, in the municipality of Cabiao which is in the Nueva Ecija district – it’s about two hours away from Manila in a rural area. I’m the youngest of seven children in a middle class family and my parents were farmers – my dad had a fish farm and a rice farm and my mother would help him to sell the produce. When I was growing up, earthquakes and typhoons were quite common – I can remember us being rolled around on the floor of our home during an earthquake, and feeling very frightened. One of my earliest memories is from when I was maybe five or six, I remember the American soldiers bringing aid relief packages to our house for my father to distribute among the very poor people whose homes had been destroyed by a typhoon – he was always involved with community work.” Filipino society is deeply polarized; the country boasts one of Asia’s fastest growing economies, but the booming technology industry, ultra-luxurious hotels and a super-rich elite stand in stark contrast to the rural areas which in many cases have very poor transportation links and where many people live in extreme poverty with no access to running water or electricity. Although her family were relatively well off, through her father’s community and charity work Rose was exposed from a young age to the horrors of poverty and the plight of people whose meagre lives had been torn quite literally to shreds by the power of nature. She explains: “When I was a little girl I decided I wanted to become a doctor so I could care for all the people who were injured in the earthquakes and typhoons. Even when I was very young I felt so bad for the very poor people whose

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homes were not strong enough to cope with the typhoons. We were lucky in that our parents had enough money to afford an education for us but as the youngest of seven we just didn’t have the financial resources to send me to medical school, which is very expensive. So instead I started to think about a career in business, and when I left school at 18 I enrolled on a secretarial course. Then I got a job as a secretary and in the evenings I started studying for a BSc in Commerce with Marketing.” And Rose didn’t stop there; she went on to begin a Masters degree in Business Administration, all whilst working as a secretary to fund her own education, and eventually ended up becoming a teacher in her own right. She taught a secretarial course during the day at Olivarez College and another course at night in the Philippine Aeronautical and Technical School, both in Parañaque City, which forms part of the Manila metropolis. “It’s normal in the Philippines for people to work two or even three jobs. We have a saying which is ‘no work, no pay’. It’s nothing like this country, where people are very spoiled by social security benefits – there is very little help if you don’t work, healthcare is mostly private and there are no free education places after fourth year in high school. I knew that if I wanted my children one day to have the same opportunities as me I would have to save up my money. I also remembered when my father was getting the aid parcels from the American soldiers when I was a child, I used to be amazed by the big aeroplanes going over. I would think in my young mind, ‘how is it flying?’ and ‘where is it going?’ and I vowed that one day I would be a passenger on one of those planes.” Her hectic working schedule meant that romance was the last thing on Rose’s mind when one of her students introduced her to Patrick McCrystal, an Omagh man who regularly visited the Philippines on charitable missions through a local church. Though he was older than her – and lived thousands of miles away – Patrick and Rose shared a strong work ethic and a passion for charitable work that brought them together, and it wasn’t long before Rose was contemplating a complete life change. “In 1993 I came to Northern Ireland for the first time not really knowing what to expect. I remember flying in over Belfast and thinking how far apart the houses were, and to begin with I found it really hard to adjust to the food – I ate a lot of Chinese! But I found the people very welcoming and I knew fairly early on that I could be happy here.” Rose and Patrick married soon after, and Rose began the important business of putting down roots in Omagh – although it wasn’t always easy. “There were very few people from other ethnic minorities here so I felt pretty self-conscious in the early days. And having worked so hard all my adult life

I felt I couldn’t just sit around doing nothing, but I found it really difficult to find a job – I applied for all sorts of things from supermarkets, who told me I was over qualified, to colleges, who said my qualifications weren’t equivalent to the ones here. So I decided to return to study.” By now Rose had tapped into the larger Filipino communities in Derry and Belfast, and through the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA), she completed a further year of study to bring her Masters degree up to the UK standard as well as a diploma in Community Development Practice from Galway University. But nearly three years of living in Omagh, and witnessing first hand the difficulties faced by ethnic minorities here, reawakened that old desire to help others Rose had first learned from her father in the Philippines.

She began compiling a detailed business plan for a project that, she envisaged, would offer practical support, advocacy and friendship to people from other countries and cultural backgrounds now living in Omagh. Her plans soon became an application for Millennium funding and with the project deemed an ideal flagship for the year 2000, Omagh Ethnic Community Support Group was born in 1998. “I felt there wasn’t enough for people of other ethnicities; I wanted to set up a group that would be a first point of contact for people for people from other countries, to guide them through everything from employment and housing to healthcare and education,” she explains. A year later, the project had taken off so successfully that Rose was invited to London to meet with the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair – but at eight months pregnant, she was unable to attend. A son, Patrick, arrived not long afterwards. Rose continued her work with the OECSG for a further eight years, during which time the group grew and developed to include members from more than 20 different

nationalities. As well as offering practical support to those members, it’s also been instrumental in many community events designed to foster increased understanding of other cultures and religions, thereby promoting respect and encouraging a society free from racism, discrimination and sectarianism. During this time Rose also remarried and relocated to Ederney, the homeplace of her now husband Brian Kelly. In 2008, she decided it was time to move on from OECSG and take on a new challenge, and when the lease for local soft play facility Mr Tumbles came up, she jumped at the chance to once again run her own business as well as indulging her gregarious personality and desire to serve the community. “I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty,” she says. “I like to be working. I’ve had hard times in my life but I’ve taken them as a challenge – I have a strong faith that I can get over anything life throws at me. And I don’t regret anything I’ve done – I’ve had lots of experiences, good and bad, but I have always done what I believed to be the right thing and I think if you do that you will never go far wrong. My son Patrick is really the greatest achievement of my life – without him I might have returned to the Philippines when my first marriage ended but I will be retiring here in Northern Ireland now! He’s 14 and I’m looking forward to seeing what decisions he makes about his choice of career – he knows what I’d like him to do but I’m not putting any pressure on him either way. “I go back home quite regularly and I take him with me; I want him to know about that side of his culture and he has seen both the very rich and the very poor sides of life in the Philippines. As soon as I heard the news about the typhoon I started thinking about how I could help and I got in touch with an old friend of mine from high school to see what I could do.” Rose’s old school in Cabiao is co-ordinating aid to go into Tacloban, one of the worst-hit cities, and here in Omagh Rose is appealing for local people to join the relief effort. A number of local events are planned; there will be special Masses held on November 23 in St Mary’s Church at 3pm and Sacred Heart Church at 3pm on November 24. On Saturday, December 7 (11am-7pm) and Sunday 8th (1-7pm) there will be a charity event at Mr Tumbles with all admission fees being donated to the aid effort in the Philippines. Finally there will be an event at the offices of OECSG in Omagh Community House on December 10 from 10am-2pm. Donations of cash or muchneeded items including candles, matches, torches, batteries, sweets & biscuits, canned foods, blankets and toothbrushes/ toothpaste will be gratefully received. “The Philippines will recover,” says Rose. “Even the very poor areas, with help from the international community. Sadly the people there are used to these disasters; they will rebuild their lives and get on with things because Filipinos are strong people. But the sadness will never go away.” omaghtoday | 5

Santa on his way to An Creagan

“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…” at An Creagán, as final preparations are put in place for the annual Christmas Fair on Sunday 1st December. Santa’s helpers have been very busy working their magic once again, in creating his enchanting Log Cabin in anticipation of his VI P arrival at the launch of the Christmas Fair at 1pm. Filled with all of Santa’s favourite things and that truly magical scent of candy cane and Christmas cones, the Log Cabin will make the ideal resting place for Santa during his busy Christmas season! Once Santa gets settled into his Log Cabin at 1pm he will be eager to get to work and see all the children to hear what they would like for Christmas.

Innishatieve new Townland Champions at the Patrician

The new 2013 Termonmaguirc parish Townland Champions were crowned as Innishatieve at the weekend as 2012 Champions Carrickmore Lower were pipped at the post at the annual Battle of the Townlands Quiz at the Patrician in Carrickmore. There was a packed hall full of hopeful townlands all vying to take home the coveted quiz title. It was a close and competitive night with Creggandevesky, Creggan and Augnagreggan not far behind the eventual winners! Teams were welcome from any Town-lands in the Termonmaguirc parish. The Pride of The Parish for 2013 went to Innishatieve! omaghtoday | 6

The craft market promises to deliver an interesting range of crafts and gifts offering lots of ideas for Christmas presents. New additions to this year’s stalls include; basketry and coppice crafts, weaving crafts, locally brewed beers, vintage up-cycled gifts, Jumping Clay crafts, along with the ever popular jewellery, scarves, handbags, slate crafts, seasonal gifts and country crafts. As an added treat An Creagán craft shop will be offering special offers and discounts throughout the shop whilst serving complimentary mulled wine & shortbread to customers. There will be lots of fun and free activities for all the family and some special festive entertainment throughout the afternoon. Murley Silver Band will delight Fair goers to a courtyard performance at 2pm and The Hub community choir will continue in the festive feel with their twist on the traditional carols from 3pm. Both performances are guaranteed to get you into the real spirit of Christmas. Amidst all the hustle and bustle of the Christmas Fair, An Creagán Restaurant will be serving traditional Sunday Lunch, and teas/ coffees homemade treats and snack bar food will be in plentiful supply in the courtyard throughout the day. The staff are looking forward to welcoming you to the Christmas Fair, admission is free and children wishing to visit Santa in his Log Cabin pay £5 and all proceeds will go to Charis Integrated Cancer Care (local cancer charity). The Fair will run from 1pm to 5pm. For more information visit www.ancreagan.com or call 80761112. An Creagán is situated midway between Omagh and Cookstown. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

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Brave, bald beauties raise money for Care for Cancer THREE inspiring local ladies went under the clippers in Main Street last Thursday night for a ‘Bald and Beautiful’ event to raise money for local charity, Care for Cancer. Amanda Allen, Ursula Blakely and Jodie-Leigh McClay joined celebrities like Jessie J in forfeiting their locks in order to raise money for the local charity, cheered on by a large crowd of locals – some of whom also signed up to lose anything from a single eyebrow to a full head of hair! Santa even made a special appearance to

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shave Amanda’s head personally – and while there were a few tears of trepidation shed as the first locks hit the floor, the three women say they have absolutely no regrets. “There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of people losing their hair through cancer treatment every day,” said Amanda. “They’re ill, I’m not – I’m just happy I could do my bit to raise money for Care For Cancer and I’d do it again tomorrow!” The event has raised £2000 so far with some monies still to be collected.

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Beat the oil thieves this winter

AS temperatures plummet we’re all relying more on our central heating and with the price of heating oil, the last thing you need on a frosty morning is to wake up and find your out of oil – especially as the result of a theft. Oil thefts are becoming more prevalent, especially during the winter months – and with this in mind police have come up with some simple steps to stop you from getting caught out in the cold by thieves this winter. • Secure your yard against easy access from criminals - good gates, secure fences, perimeter alarming etc • Protective planting of prickly shrubbery around your tank, caging or walling of tanks are a big deterrent. • Sensored lighting and CCTV are also a big deterrent to potential thieves. • if your heating oil tank is easily accessible to vehicular traffic, i.e. if it is next to a road or car park, you may be more high risk so take steps to mitigate this. • Consider fitting security features to your tank - such as locking cap, oil level indicators, anti tampering devices (contact your local supplier). • Be pro-active - fit Secured by Design warning and alert devices such as Tank Commander that warn of impending thefts. • Advertise any anti-theft devices to the potential thief - it can be a big deterrent before the theft. • Check your heating oil regularly at least twice a week preferably daily. And always keep your heating oil receipts after purchase of oil! • Be a good neighbour and report anything suspicious around a neighbours home such as a tanker in the driveway at unusual time, or persons taking hoses through to oil tanks. • Prior to reporting to police on 0845 600 8000 obtain a good description of vehicles (make,colour,registration), and persons (age height,clothing) involved. omaghtoday | 9

TALKOFTHETOWN Olympic legacy lives on at Holy Family PS THE spirit of the 2012 Olympic Games in London is to be preserved right here in Omagh after Holy Family Primary School won a NIwide competition to have a piece of the Olympic Park installed in the school grounds. Schools all over the country were invited to enter a competition being run by Lagan Construction, who won the contract to build the £18 million Central Park Bridge which linked the two halves of the Olympic park over the River Lea. The bridge became an eye-catching symbol of the diversity of the games, and was covered in brightly coloured rubber matting which was trodden by the feet of the world’s most famous sportspeople – so when it came to dismantling it, Lagan Construction were tasked with ensuring the matting would be used as a legacy of the games. After receiving an email about the competition, PE co-ordinator at Holy Family PS, Miss Donna McSorley, worked with P4 pupils at the school to come up with a 300-word entry demonstrating ways in which the spirit of 2012 has left an enduring legacy in the school. The pupils decided to submit their entry in the form of a fantastic short film describing the various ways in which the London Olympics inspired them both on and off the sporting field, exploring concepts of inspiration, friendship, respect, equality, determination, courage and excellence. Their charming video caught the eye of the judges and both staff and pupils were quite literally jumping for joy when they learned that they had won the chance to have a piece of Olympic history installed in their school playground. The school playground has been transformed by Lagan Construction over the past few weeks, with new tarmac laid and the distinctive, colourful rubber matting forming a walkway from the school building out into the central playground where it not only forms a soft surface for play, but can also be seen from almost every school corridor as a perpetual reminder of the spirit of the Games and all the qualities it inspired in the pupils. The play area is to be officially opened by Ballymena Paralympian, Michael McKillop, this morning (Thursday). Said Miss McSorley: “We were overjoyed to hear that we were the winners in this prestigious competition. I can still hear Mrs Dolan cheering at the top of her voice when I told her the fantastic news.

Ryan Figueirdo McGarvey, Amber Conway Crowne, Barnabas Tasi and Catherine McArdle with teacher Miss Donna McSorley and vice principal Mrs Fiona McGowan as workmen finish off their new play area. “Thanks to Lagan Construction we now have a piece of Olympic history right here in our school grounds. It will be seen by many and each day we will be able to relive the memories of London 2012. Sport is high on our agenda and we are hoping that having this in our school will help to inspire future champions."

Retailers delight over reduced Xmas parking tariffs OMAGH’S retailers have reacted with delight to news that the town is one of twenty-five in Northern Ireland where shoppers will be able to take advantage of special reduced Christmas parking tariffs. Transport Minister Danny Kennedy announced on Monday that he had decided to reduce parking charges over the festive period in order to encourage people to support retailers on their local high streets. The move will see the introduction of a new reduced tariff of just £1 for five hours’ parking in Roads Service Pay & Display car parks in Omagh. The Minister said: "Retailers across Northern Ireland have been suffering from the economic downturn and I know that the festive season is a key period for them financially. Last week I announced a Christmas transport package for shoppers and traders. This included free Park and Ride services in Belfast, Lisburn, Newry and Londonderry during late night shopping days and also on Saturdays, fare promotions and an embargo on road works over the Christmas period. "I also wanted to ensure that other areas received some assistance which would encourage shoppers to go into towns over the Christmas period. That is why I have decided to introduce omaghtoday | 10

a new reduced tariff of five hours for one pound across 95 of my Department's car parks." The new tariff will be introduced from December 2 and will continue until January 11, and will apply to car parks that have a tariff of 30p or more per hour. Drivers will still be able pay the minimum tariff in each car park, for example most car parks have a tariff of 40p per hour so if someone wants to stay for less than an hour they can simply pay 40p. Concluding the Minister said: “I have decided to run this scheme into January to ensure the public have time to shop at their leisure in the run-up to Christmas and during the New Year sales. "I am confident these measures will provide a welcome boost for traders and would encourage the public to continue to support their local economy and shop local.”

Leisure Centre refurb on schedule REFURBISHMENT and redevelopment works at Omagh Leisure Complex are progressing well and on target for the reopening of the facility in May 2014, Omagh District Council has confirmed. Arrangements are now being put in place to prepare for the reopening of the Leisure Complex. A new staffing structure has been agreed which will enable longer opening hours to be provided and greater customer access to the range of leisure facilities. The next stage of work will be developing and implementing the detailed arrangements for the re-opening and operation of the new facility. The Council has made provision in the new building for children’s facilities to enable those with caring responsibilities to avail of the Complex. Expressions of interest from external providers will soon be invited to provide the crèche service. Following a site meeting last week by a cross-party Working Group to see at first hand the development of the new swimming pools, councillors commended the project as a flagship development, saying that when completed, “Omagh will have an excellent facility of the highest standard, not only for the residents of the district but it should also attract visitors and users from the wider region. The new dedicated pools for small children and learners, as well as the main swimming pool, mean that the needs of different users will be very well catered for. We are all looking forward to the reopening of the swimming facility, bigger and better than ever, in a facility of which everyone, Council, staff and residents, can be extremely proud”.

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Big high buns and Bessie’s first day

Bessie Belle

An Omagh’s girl’s take on life... Jeez, it’s got Baltic cold, hasn’t it? Winter has definitely arrived. I went to look about getting a new woolly hat the other day but all I could find were ones with wee animal ears on them. What’s the story with that? I’m not five! I was looking round the shops trying to find some nice, new, fancy clothes to wear to my nice, new, fancy job (more about that later) and all I could find was woolly jumpers. Woolly jumpers are not the easiest thing to wear and they are very unforgiving of a wee spare belly or muffin top. There are some ridiculous Christmas jumpers that would make anyone look daft but also some lovely jumpers, any colour, any pattern, sparkly bits and pieces. It seems all anyone is going to wear this Autumn/Winter is jeans and jumpers. Very glamorous, I must say… I supposed that’s the influence of TV for you. I bet ye it’s them Scandinavian cop dramas that have brought the woolly jumper back into fashion; them dolls are dull as dishwater in their dreary jumpers, grubby coats and not a lick of make-up. I dunno, I’ll never be able to call meself a feminist, I think we all look a sight better with a wee bit of war paint. And talking about fashion trends, it seems people can find inspiration in the most unlikely sources. Has anyone noticed the big female fashion hair trend of the moment? It’s a big, high bun. All the stars are wearing big, high buns and there’s even devices you can buy to help you put your hair up in a big, high bun. And do ye know who started that trend? Yer wan that got caught in Peru. She’s the

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one that started all this big, high bun stuff. I though she might’ve had stuff hidden in her big, high bun when I saw her. That would’ve been a lot handier than a cavity search I bet! But that wasn’t the only fashion trend she started. I was reading about them girls on the internet, (I know! I’m all modern, me!), and I happened to see people commenting on how sorry they were for them but also wondering if anyone knew where yer doll got her wee black leather jacket. And, ye know, sure enough, the shops are now full of them wee leather jackets. Well anyway, as you may or may not know I now have a job! I know, I can barely believe it myself! Neither can the people at the dole office, it was practically a living wake when I was signing off. I was so excited on my first day at the office. Everyone was lovely. I was up from the crack of dawn because I was so paranoid about sleeping in. As it turned out, I saw every hour during the night and only started to fall into a good sleep ten minutes before the alarm went off. I was shadowing the whole week and I discovered that the job was going to be mind-numbingly boring. I smiled away at everyone anyway and made tedious small talk along with the best of them until Friday. That first after-work drink was the best I ever tasted but boy was I wrecked! So, who’d have thought, me, a working woman once more? Tell ye what, though, it feels great. Roll on my first pay packet!

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Victorian day at Dunmullan

Sharp dressed pupils at Dunmullan P. S. who turned back the Mrs P. Tandon, Dunmullan teacher with foundation stage pupils clock last Wednesday when they dressed Victorian style for class. in their Victorian wear.

Mrs Martin, Dunmullan Brian Booth, Jason Lindsay, Zoe Anderson, Diana principal with Cameron Craig McFarland, Lucy Kilpatrick, Jessica Baxter, Gilmore, Bethany Managh and Joshua Baxter. Mullen and Lily Small. Rachael Beattie, Olivia McCrea and Marcus Baxter. omaghtoday | 14

Talented Brooklyn scoops top marks in GCSE art

A TALENTED young artist and pupil at Omagh Academy has scooped the top mark in Northern Ireland for GCSE art and design. 16-year-old Brooklyn Cathers, from Beragh, wowed examiners with her stunning coursework project capturing the character and personality of her much-loved family pet, Sonny the cocker spaniel. Brooklyn’s project began with exploring the natural habitats of various animals but she quickly discovered that she really enjoyed painting the animals themselves, and when it came to choosing a subject for her final piece Sonny, with his textured coat and limpid brown eyes, was an obvious choice! Working in watercolour, talented Brooklyn created a stunning portrait of the dog which, along with her other coursework, earned her full marks in her GCSE last year, although it wasn’t until she returned to school this term that her position as the best GCSE art student in the whole of Northern Ireland was confirmed. Now studying Art for A-Level, Brooklyn says she’s still not sure if she would like to pursue a career in the creative industries. “I really enjoy it, but I’m not sure yet what I want to do, I’m still keeping an open mind!” she said.

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Omagh Today editor Claire Martin presents £100 in cash to Susan Graham from Omagh, who won the Omagh Today holiday snap prize after she sent in a picture of the Graham, Crawford and Mulligan families enjoying their copy of the magazine whilst on holiday in Donegal this past summer. Congratulations Susan! omaghtoday | 15

When I first saw this card I thought I had stumbled across a very rare card indeed. The seller of the card had it listed as 'Evicted tenant and his family Ballycawley' . I could see that the card had been posted in Ballygawley in 1909 so I bought it. It was only a day or so later that it struck me that although the card had been posted in Ballygawley the card itself did not contain 'Ballygawley' in the title. Nevertheless it can be interesting to know what cards were on sale in Ballygawley in the early 1900s and it is also a piece of social history. Although the card was produced by Hartmann around 1905 it is clearly from the 1880s or so. The card shows a typical scene post eviction, a destroyed house and a tenant and his family with nowhere to go, In many cases tenants stayed on and tried to make the best of a poor situation. Land agents often assisted by either the RIC or the British Army tore down the house with the aid of 'A' frames. Tossing walls and collapsing roofs to make the house uninhabitable was a common feature. In some cases the 'house' was little more than a turf or grass shack. You can see that in this case there were stone walls which appear to have been reduced to rubble. For many tenants there was no incentive to improve either the land or the dwelling as improvements usually led to rent increases. It has to be said that there were some more enlightened landlords but they were few and far between and even many of them were motivated by self interest. The Scottish clearances were not repeated in Ireland

because of organised resistance with civil disobedience, boycott, threats and violence by secret groups. Landlords who paid for their tenants to emigrate were often motivated by the need to clear the land of inefficient farming methods or to reduce the burden, long term, on the rates. The semi-feudal system meant that landlords were often the main contributors to the relief of their tenants. I tend to watch antique related tv programmes and I am always amused at the stories of how granny worked for a large country house and they loved her so much that when she was leaving they gave her the jug, vase or whatever. More likely is that granny was caught stealing the gin and was dismissed. As she left she stuffed what she could in her case. I am afraid the aristocracy weren't that generous and many of our ancestors weren't as honest as they would have us believe. This card was certainly in Ballygawley but I doubt that the scene has any connection to it. If I had to guess I would say it is somewhere in the west of Ireland, perhaps Kerry or Cork. I believe this from the style of dress etc which can be seen in other cards. The card has been coloured in so it is impossible to say what the woman's shawl may have looked like in life. The sender of the card apologised for the 'dirty' card and I think this a reference to the brown colouring and not the subject matter. postcards@mgtaggart.com

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Omagh Today on tour – New York style!

Last issue we brought you a photo of Omagh Today quite literally on top of the world - and this edition we were thrilled to receive this photograph from local man Damien Crowne, taken in New York! Damien travelled to America with his partner Marie and son D-Jay, and during their holiday took the opportunity to visit ‘Johnny Mac’ (McGillin) who is a relative of Marie’s and who hails from Tattyreagh originally – although he’s lived in New York since he was a child. The photograph of Johnny enjoying a recent edition of Omagh Today was taken outside Johnny Mac’s House of Spirits at Asbury Park, New Jersey. Johnny owns a further twelve bars dotted around the city and is currently working on the opening of the 14th, to be named after his daughter Kim Marie who tragically died a number of years ago. Clearly a man of good taste, Johnny has tasked Damien with sending copies on the other side of the pond – we’d love to see more so if any of you have pics of relatives reading in far flung places, please send them in!

Kenwells Christmas Showcase at First Trust Bank

Fred Kenwell, from A.E Kenwell & Sons, Dromore, along with his daughter Julie Hardy and her twins Lynne & James, take part in First Trust Banks Business Showcasing - supporting the Bank's local business customers by allowing them the opportunity to showcase their products and services within the branch to other customers. Also pictured is Debbie Deans and Tommy Traynor from First Trust Bank, Omagh. omaghtoday | 17

Charlie

As it was to where it is now No. 77

Charlie Taggart

‘Bakersfield’, the new CD by Paul Franklin and Vince Gill is really an excellent homage to the Bakersfield sounds of Merle Haggard, Buck Owens and Tommy Collins. It comes highly recommended as Merle Haggard actually gives it the seal of approval in the introductory notes. Andy first drew my attention to it a few weeks ago and now that I have listened to it, I am sure he is right that it is quality all the way. Vince Gill was born in Norman, Oklahoma, and in his youth played a lot of bluegrass before he arrived in Nashville. The more traditional style of country music has been suited to Gill’s voice, and with his faultless musicianship he soon had a contract with RCA. He joined Rodney Crowell’s band the Cherry Bombs. His first top 40 hit was ‘Victim of Life’s Circumstances’ released in 1984. This was Vince’s first update of the Bakersfield sound that he had loved as a child, and was a foretaste of what was to come. One of his biggest hits at that time was ‘If it Weren’t For Him’, a duet with Rosanne Cash, who was then married to Rodney Crowell. He received a Grammy Award for his song ‘Go Rest High on That Mountain’ and in 1993 and 1994 the CMA named him entertainer of the year. In 2006 Gill showcased his song-writing ability in a 4-disc box set called ‘These Days’. The songs range from bluegrass to country and explore many themes, and although the CDs are very different, the songs seem very appropriate for the chosen guest artists. Gill says: “I am still moved by music and wish others to be as well.” Guy Clarke guests on ‘Almost Home’ the last track on the 4th CD. I have made no secret of the fact that I am a huge Guy Charles Clarke fan and I was delighted to find a new tribute double CD containing 30 tracks of his songs covered by artists ranging from Rodney Crowell to Jerry Jeff Walker. It is called ‘This One’s For Him: A Tribute To Guy Clarke’. There are many highlights especially the added poignancy of ‘Magnolia Wind’ by Emmylou Harris and John Prine, and also the version of ‘My Favourite Picture Of You’ by the aforementioned Jerry Jeff Walker. Each track is worthy of close attention and some give a different emphasis and interpretation to the songs that we are so familiar with. I have written about Guy Clarke before and I will do an in-depth feature on him when a definitive biography on him is released in the near future. Kris Kristofferson does a version of ‘Hemingway’s Whiskey’ with a spoken introduction. A recent review of a Kristofferson concert at The Corn Exchange, Cambridge, bemoans the fact that he did very little talking between the songs. Kris was on very good form for a septuagenarian but there was very little audience participation. Apparently another tour is being planned for 2014 but there are concerns that although Kris can remember the words to all his songs he has trouble remembering names, dates and places. One day last week my wife asked me what I was doing sitting in the dark. I told her I had taken up meditation - at least it’s better than sitting doing nothing. omaghtoday | 18

& andY

Andy Gordon

I had planned to write about music for this issue. In fact, I had decided to feature a man dear to all our hearts on this side of the Irish Sea – a man who really needs no introduction at all, and who also keeps himself to himself, shying away from all kinds of publicity. He is one of the few people who have had the great honour (?) of having the freedom of Belfast thrust upon them, and as such, is allowed to drive their sheep through the city centre! I am talking, of course, of Van the man – Van Morrison. I was going to regale you with facts and fixtures of his life; take you through his musical output over the last 50 years, and tell you stories about him that might make your toes curl up. But I’m not going to do that! And why? Well, I have just read Charlie’s latest chapter from the Bible of country music, and reckon you have had enough music facts and figures for one sitting! So instead, I will discuss the thorny issue of what to drink when you sit down to an Ulster Fry! Every now and then when I visit my countrified companion in his shop in Campsie – if either his good lady, charming daughter or Isobel are in attendance – we are able to escape across the road and over the footbridge to an excellent establishment where they serve everything from a cup of coffee, to a full three course feast. In the past we have been satisfied with the cup of coffee and a scone, or sometimes, in Charlie’s case, a slice of apple pie, but recently, as we haggled over which scones to take, Glenn, the maitre d’, pointed us towards a new meal deal they were trying. A breakfast deal! A really good breakfast deal! A breakfast deal not to be missed!! You got a five piece breakfast, two slices of toast, and coffee or tea. And what’s more, you got two of these for just over £6 – I kid you not – two breakfasts for the price of a thermal vest. Charlie, being a real man, opted for a meaty feast – sausage, black pudding, bacon etc. with toast and coffee – a cappuccino, if you please – while I opted for breads – soda and potato, two eggs and bacon, toast – white, of course - and a cup of strong, sweet, milky tea. And this is where this debate started – the best drink to compliment an Ulster Fry – or, in fact, any fry! Now I quite like a cup of coffee. Black, strong – sometimes with milk and sugar - but if it’s really good coffee, just black. I tried all the arty farty lattes and skinny whites but in the end, to my mind, you’re just having coffee flavoured milk - so it was back to the Americano, as they call it, or a good old fashioned filtered coffee. But with a fry – that’s different! I can drink my tea whatever way it comes; weak, strong, cold, iced, lukewarm, boiling hot, in the cup or in the saucer, with or without milk or sugar, flavoured – I like it even when the biscuit I have been dunking in it breaks off and floats about! But with a fry it has to be strong tea, with heaped spoonfuls of sugar added, together with a generous splash of milk. There is no debate in my mind – that is how it should be. But Charlie? Well I can’t get him away from his cup of coffee – but, I suppose that’s the cowboy in him!

Make your memories a talking point at Featurepiece THESE days it’s much more than just pictures or portraits that can be framed - items such as a child’s first pair of shoes, T-shirts and signed football shirts, a first paypacket or even an award or medal can all make real talking points and precious keepsakes when framed and displayed in your home or workplace. Based at Omagh’s Gortrush Industrial Estate (above Castle Lighting), Featurepiece Art & Frames are a member of ‘The Fine Arts Guild’ framing organization and employ a qualified ‘GCF’ (Guild Commended Framer) experienced in all aspects of bespoke framing. For the company to reach that level in the business, they had to go through many courses, sit an all day exam and produce three practical projects which would be judged by the top professionals in the trade. The company puts this experience to good use as they deal with a wide range of contemporary subjects and artists. The company also deals in unique hand painted portraits including portraits from photographs; removing or altering backgrounds; wedding portraits; family portraits; landmarks/landscapes or even pet portraits. The prices are affordable and when the work is done, it can be framed to any specification. So if you have that first pair of shoes or another special memento locked away in the cupboards for safe-keeping, why not dust it off and bring it back into view in a framed masterpiece? For further information contact Featurepiece on 07595 539690 or 07522 131738 or email emma@featurepiece.com.

Omagh Accountancy Firm Celebrates Exam Success Hugh McAleer, Managing Director of local chartered accountancy firm McAleer Mullan Jackson, was delighted to announce that Eugene McCullagh, who has been with the firm for three years, has just passed the Final Admitting Examination of Chartered Accountants Ireland. Commenting on his staff member’s recent success, Hugh stated “It is a testament to Eugene’s hard work and dedication that he has reached this milestone. I am delighted for him. It is also an example of the firm’s commitment to the recruitment and training of high calibre individuals. Eugene will reinforce our trademark high level of professional service.” Eugene, from just outside Plumbridge, has reached the end of a six year journey that began when he started studying Accounting at Queen’s University, Belfast in 2007. After graduating in May 2010, he commenced employment with McAleer Mullan Jackson the following month, and has undertaken examinations each year with Chartered Accountants Ireland, culminating in the Final Admitting Examination sat in September 2013. Eugene said “The relief that I feel is just wonderful. It was a long haul, starting all the way back in 2007, to reach this stage, but now that I have crossed the line and passed the FAE, every hour of study put in over these six years has absolutely been worth it. The Chartered Accountancy qualification is such a valuable one and will be with me over a lifetime now”. This will bring the number of fully qualified chartered accountants within the firm to nine, which puts them at the forefront of local accountancy practices. omaghtoday | 19

This is your

life

Local man James Hunt on the importance of recording your own family’s history and why he hopes his legacy will impart wisdom to a new generation

T’S a sad truth that, as generations go by, little snippets of our family histories are lost; eroded away bit by bit as photographs are mislaid, stories forgotten, memories taken to the grave without ever being recorded. From fairly early in his life, Omagh man James Hunt was determined that wouldn’t happen to his family. James was always keen to document his own personal life story, but after the deaths of five members of his immediate family – all younger than him – he finally got the impetus he needed to immortalize his story on paper for future generations to learn from and enjoy. The result is a weighty and wonderful tome; packed with photographs and anecdotes from James’ childhood, school days and beyond – and of course all intertwined with the history of Omagh and a host of colourful characters to form a rich tapestry that is priceless to his children and grandchildren – as it will no doubt be to future generations of his family. Born in 1932 at Fairmount Avenue in Omagh, James was the eldest son of Michael and Margaret Hunt, who went on to have eight more children, two of whom succumbed to scarlet fever in childhood. James attended what was then known as Killyclogher Elementary School and later Omagh CBS, but at the age of 14 he was forced to leave school when his father died suddenly. “My mother, now a widow with a family of seven, had one asset of marketable value,” he writes, “me!” It was with a heavy heart that James left school – he especially loved his Latin and Science lessons – and began his working life as an apprentice at Torney’s garage and engineering works on Omagh’s Dublin Road for the princely sum of ten shillings and fourpence (52p) per week. But his education was far from over and his new job in fact afforded him opportunities to return to study, first through part-time study at Omagh Tech and later through a scholarship at Belfast College of Technology. With newly-acquired qualifications under his belt and big changes afoot in the motor industry, it wasn’t long before James’ skills came to the attention of other garages in the area and he was made an offer he couldn’t refuse by John McGale of Campsie Engineering Works. He spent some very happy years here and worked his way up to a senior position before leaving to start his own business. Later, he went on to work for government and particularly enjoyed his role as an engineer tasked with the inspection and maintenance of fire and police vehicles in the Omagh district and Fermanagh – but a nagging voice at the back of his head told him there had to be more to life and when he saw an invitation for applications to a Technical Teacher Training programme, James got a glimpse of exactly what that might be. Having furthered his qualifications whilst working, he was eligible to apply and so it was off to Victoria College, Bolton for a year and the first step towards a brand new career that would see James fulfill his true potential in life. His first job brought him to Lisburn Technical School, and two years later when a vacancy came up in Omagh, he didn’t need asking twice!

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The same day that James started work in Omagh, a certain Una Brennan, daughter of the Technical College’s former principal, Patrick Brennan, also started work for the first time in the Catering Department. The pair hit it off, married in 1965 and went on to have three children whilst juggling their respective teaching careers, with James moving in 1971 to St Ciaran’s in Ballygawley where he would remain until he took early retirement in 1983. All this and more is documented in James’ wonderful book, from the minutiae of everyday living with all its trials and tribulations to life-changing events such as the Omagh bomb, after which he received an award for bravery, and proud moments such as his pivotal role in the making of a world rally champion in the shape of his nephew, Niall McShea! “He spent two years footering in the garage,” Una laughs, “and I hadn’t a clue what he was doing. There were all these bits and pieces of paper, bits scribbled in, bits scribbled out – and then of course it fell to me to read it and go through it with a red marker making corrections! But now our children have a copy each and it’s a lovely thing for them to have.” Indeed, a history of the lives of our parents, grandparents – even greatgrandparents, as this story will one day become for James’ descendants – would be something very precious for any of us to have. And much as it’s a record of births, deaths and notable historic occurrences, it’s also an opportunity to reflect on the nuances of a lifetime, as James explains: “I wanted my family to know where they came from and I think when my children and grandchildren read it they’ll see that over the course of a lifetime, even your misfortunes shouldn’t be an obstacle to progress; that there is always another way and that your challenges can be character building. It’s important to grasp every opportunity life presents to you, to have manners and to be helpful because you never know when you will need help yourself. There’s also an educational theme in there about how important it is, how far it can take you when you are willing to keep learning all throughout your life. Certainly I am still learning and in that respect I intend to keep adding to this volume – I should have a good bit more to add because I fully intend to live until I’m ninety-five!”

Enchanted extensions at Emma’s WITH several years’ hairdressing experience at a local salon under her belt, back in 2011 local woman Emma Toal decided it was now or never in terms of seeing some of the world. Emma, who’s originally from Beragh, has spent the last two years living and working in Australia, keeping her industry skills sharp while enjoying a fantastic antipodean adventure and gaining lots of life experience. Now back home, she’s focusing all her attentions on her brand new venture – a salon of her own, Emma’s at Cut Loose on Omagh’s Gortin Road. The salon offers spacious, modern surroundings and even better, Emma can tailor her working hours to suit clients so whether it’s early mornings or evenings, you’re guaranteed an appointment to suit. Emma offers a full range of hairdressing services for both men and women, from

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COMPETITION WINNERS Congratulations to Rose McAleer, Greencastle; Lena Logue, Killyclogher; Eileen O' Doherty, Omagh, Rose Conway, Carrickmore and Michelle McGlone, Aughnacloy, who each won a £20 voucher to spend in store at Omagh Craft Collective's pop-up shop in our last edition. Happy shopping ladies! omaghtoday | 21

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Sacred Heart pupils get their jammies on for disaster-hit Philippines PUPILS at Tattyreagh’s Sacred Heart Primary School recently turned up to school all ready for bed in a bid to raise much-needed money for the millions of people affected by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. News of the disaster struck a chord with both pupils and staff at the school, who have gained particular knowledge about the Philippines thanks to a number of past pupils who were originally from the Asian islands. With jammies on, ninety pupils enjoyed a slightly unusual day at school and their sponsorship raised an impressive £855.61 (to date) for the disaster fund.

Fintona Methodist celebrate their 150th The President of the Methodist Church in Ireland, Rev Dr Heather Morris, cuts a cake to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Fintona Methodist Church. Also included in photograph are Mr Aylmer McKinney, Mr Ian Boyd, Mrs Dorothy Dalton, Mrs Janette Newell and Rev William Newell. A commemorative plaque marking the milestone was also unveiled in the church.

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The Bethlehem Story presented by the Parishes of Errigle Keerogue, Ballygawley and Killeshill Church of Ireland The parishes of Errigle Keerogue, Ballygawley and Killeshill are presenting a Nativity with a difference! Come wrapped up in warm clothes, Wellington boots and with a torch to be transported back over 2000 years to the village of Bethlehem to meet some of the people who where there at that time, along with a few visitors to the area. Meet the Roman Soldiers, who under the orders of Herod, are out in search of a new born King. Get together with the shepherds around their camp fire who are retelling the story of a wonderful visit from a choir of angels! Meet the Innkeeper who is bustling with excitement of the news of a new baby born in his stable. Come see Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. Witness the visit of the Magi as they enter the stable bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Enjoy some community singing, with special items from the Sunday School, in the stable before supper is served. If you would like to be part of this real, live nativity booking is essential as tickets are limited. The nativity will take place on Friday 20th December 2013 at 8.00 pm; Saturday 21st December 2013 at 4.00 pm and Saturday 21st December 2013 at 8.00 pm at McKeown’s Farm, Fallagherin (it will be sign-posted from Greenhill Kitchens on the Omagh Road). The cost per head is £5 (pre-school children are free) with all proceeds being donated to the Make a Wish Foundation. Family tickets (2 adults & 3 children) are available at a cost of £20. For further information contact Revd Ian Cruikshank on 028 8556 7830 or email revdian@hotmail.com or Stephen McKeown on 028 8075 8126. To book your tickets, please contact: Anne Barrett 028 8556 7474 / 07887 597 099, Elaine Barrett 028 8556 8286 / 07825 140 990, Sharon Reid 028 8284 1180 / 07731 010 662 or email erriglekeerogue@hotmail.com

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Hebe Clinic scoops top award in London A LOCAL aesthetic medicine clinic has received a prestigious consumer award at a high profile global awards ceremony in London. The Hebe Aesthetic and Anti Aging clinic, based at Gortrush Industrial Estate, was nominated for and highly commended in the ‘Best Anti-Aging Treatment’ category at the prestigious ‘My Face, My Body’ Awards, held at the Lancaster London Hotel on November 2. The Clinic was the only Northern Ireland based business to be represented at these exclusive awards. The MyFaceMyBody Awards have been recognized all over the world with global brands entering their products and professionals travelling to attend the big event. They are the first consumer awards within the aesthetic, beauty and dental industry to recognise and reward brands for their product innovation and popularity. Clinics are also rewarded for exceptional experiences and outstanding service to their consumers. The winning treatment was ‘Nanopeptide Mesotherapy’. The technology is new to aesthetics and offers a non surgical approach to skin rejuvenation by superficially injecting small amounts of a naturally occurring peptide solution into the dermis. In addition to skin rejuvenation the nanopeptide technology is also available to stimulate hair growth, reduce fat and cellulite and to remove brown age spots form the skin. This treatment is at the cutting edge of aesthetic medicine – something Dr Gabriela Mercik, proprietor of the Hebe Clinic, is passionate about. Dr Mercik found her calling to aesthetic medicine after many years of working in cardiology and palliative care and rehabilitation. She is very well experienced and her knowledge of aesthetic medicine has led to her being asked to speak at many conferences all over the world. The Hebe clinic offer a wide range of treatments and provide free consultations for those who would like to hear more. The clinic prides itself on the innovative treatments it provides as well as the care and privacy extended to clients. Professional integrity is at the heart of everything Dr Mercik does so from offering realistic advice about the effects that can be achieved to being honest with those young and fresh clients who really don’t need any procedures, you can rest assured your wellbeing is the priority. For further details or a consultation, call 028 8224 9494 ext. 261.

Mary’s story is a bestseller IT’S only two weeks since inspiring local author Mary O’Brien launched her autobiography – but already her book is onto its second print run after selling out in record time. Mary’s story, entitled ‘Not a Leg to Stand On’ details her incredible life story, from losing both her legs in a farm accident when she was just a toddler, to winning Paralympic gold medals for swimming, beating ablebodied dancers at jiving and following her dreams of becoming an artist. Mary’s book was launched in Omagh Library earlier this month and already every copy in the North has sold out, prompting another print run of 5,000 copies to satisfy demand for the Christmas market. The book has also topped the Pegasus bestseller list in Northern Ireland and is available at local bookshops as well as Eason’s.

An Creagan Coffee morning The hard working ladies at An Creagán held a Vintage Coffee Morning, last Thursday, and raised £250 for Macmillan Cancer Support. Congratulations ladies and John! omaghtoday | 25

Omagh’s Sinead launches new album with Atmosphere A GALAXY of country stars took to the stage in Cookstown’s Greenvale Hotel last week alongside Omagh singer Sinead Taggart for the launch of a brand new album by popular NI wedding band, Atmosphere. Talented Sinead, who hails from Clanabogan, has been singing with the band alongside original members Tomas Corr and Nigel Dylan for three years now – but she’s no stranger to the stage having performed Sinead with dad Mark at the Scór and local Feis numerous times (often joined by her equally talented sister, Donna) before making her TV debut on the RTE show ‘Glor Tire’ where she was mentored by country singer Jimmy Buckley. Sinead inherited a love of country music from her parents, and in particular her father, himself a country and Irish singer, but since joining Atmosphere she’s seen her repertoire grow to include many musical genres from country to pop, rock and even dance music! It’s been a rollercoaster ride for the local singer, who juggles her full time job at the Western Trust’s dental department alongside the considerable demands of singing in

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one of Northern Ireland’s most popular wedding bands. “It’s been really busy,” she explains. “It’s literally non-stop and it’s a real learning curve for me too as a country singer because we do all sorts of music right through from Blanket on the Ground to stuff by Christina Perri and the Black Eyed Peas. Also with weddings all over the country from Belfast to Donegal you never know what sort of crowd you’re going to be catering for – you just have to go out there and deliver! “We were delighted with the album launch, we had a really big crowd and it was a brilliant night! The album’s called ‘Good to Go’ and it came about really in response to lots of requests we’d been having from brides and grooms after their big day, and from guests, wanting to know where they could hear more – we wanted to have something they could take away with them. “It took us two years to pull together the track listing and get it recorded; because our repertoire is so large and so varied it was hard to get the mix right but I think we’ve managed to create something that reflects us as a band while still featuring the favourites and the songs we are most often asked to perform.” The result is a fantastic album that stands in its own right while alos being a great keepsake for Atmosphere’s clients and of course, a great advert for brides and grooms considering the band for their big day. ‘Good to Go’ will be on sale through the band’s website, www.atmosphereonline.co.uk, shortly, and will also be available through various local outlets. For those wishing to see the band performing live, they’re making a rare local appearance at the Bridge Tavern in Eskra’s Christmas party on December 14.

Floral and dessert evening for Cancer Research

Floral demonstrator Sarah Louise Hyndman with Thelma Rainey and Bernie Efergan at the Christmas floral demonstration and desserts evening to raise funds for the Ballygawley branch of Cancer Research. The fund raiser took place in Kelly's Inn.

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state of mind

Tattyreagh student Aine Gallagher’s big adventure in the Big Apple...

AME of Thrones, The Wire, The Sopranos, Sex and the City; just a few of the hit series created by American cable giants HBO – and a mere glimpse into the fastpaced and ultra-glamorous world that local woman Aine Gallagher has been inhabiting over the past year! Aine, who’s from Tattyreagh, was first bitten by the USA bug when she spent two months on work placement as a marketing assistant in Texas for her degree in Business and Marketing at the University of Ulster. During this time a friend told her about the New York-based US-NI Mentorship Programme, which aims to develop the business skills of Northern Ireland’s future entrepreneurs. “I applied to the Mentorship Programme in my final year of university,” Aine explains. “At that stage it was only coming into its third year so it was a relatively new phenomenon. There are many companies involved with the programme such as PWC, Coca-Cola, and Moet Hennessey. I considered I would be extremely lucky to get placed with any of them so I simply played the waiting game.” More than 300 students applied for just 13 places, so understandably after two online interviews with HBO, Aine was ecstatic to learn that she’d got the job – and from then on it was all systems go as she prepared to jet off just a few weeks later! She says: “After shedding a tear at Sally’s to the Fairytale of New York and leaving my parents at the airport, I arrived in NYC on January 15th – slap bang in the middle of winter. I knew straight away my brand new coat from Primark wasn’t going to cut it. A friend of my family knew some people in New York and they put me up for a few weeks until I found an apartment. It took almost five weeks and about 25 viewings but we finally got there – Sunnyside, Queens was my new home for the year.” “My first day at HBO was brilliant,” she continues. “I remember being worried about all the normal things like was I dressed right, would I find the office, was there toilet roll on my shoe!?

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But they welcomed me with open arms and the day couldn’t have gone better. I took up a role within the Consumer Marketing division and was the newest member in a team of three.” Aine’s new role involved a lot of social and networking activity at various fundraisers and events in the city – including the world renowned St Patrick’s Day Gala – so there was plenty of opportunity for her to sample the unique buzz of New York City as part of her job. “It took me a while to settle into city life, after all I’m used to Tattyreagh with its one shop and two pubs so it was a fair change! The thing I love most about New York is that there’s always something different to do and it’s impossible to explore it all. Bryant Park is one of my all time favourite areas of the city. They run a programme of events all year long so on my lunch hour I could catch the cast of a Broadway show doing a few numbers on the lawn and then watch E.T. in the evening on the big screen when night falls. “Although magical in many ways, New York is absolutely disgusting. There are some sights and smells from the street and subway I hope to never experience again, but it comes with the package. It’s the best example of a love hate relationship I have ever known.” Of course, in the city that never sleeps there were numerous celeb sightings to be had and over the course of the year Aine had the chance to mingle with lots of famous people including Senator George Mitchell, NI golfer Graeme McDowell, comedian Chris O’Dowd, and actors Liam Neeson, Daniel Day Lewis and Gabriel Byrne. “Outside of my working and networking life I met some other celebrities along the way. I am a big fan of [Bangor-born singer songwriter] Foy Vance and he was playing a gig at Rockwood Music Hall so I went along. Little did I know a few of the members of Mumford & Sons also had the same idea. It was amazing to meet them as they are one of my all-time favourite bands. I met Kodaline at Rockwood too and ended up getting the subway with them - they were full of chat. I also went to Ed Sheeran’s concert in Madison Square Garden recently and decided to go to a bar

nearby afterwards. After a kind tip from the barman we were told to go downstairs although he didn’t give us any insight why. As we walked down the stairs Snow Patrol, Gavin DeGraw, Courtney Cox and Ed Sheeran were all pulling pints for customers! Needless to say that turned into a great night.

With Gavin DeGraw “One of my favourite stories happened when I was in the audience of the TV chat show ‘Watch What Happens Live’ with Andy Cohen and David Arquette was one of the guests. He spoke to me and my two friends and seemed to enjoy the fact that we were Irish. He finished the chat show and as we were leaving he asked us take him to our favourite Irish bar in NYC - so we did just that, chauffeur and all. That’s the thing about the city; you never know how your day is going to pan out.” Aine officially graduated from the Mentorship Programme on November 6 and she’s currently enjoying her final few weeks in New York before returning home where she hopes to use the skills and experience she’s gained to secure a job in a marketing role. Leaving the city, she says, will be bittersweet – although she’s not ruling out a return trip! “ I would definitely consider working in the US again or elsewhere. I’m only 23 so I will take any opportunity I’m afforded. I’m excited about whatever comes next, but for now I’m excited for a decent cup of tea and seeing all those familiar faces again.”

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Academy pupils bring taste of Broadway to the Strule PUPILS from Omagh Academy took to the stage of the Strule Arts Centre on Tuesday 19 and Wednesday 20 November to present ‘Oklahoma!’, one of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s best loved musicals. Packed with familiar numbers such as ‘Oh what a Beautiful Morning’, ‘The Surrey with the Fringe on Top’ and “People Will Say We’re in Love’, the young cast delivered an outstanding performance. With props and costumes supplied by the Ulster American Folk Park, the stunning set cleverly captured the atmosphere of the American West at the turn of the 20th Century. Supported by a twelve piece orchestra and an eighteen strong chorus the lead singers and actors convincingly conveyed both the comedy and drama of the original Broadway production. The show represented the culmination of weeks of practice and rehearsal by the pupils on top of on-going study for GCSE and A-level. Having got a taste for musical theatre by staging ‘songs for the shows’ at school concerts, staff and pupils readily accepted the challenge of a full musical. Playing to packed houses on both nights the students put on two fast-paced, highstepping, toe-tapping, audience-thrilling performances that fully merited the standing ovation enthusiastically accorded at their curtain call. Also recognised in the prolonged applause were those who had worked behind the scenes to help bring to the stage a production which was simply fabulous!

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HYDRO CONTROVERSY, DODGY STILES & PIKE Hydro News There are proposals afoot to install an Anaerobic Digester (Waste Management Plant) to the site of Herdmans, Sion Mills and there are concerns from the local residents that not only will it be an eyesore, but there is an increased risk of pollution entering the river. Fears regarding the ecological impact of this plant have escalated over the last week with the news is that the owner is proposing to locate three Archimedes Screw turbines in the main flow of the river, where the salmon run through. This could have implications to the population of Atlantic Salmon that swim through this stretch of water to reach the spawning beds upstream of Omagh. Let’s hope those dealing with this proposal consider the concerns of the angling community in Sion Mills and Omagh, because this issue is most definitely an Omagh angling concern! Closer to home, the Camowen Turbine has been tested, and footage of it running has been seen online. Omagh District Council were contacted on two occasions, some months ago, asking them for the dates when it would be tested. We got no reply. We also asked NIEA for same, again no reply. We have contacted the NI Auditor's office asking for their findings on ODC. We await a response. Will anyone ever listen?! Dodgy stiles Omagh Anglers Association posted the following: "We have set up a new email address for the sole purpose of ensuring that all stiles, step overs and bridges on Omagh Anglers Association water are in good order. We have been relying on members to either let a committee member know or to leave a message in Andersons tackle shop. This was an extremely slow process. Hopefully this will be a more efficient method although people can still let Ivan in the shop know about any repairs needed. Can you please email to oaastiles@hotmail. co.uk with the whereabouts of the stile, bridge or step over and if possible a picture from your mobile phone device showing the state of disrepair. This would be extremely helpful in getting all these items into a quicker process for repair or replacement. Many thanks for your support on this matter". Pike The Loughs Agency posted the following in relation to the recent Pike Competition: “Lough Muck Co Tyrone Venue for finals of the loughs Agency Sponsored Dromore AC Pike Competition… 1st Robert Pearson, 5 Pike; 2nd Declan McElroy, 4 Pike; 3rd Team Hunter (2 Juniors Callum and Nathan), 3 Pike; 4th Martin Sharkey, 2 Pike; 5th Barry McCusker, 2 Pike; 31 Anglers competed, with Declan McElroy landing the largest fish during the heats (7lb 12oz) and Enda Donaghy catching the smallest @ (9oz)”. That’s all I have this week and the angling news has slowed down considerably since the Foyle season ended. That said, there are plenty of men hitting the stockies locally, perhaps I will report on some of the angling at the trout fisheries next time? In the meantime, if you are throwing a fly MC presents a cheque on behalf of OAF to Care For Cancer in Omagh. or pulling a lure, tight Thanks for all your generous support lines! and sponsorship for a very worthy MC local charity. omaghtoday | 31

Navy lace mid-length dress, Miss Selfridge

Strapless prom dress, Next.

SHINE LIKE A STAR Ladies, it’s party season – which means we’re duty bound to purchase a pretty, sexy, sparkly, slinky frock in which to smoulder at all those festive soirees! Take your pick of these beauties… Sequin skirt and mohair jumper, Primark.

Black embroidered mini dress, Miss Selfridge

Black chevron dress with necklace detail, Savida at Dunnes Stores.

Have a crafty Christmas In this age of the cheap and the throwaway, and with budgets still squeezed tight, many people are turning back to time-honoured traditions of hand crafting. What better way to indulge your love of beautifullymade fashions, furniture, jewellery and homewares, boasting all the quality and attention to detail of bespoke, designer products - but without the inflated price tag? Here in Omagh we are lucky to have lots of very talented craftspeople and once again, they’ve joined forces to open a popup shop for Christmas. The store, located at Main Street, offers everything from upcycled furniture to handmade Christmas decorations, toys, beauty products, jewellery, knitwear and exquisite, unusual giftware, so if you’re on the lookout for something that little bit different as a treat for yourself or someone else this Christmas, then call in for a browse – you won’t leave disappointed! For further information tel: 07841 905925. omaghtoday | 32

LEIGH TUCKER FOR DUNNES We were really excited when Dunnes launched their new website and online store earlier this year – and now we’re even more excited because the Irish giant has collaborated with designer Leigh Tucker on a collection we just adore! Leigh’s ‘Willow’ collection has been designed exclusively for Dunnes Stores for the little people in your life; it features simple, fuss-free pieces with cute details and sweet printed fabrics that are both functional and individual and there is just so much to swoon over! We also love her range of creative playthings – especially the blank cardboard playhouses which are sure to keep your little ones occupied for hours! www.dunnesstores.com.

Gold midi skirt, River Island. Tapestry print dress with diamante detail, River Island.

Black suede platform wedges, New Look.

Work it! Changing my life!

Winter has brought with it all the joys of cold, wet, windy weather and being a girl who has naturally curly hair but prefers wearing it straight, this is like my living hell - and I know I'm not alone . Damp=frizz, cold=dry, windy=knotty. In this kind of weather I find that I am using straighteners and hairdryers much more often to control the madness of my hair, making it obviously dryer and more fragile. Don't get me wrong, I love my curls - I just don't love the frizz that seems to manifest itself into a little halo around my head, a little fuzz in five minutes after a near arm breaking 40 minute blowdry and smoothing is not my idea of fun! Layers of serum, anti frizz blowdry creams and umbrellas don't seem to have any effect, it still manages to rear it's little head all over mine! Until now...Kebelo 100day frizz free treatment is the best invention I have ever come across! Always the sceptic I had my doubts; but Joanna, our consultant, said it has changed her life. Her short shiny dark hair looks impeccable every time she steps into the salon, and she said that's the Kebelo! Well I needed to try this 'life changing' treatment on myself. So in she came and did the treatment, it took 90mins from start to finish and to be honest I wasn't entirely convinced it had made any difference. It didn't feel soft or look shiny and I thought it was just another pipe dream. So, three days later I decided it was time to test this baby out and wash my hair. Using the aftercare provided I shampooed and conditioned my hair as normal, towel dried it, combed it and turned on the hairdryer. This is when the magic happened, I could not believe it, not putting a brush near my head, using only the hairdryer and my fingers I blasted my hair until it was dry. I have NEVER been able to do this, my curls just turn into crazy fuzz and I always have to use a round brush and then straighteners. This is an amazing product girls and I can assure you that it eliminates frizz. I have been out in the rain and no frizz, when I curl my hair it now lasts for days! If frizz is a problem for you then Kebelo will fix it. It has no chemicals in it and 100% formaldehyde free, it is not a straightener either so you won't lose your beautiful natural curl, making this perfect for going on holidays! If this is something you know you need or something you know your friend/wife/girlfriend needs, call the salon for consultation or get a voucher for her, trust me it will be the best gift ever! The Works Hair & Beauty Clinic 028 8224 4215.

Mummy Diaries Christmas summit So, I told myself I wasn’t going to mention the C-word until we were in December – but it’s not long now and let’s face it, if you’re a parent you have to start thinking about Christmas long before that. In fact every year, I say I’m going to get organized a bit earlier so I’m not sitting here writing my column with about fifty thousand browser windows open in the background, comparing prices and trying to get good deals on Christmas gifts and toys. I have this one friend who goes to Smyths or Toys R Us around late August or early September and she always posts a smug picture of her completed Christmas shopping on Facebook afterwards, along with a status about how she’s going to spend the whole of December watching Christmas movies and sipping mulled wine while the rest of us sharpen our elbows and get ready to tramp the streets in search of those final, elusive items. I kind of hate her a wee bit. But in reality, this would never work out for me. Here we are, late November, and the Santa list is still very much subject to change without notice. We’ve set a final deadline of this weekend and then the letter is being posted, after which it will be impossible to suddenly decide that without a Lego cargo plane or a Furby Boom or a real, live, pink unicorn, your life will quite simply not be complete come Christmas morning. From what I gather, kids tend to fall into two distinct camps when it comes to their Christmas wish lists. The little ones (our camp) don’t usually make massive demands and can, in fact, be pretty vague about what they want. There tends to be a lot of exclaiming over TV ads and proclaiming ‘I want that and that and that’ when they flick through toy catalogues, but ask them to come up with a definitive list of say, half a dozen items, and they suddenly go all coy. You’d be forgiven for thinking this was pretty handy; if they’re vague about what they REALLY want and reasonably keen on every toy they see then surely you can just buy them anything and you’ll be onto a winner? Ha! Rookie mistake. It is your duty as a parent to extract a clear statement of demands from your child, commit same to paper and once this is posted, spend all your time reinforcing said child’s belief that the items requested, and no others, are the ones they definitely want. Christmas morning has an uncanny ability to focus the mind of even the most indecisive child, and if Santa failed to read that mind… well, nothing takes the wind out of a parent’s festive sails quicker than some disappointed tears. The other camp, I think, is normally inhabited by slightly older children – the scariest ones being those who have access to all the glorious commercialism of Christmas via TV and internet, but to whom Santa still comes. A funny man I know made a great joke recently that these types of kids are like terrorists – they come to the table with a massive list of unreasonable demands and the negotiators have to talk them down (not giving anything away) until they reach an agreement that’s mutually acceptable to all parties. In a world where it seems normal for a 10-year-old to ask Santa for a smartphone I’d say this is a pretty tough gig even for the most diplomatic of North Pole ambassadors, so I think I’ll count my blessings and enjoy the madness of my local toyshop two weeks before Christmas. I’ve a feeling it just won’t be the same when the festive shop is played out in the sterile surroundings of the Apple store… omaghtoday | 33

Charity teds to ease kids’ hospital fears

Pictured launching 'Teddies for Loving Care' in the Western Trust area are David Penpraze, TLC, Deputy Sister Ann Curran, Richard H Gray, Chairman of the Northern Provinces Committee, Masonic Order Island of Ireland; Derek Humes, NIAS Paramedic and Emergency Nurse Practitioner Emma Forde. Also pictured are patients Alex Pratt from Dromore and Eolann McMenamin with his mum Sinead from Omagh. CHILDREN who come to the Urgent Care Treatment Centre at Tyrone County Hospital or A&E at the South West Acute Hospital will receive an extra special cuddly welcome to help them feel less frightened, thanks to a charity initiative recently launched within the Western Trust. Teddies for Loving Care (TLC) is a charity supported by the Masonic Order in Ireland which donates packaged teddy bears to hospital emergency departments. The charity provides teddy bears to hospital for staff to give to children or patients at their discretion to help ease any distress and soothe their worries about the treatment they require. The teddies will be used in various ways, for the child or patient to cuddle as a reward for being brave, or for staff to demonstrate what they are going to do. The teddies also act as a distraction and can provide reassurance for the child which helps parents, guardians and

siblings. Diane McCaffrey, Unscheduled Care Manager for the Western Trust said: "We would like to thank Teddies for Loving Care for their generosity. The teddy bears will really make an impact here and it is lovely to see the boys and girls eyes light up when they know they are getting a teddy bear to cuddle and keep. Cuddly toys relax children which makes it easier for us to care for and treat them when they come into our hospitals." David Penpraze from Teddies for Loving care (TLC) said: "Teddies for Loving Care are being given to South West Acute Hospital Emergency Department as well as the Tyrone County Hospital’s Urgent Care and Treatment Centre in Omagh this week. It is part of our increasing involvement within many parts of the community in Northern Pictured launching 'Teddies for Ireland. “The charity was started Loving Care' in the Western Trust area are, from left: Staff Nurse Teresa in England because of Killoran, Western Trust Urgent Care the distress of a patient, and Treatment Centre, Omagh; witnessed by her family, patient Jessica Underwood from when being treated in an Omagh; Richard H Gray, Chairman of Emergency Unit for a life the Northern Provinces Committee, Masonic Order Island of Ireland and threatening condition. Emergency Nurse Practitioner Marian She survived, but the McAleer. family wanted to help others in similar situations and focused on children who could less understand the strange environment and the things being done to them.”

Police investigate burglary

Police are investigating following a report of a burglary at that premises in the Gortnagarn Road area of Omagh, on November 19th. Anyone who can help police with their enquiries is asked to contact them on 0845 600 8000. Alternatively, information about crime can be passed anonymously via the independent Crimestoppers number on 0845 600 8000.

Hutton P. S. Beragh 1956 - 57 Robert Calderwood sends us this fantwwwastic Hutton P. S., Beragh picture from about 1956 - 57. We have some names but hope readers will help naming the other students. If you can help with missing names e mail them to: info@ omaghtoday.com or send to 79 Moylagh Road, Beragh. Back Row L-R - Ian Patterson, Sam McFarland, Norman Cooke, Robert Calderwood, ? , Alan Sawyers, Leslie Colhoun, Victor Hetherington, Ronald Ramsell, Tommy McCausland and Master Joe Clements2nd Row L-R - Miss Hutton, Emma McFarland, Iona Calderwood, Kathleen Smith, Marjory Armstrong, Victor Kerr, Stanley Caldwell, Charlie Giles, Gwen Mills, Yvonne McCausland, and Muriel Stevenson.3rd Row L-R - Miss Creighton, omaghtoday | 34

??????????????4th Row L-R - ? Ruth McFarland.???????5th Row L-R - Cecil Maitland, Robert Crawford, Stanley Armstrong, William McFarland, Cyril Ramsell, Raymond Colhoun, Jim O'Loughlin, Hazel McCausland, Edward McFarland, ? Irene KerrFront Row L-R – Tommy Patterson, Harold Mulligan, ? Jphn O,Loughlin, Mervyn Armstrong ,??????, Maurice Stevenson, ?? , Denis MCCausland.

Thanks to everyone who has supplied photographs, comments and information on the Model Bakery and the late Brendan McCrumlish. We are finalising all the information and will have it all ready for the December edition, keep the information coming along if you have any. Well folks, I am sure most of you have started or are about to start your Christmas baking. Now is the time to start your rich fruit products, giving them a chance to mature in time for Christmas. The supermarkets are well stocked with all sorts of Christmas delights but nothing can take away from the joy of putting your own creation together, adding what you like, omitting what you don’t like and being praised by everyone for your great baking talent. As well as that the smell in the house of that oven full of goodies wafting all over is really a temptation. A real old time tradition is the humble Christmas pudding. Traditionally served on Christmas day, its origins come from medieval England and it’s sometimes called Plum Pudding - the pudding contains no actual plums but gets this name from the raisins which in past times were called plums. This recipe has been about for over 100 years and has had no modifications whatsoever. I am led to believe that this was a recipe from the aforementioned Model Bakery and was given to me by my late Aunt Bridget McCrumlish

CHRISTMAS PUDDING Ingredients: 8ozs / 200g raisins 12ozs / 300g sultanas 1 diced apple 2ozs chopped almonds 3ozs / 75g flour 8ozs / 200g breadcrumbs 1\2 oz mixed spice 8ozs /200g butter 8ozs / 200g brown sugar 3 eggs 1 lemon juice and rind ½ teaspoon baking soda ¼ pint Guinness The 1lb pudding bowls can be bought in your local pound shop, online or in Supervalu. Cream butter and sugar. Add 1 egg at a time to the beaten mixture. Add the flour, baking soda, mixed spice and breadcrumbs and bring gently together, then slowly add the Guinness. Fold in the fruit and nuts; the mixture should now be very wet. In a pudding bowl tightly pack the mix in to about 1 inch from the rim. Place the lid on the bowl. This mix will get approximately five small bowls. Steam in the oven for 3 hours. The puddings can be inserted in a baking tray half filled with water for steaming, be careful not to boil dry as this will affect the puddings. Remove from the oven and store in a cool dry place until ready to use. For re-heating place in an oven for 1 hour prior to eating.

Kindle for Shane

Sample Gerry's fayre at The Melting Pot, Omagh Enterprise Company Restaurant

Sacred Heart College student Shane Leonard receives his new Kindle Fire from Michelle McLoughlin, Student Officer, First Trust Bank, Omagh. Shane won the Kindle Fire in a free prize draw after opening his First Trust Bank Student+ Account. For more information about First Trust Bank accounts, call into your local branch or call 0845 6005 925 (Amazon EU Sarl is not a sponsor of this promotion). omaghtoday | 35

Herbst celebrate 30 years in business

Roy Armstrong and friends with Roy's 1957 Jo McNelis from the Lineman Not so vintage men who helped steward the Diesel Steyr tractor. clothesline at the event. event.

Alex Hamilton and Julie Monteith try out the DeLorean car at Herbst celebration day on Dan McCartan, C-More Flying Club shows Alex Fernagh Sheds had variety of sheds and Saturday. Kyle the features on his gyro copter. kennels on show.

The Good family, Muriel, Noel, Emma and Ian proprietors of the Herbst Machinery Ltd at a celebration dinner, on Saturday night to mark the family's 30 years in business. The days celebrations commenced at 10am with an open day featuring various stalls and vintage cars and tractors.

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Dextas and Browns and Muir Hills were all on show.

A selection of vintage cars at the Herbst anniversary fun day.

With Chloe Kerr

VELVET -STYLISH, CHIC AND SUMPTUOUS

Chris Scullion and Stuart Gordon who were broadcasting from Herbst on Saturday morning.

I think that velvet is the ultimate cold weather fabric. It is going to be a big trend towards late Autumn, and I could not be any more thrilled. It was all over the runways in a slew of fabulous forms and jewel tones. Now there are some hot pieces making their way to the high street and are waiting to be snapped up by you! From embellished dresses, pantsuits, and matched sets, plus accessories: bejewelled heels, Victorian-era-inspired booties, elevated Mary Janes, and luxurious flats, velvet has taken over every facet of the fashion industry, so there’s no excuse to not get involved! Velvet, be it crushed, embossed or mirrored, is one of those fabrics that just oozes opulence, appealing to both the eye and the touch. It’s also a fabric that has a lovely softness yet is still forgiving to the figure, so you can't blame the celebs for embracing the look this season too. We’re galloping into the Christmas party season, so my advice is to bag yourself a velvet dress! Missguided and ASOS are great places to start when looking for a velvet dress this season, they have a great range of different styles and colours, and they are all at a super-affordable price, so you will always find the perfect one for you. Put a spin on the classic LBD or be bold and try a patterned velvet dress to incorporate one of the other Autumn/Winter trends (such as tartan). However you wear it, the velvet revival is here!

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Social life in need of a boost? Your guide to what’s onMartin in Omagh district this fortnight... By Claire

MUST SEE!!

DICK WHITTINGTON NOVEMBER 30, 11AM & 3PM, £6.50 Christmas preparations just wouldn’t be the same without a good, old-fashioned panto and this year kids will delight in all the ‘oh yes he did, oh no he didn’ts’ of the classic Dick Whittington! Our hero journeys to London to seek his fortune, accompanied by his faithful cat. But gold soon becomes the least of his worries when he is smitten with Alice Fitzwarren, the Alderman's daughter, and is confronted with the baddest of all pantomime baddies - King Rat! Join Dick and the gang as he travels to Siam, then returns to face the greatest challenge yet - becoming Lord Mayor of London! With laugha-minute, high energy action, this truly interactive and energetic performance is undoubtedly aimed at children – but we defy any adult not to be transported back to their own childhood as they watch. A festive must-see.

CASINO ROYALE 4TH ANNUAL DECEMBER 14, OMAGH GOLF CLUB, 8.30PM, £15 RUDOLPH RUN A Las Vegas-style fun night of Roulette, Black Jack and Poker will add to the Christmas festivities in Omagh Golf Club as Omagh Lions Club bid to raise much-needed funds for charity. A professional company will provide real Las Vegas gaming tables, lighting and music. Croupiers will look after guests at the tables and help them play the games and add up the chips to see who will win some of the great prizes. Guests can buy fun money and gamble with chips to play the night away in style! To be sure you get a ticketcall at Omagh Golf Club, Laird’s Jewellers or ring Ivan on 07821187576.

DECEMBER 7, ESKRA COMMUNITY CENTRE, 12NOON

Eskra’s annual Rudolph Run attracts a huge crowd of runners each year, and 2013 will be no exception – so if you can’t beat them why not join them for this 10K run and 5K fun run/walk with a festive theme? Both events start and finish at the Community Centre. Online details and registration at www.athleticsni.org or for further details contact Gerry on 0779643 8188. There’s a famous Rudolph Beanie for first 300 entries so don’t delay! omaghtoday | 38

{WHAT’S ON?} Your at-a-glance guide to upcoming events

28th Nov Daly’s Comedy Club presents ‘Mum Says Just Say No’, Strule Arts Centre, 8pm, £8 smart attack thing 29th November Fintona Forum Fashion Show, Fintona Golf Club, 8pm. Adm: £8 Adults/Kids £4. Refreshments on arrival. 29th Nov Flaxmill Centre, Drumduff , Variety Concert hosted by The Hootin’ Annies & Friends. Proceeds to Multiple Sclerosis. 8.30pm, £5 29th November Altamuskin Community Centre – Women Encouraging Women Christmas Fair , 7-10pm 30th Nov The Village Inn, Killyclogher, Music by Billy McFarland Duo 30th Nov Coffee Morning and Christmas Craft Fayre, 10am - 1pm, Drumnakilly Community Hall. Admission £2 includes tea/coffee. 1st Dec Philippines Typhoon Charity Cycle with Termon Wheelers & Sperrin Wheelers, Patrician Hall. 10 and 30 mile cycle routes, refreshments afterwards at The Old Charm Inn. Entry fee by donation on the day @ 11am. 1st Dec Christmas Craft Fayre in Knockmoyle Hall, 11am-5pm, voluntary donations to Aware Defeat Depression 6th Dec Jean’s Country Music Store @2 Scarffe’s Entry Official Launch from 3 to 6pm by Country legend Brian Coll, Pio McCann, The Murphys, Alana Quinn and surprise guests. 7th Dec Friends of St Columbkilles PS & The Patrician Hall, Carrickmore Christmas Fayre and Christmas Light Switch On 7th Dec Hospital Road Community Centre, Smart Attack Childcare’s Coffee morning with Santa, 11am, £3 per child, adults go free. 7th Dec Loughmacrory Clubrooms – Fundraising night in aid of epilepsy awareness. Music by Johnny Brooks with great draws on the night. Adm £5 7th Dec The Village Inn, Killyclogher – Country music night. Music by Anthony McBrien Duo 7th Dec Tara Centre – Fundraiser for the Centre, books and special Christmas items, 10.30am to 4.30pm

GET INTO THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT AT STRULE Strule Arts Centre has something to get everyone into the Christmas spirit this December. From carols to panto, comedy to drama, children shows to brass bands, we are sure to convert all those baa-humbugs out there. To get you in the mood for some festive romance, be sure to check out the panto production of Dick Whittington on Saturday 30 November. Follow our hero as he journeys to London to seek his fortune accompanied by his faithful cat. Strule Arts Centre officially kick-starts the Christmas festivities in style with a Christmas Spectacular with Strabane Concert Brass on Friday 13th December. Join Omagh Academy Brass Band, Northern Ireland School Band Champions, the fabulous Gerarda McCann and local school choirs for some seasonal classics in Choral and Brass. On the 14th December we have a packed programme of events with Tom Sweeneys's - A Christmas Cracker and Omagh Plain Speaking presents A Christmas Garland with a selection of songs, music, poems, carols, prose and musings

with a festive theme. The following Wednesday 19th December, join the Irish Language Development Unit of Omagh District Council in conjunction with St Vincent De Paul for Oíche na gCarúl – A Night of Carols, with your favourite carols performed in Irish and English by a host of other local performers. Or join us for a feel good Christmas concert, on Friday 20th December for A Lunchtime Christmas Concert at 1.00pm. Don't forget - Strule Arts Centre gift vouchers make the perfect Christmas present and give your loved ones the choice of world-class events right on their doorstep. Contact Box Office for further information or to purchase gift vouchers. For more information on any of these events and to book tickets please visit www.struleartscentre. co.uk or call Box Office on 028 8224 7831

UPCOMING EVENTS PERFORMANCES Danish String Quartet Wednesday 27 November @ 8.00pm £13.00 Declan O'Rourke Thursday 28 November @ 8.00pm £13.00 Mum Says: Just say No Friday 29 November @ 8.00pm £8.00 Dick Whittington Pantomime Saturday 30 November @ 11.00am and 3.00pm £6.50 Traditional/Ulster Scots Concert Wednesday 4 December @ 8.00pm £8.00 /Concession £5.00 Conal Gallen in ' A Bit on the Side' Friday 6 and Saturday 7 December @ 8.00pm £20.00

27 Nov - 10 Dec 2013

FILMS Foyle Film Festival – Free - 18 - 29 November - Free Wednesday 27 November @ 10.00am Wreck It Ralph (2012) Thursday 28 November @ 10.30am Pitch Perfect Friday 29 November @ 10.00am Red Dog GALLERY Tyrone Open submission Exhibition Calling all local Artists - Strule Arts Centre announce the first Tyrone Open Arts Competition. Applications can be downloaded from www.struleartscentre. co.uk. For further information please email info@struleartscentre.co.uk

Abba Forever Thursday 12 December @ 8.00pm £18.00

RDS National Crafts Competition Travelling Exhibition Last chance to see this fantastic Exhibition up until – Saturday 30 November @ 10.00am – 5.30pm

Christmas Spectacular with Strabane concert Brass Friday 13 December @ 8.00pm £8.00/ concession £5.00/ Family £20.00

'Subterranean Lovesick Omagh' Photography Exhibition by Katrina Taggart Saturday 7 - Saturday 28 December @ 10.00am - 5.30pm

Tom Sweeney's A Christmas Cracker Saturday 14 December @ 12.00pm and 3.00pm £6.00 A Christmas Garland Saturday 14 December @ 8.00pm £8.00

WORKSHOPS / CLASSES Christmas Decorations with Frances Sweeney Friday 6 December @ 4.00pm - 6.00pm £12.00

Box Office: 028 8224 7831 or Book Online: www.struleartscentre.co.uk

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around the

community Our fortnightly look at what’s happening in your local community

Young cancer survivor appeals for locals to ‘run for home’

A GORTIN family whose ten-year-old daughter was diagnosed Commenting on the ‘Run for Home’ marathon campaign, Ailise’s with a high-risk childhood cancer is calling on local runners to dad Gerard Devine said: “The journey from home to the hospital sign up for the 2014 Belfast City Marathon to help raise funds for was a nightmare. It takes about two hours and in that time your children’s cancer charity, CLIC Sargent. mind races – what will the doctors tell us today, is it good news, Ailise Devine’s family was devastated in 2010 when they received bad news, is Ailise ok, what if? I think I experienced every emotion the news that she had Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) under the sun and then some. with high risk factors. The youngster began a punishing schedule “Being able to stay close to the hospital and in a home from home of hospital visits, tests and gruelling chemotherapy treatment. would have really helped us. It would have given us, and Ailise, Every appointment required a 170peace of mind knowing that we were close to mile round trip from her home things. It would also have afforded us our own in Gortin and when Ailise was in space away from the ward on the days when hospital her parents lives were Ailise was allowed to leave hospital for a short turned upside down not only by time and to retain a degree a ‘normal’ family worry over the cancer, but also the life. practical and financial implications “I would encourage anyone interested in of all the travelling to be close to taking part in the Deep RiverRock Belfast City her. Marathon to ‘Run for Home’ and to support Happily, after undergoing CLIC Sargent’s efforts to build two Homes from chemotherapy at the Royal Hospital Home that can support families going through for Sick Children in Belfast, brave a cancer journey. Cancer has a nasty knack Ailise is now in remission and of blinding and paralysing you to the point that enjoying life to the full again – but you can’t see beyond it - CLIC Sargent’s homes with CLIC Sargent named as the won’t cure cancer, but they will go a long way official charity of the 2014 Belfast in helping you look beyond it.” Marathon, the Devine family are Teresa Sloan, Appeal Director with CLIC appealing for people to get involved Sargent, said: “The Deep RiverRock Belfast with the event and raise money for City Marathon is one of Northern Ireland’s a purpose-built ‘home from home’ most famous and well supported events, so to facility that will be invaluable to be chosen as the official charity for the 2014 other families like theirs in the event is something we’re all very excited about. future. “The ‘Homes from Home’ appeal to date has CLIC Sargent’s ‘Homes from Home’ received tremendous support from the people Appeal aims to build two specialist Brave cancer survivor Ailise Devine from of Northern Ireland, but we still have some homes, designed with the families Gortin, pictured with her dad Gerard as they way to go before we reach the fundraising and their circumstances in mind. appeal for people to register for the 2014 targets. So, if you’re a runner, a relay racer or Each will boast large ensuite family Belfast City Marathon in aid of Clic Sargent. a walker and are interested in getting involved bedrooms, communal living and The charity is aiming to raise funds for two in the 2014 marathon, why not do it and ‘Run kitchen spaces, a quiet room and ‘homes from home’ to be used by the families for Home’ for CLIC Sargent? Any money you age appropriate play space. of children undergoing cancer treatment in raise will stay in Northern Ireland and will go The Homes from Home will be a the Belfast hospitals. directly to the NI ‘Homes from Home’ appeal.” first in Northern Ireland and are to The Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon be provided free of charge – offering takes place on Monday 5 May 2014. To learn families the ability to remain close to their child while they more about CLIC Sargent’s ‘Homes from Home’ Appeal and to undergo treatment as well as the chance to maintain a sense of a ‘Run for Home’ please visit www.belfastcitymarathon.com and normal family life by keeping the whole family together. choose CLIC Sargent the official nominated charity.

St. Conor's P. S., Omagh principal, Katrina McGettigan helps pupils with the school's shoe box appeal. omaghtoday | 40

St. Conor's students Tiernan Smithson, Sean McRory, Grainne McCann, Shawn McGovern and Hannah McSorley remind you of the school's annual Christmas Bazaar which will take place on Wednesday, 11th December. There will be a grand draw on the night for £300 of home heating oil, from Michael Doherty Oils, a Blackberry (sim free) mobile phone with £10 top up and also a family pass to the Mellon Fun Farm. Tickets for this draw are available from the school.

Local family’s generous donation to cardiac unit

Tug O War in memory of Damian Devlin

The Cardiac Assessment Unit at Tyrone County Hospital recently received a generous donation of £8,100 raised in memory of local man Shaun Eannetta. Omagh Triathlon Club raised £2,000 through a ‘Longest Day Triathlon’; £5,000 was raised by the Eannetta Family through a ‘Night at the Races’ and a further £1,100 was raised by Shaun’s children who attend St Scires Primary School, Trillick. Dr Paul McGlinchey, Western Trust Consultant Cardiologist said: “I would like to thank the Eannetta family and friends of Shaun for their extremely generous donation to the Cardiac Assessment Unit. Part of the proceeds from these fundraising events has gone towards the purchase of an Arjohuntleigh specialist bed which is benefiting patients and means we can comfortably assess an additional patient at any time in the unit.”

Generous Mervyn

On Saturday 21st September, a charity tug of war event was held at the Ecclesville Centre, Fintona, in memory of the late Damian Devlin, who died suddenly last year. Damian had a keen interest in Tug of War and competed in the local Barr team from Fintona, as well as the Scruffy Murphy’s from Donegal, which led him to the world championships in Holland a number of years ago. Damian’s family and friends organised the event as a fitting tribute to him, in which seven male teams and two female teams took part in two separate competitions. In the male competition each team pulled against every other three times, and on a scoring system the local Eskra team and the Barr team scored the highest points. However in the final the local Barr team won the event. In the female competition, Mickey’s Angels from Carrickmore won. A family fun day was also organised including bouncy castle, face painting and children’s races. Around 250 people came to the event which was thoroughly enjoyed by all. In total £2354.20 was raised and all proceeds collected were donated equally to the local Epilepsy Action group in Omagh and the overall organisation in Northern Ireland. The Devlin family would like to thank everyone who came along to support the event on the day and for the generous donations which will go towards a very worthwhile cause in the local community. Pictured are Damian’s parents Martin and Mary donating the proceeds to Lee Ann Taggart and other members from the local Epilepsy Action Support group in Omagh.

Mervyn Gibson who celebrated his 50th recently and held a party in Omagh Rugby Club where friends and family were asked to donate to Marie Curie Cancer Care in lieu of gifts presents a cheque for £3,627.00 to Peter Tierney, Marie Curie Cancer Care, Omagh branch. Also in the photo is Mervyn's daughter, Charlene.

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Dear Aggie Could you advise me of any gadgets other than strips, rings or sprays (or a bag over his s of his head hitting the pillow. We have tried high pillows, no pillows, separate rooms and I can hear him all over the house. I went to see my doctor and he said maybe I’m depressed! Though I suppose that means if I do happen to suffocate my husband, I should get off with it. Please help. Sleepless in Omagh

Dear Sleepless Well God love ye, I know exactly how ye feel for my Barney was exactly the same. You’da thought somebody was drivin a forty foot lorry through the bedroom in the middle of the night for the noise and all the vibrations was tarra, and the bags under my eyes was like bin liners. Of course in my day there was none of these fancy gadgets and even if there had been I wouldn’t have fancied my chances of getting my Barney, God rest him, to put one a them rare-lookin sticking plasters across his snout. Mind you I tried nearly everythin else – I slapped him, I kicked him, I guldered at him, I sent him to the sofa, I stuck cotton balls in me ears – and still he snored on, louder and louder. I was givin out about him one day to me own mother when she minded me about a very old cure for snoring and recommended I try it – and I think so should you. Our resident agony aunt Now I know nowadays it’s not very fashionable for men to wear pyjamas. The half of dishes out down-to-earth them are sleepin in their boxer shorts and goin by the rails in the big shops in Omagh other half are dressed up like big babies in these sleep suit things the young wans advice for all your woes... arethecallin’ ‘onesies’. But for this trick you’ll be needing a good oul’ fashioned pair of cotton or flannel pyjamas with a button down top and most importantly a pocket. Now he will likely think ye’ve taken leave of yer senses due to sleep deprivation, but get him to put the pyjama top on backwards. It’s no odds about the bottoms – personally I always thought the more layers of fabric between me and Barney the better, but if he insists on wearing just the Jockeys that’s grand, whatever floats yer boat! Into the pocket of the pyjama top, place a tennis ball and close the pocket with a safety pin. Now, every time your noisy bedfellow rolls onto his back, where he would normally start to snorin’ like a pig, the ball will make him roll back onto his side, hopefully resulting in a more peaceful night’s sleep for you. If that doesn’t work I suggest you make a tape recording of the snoring and send it and your husband in to see thon eejit of a GP – sure if you’d a pain in yer big toe these days they’d prescribe happy pills! And a final word of comfort – even the worst cases of snoring will resolve themselves in the long run. My Barney’s dead this three years and I haven’t heard him snoring once. Love Aggie

Music Festival at Omagh Integrated Primary School

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Julie celebrates her 40th

Julie McCausland with parents Bert and Val Wilson, brothers and Hard working Omagh Enterprise Company staff members let their sister at her 40th birthday bash in Omaghâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Royal British Legion. hair down at Julieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 40th birthday bash.

Birthday girl Julie McCausland with daughters Alice and Chelsea at her 40th in Omagh Royal British Legion club last Saturday night.

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Onesies party for Stephanie's 40th Left: Birthday girl Stephanie McGavigan with hubby Mark at her 40th birthday bash last Saturday night. Right: Some of the guests, dressed to impress , at steph's birthday bash.

Cinderella returns to Omagh The town of Omagh long had the tradition of an annual Christmas Pantomime, many would say they knew it was Christmas when the Panto started, the wonderful late Paddy Lairds productions from the old Town Hall leave many misty eyed now as they recall those halcyon days of Omagh theatre life. The late Seamus Harkin reinvented the tradition with St Colmcilles Primary school and so many young men threaded the boards for the first time under his direction. Sadly those days are just memories in Omaghs past, there's great news though.......and in that great panto tradition "Oh Yes There Is"! Omagh is now set to have its own traditional panto again. Local GAA club Omagh St Enda's have called on its massive wealth of talent to produce Cinderella. Inspired by Laird and Harkin the production team grasped the nettle over the Summer and now with a cast of 50+ they are just weeks away from "curtain up" at St Josephs Hall in the town. The traditional slap stick nature of panto is evident throughout. Stunning singing performances, plenty of humour and Members of the Omagh Panto cast during rehearsals earlier this week as they prepare the original boy meets girl love story, its for the show opening on Friday night at St. Joseph's Hall, Omagh. traditional with the usual twists and turns. The Omagh clubs production which stars the beautiful Orlagh Omaghs own doubling as the five Princes, all five sing live and Byrne as Cinderella also features a wonderful array of characters there's plenty of 1D material to sing along to. Keeping everyone better known for their exploits on sidelines and pitches rather right is of course the fairy godmother which is played by Shane than panto stages. Mary Colton is the wicked step Mother with O'Hagan. Viv Grimley and Liam Grugan her "Gorgeous" daughters, Cinders The production team have pulled out all the stops, the sets, the lighting and sound will certainly add to this magical production nemesis the Ugly sisters. Vinny McCullagh is the lovelorn Buttons while Paddy McMahon making it the perfect traditional build up to an Omagh Christmas and Caroline Hannigan are the King and Queen, ruling over this The show runs from Friday 6th December until and including Sunday December 8th with performances nightly at 7-30pm and part of fairytale land. There's a special treat for fans of One Direction with five of a public matinee at 2pm on Saturday 7th

Would you like to advertise in Omagh Today? Email ads@omaghtoday.com or telephone Brendan 078 8431 3385 or 028 8075 8078 omaghtoday | 44

St. Brigidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Class of '63 re-union

The class of 1963 from St. Brigid's High School held a re-union recently in Una Vita where there were lots of stories to be told. Above: Lucy McCallan and Rosemary McMullan prepare to light a candle in memory of deceased class members.

Paddy McDonald gets his bus pass and party

Digger driver Paddy McDonald who celebrated his 65th with a birthday bash in the Village Inn Birthday boy Paddy McDonald with four of his daughters, Gabrielle Paddy hands over the digger pictured with wife Margaret. Lagan, Louise McGinley, Katriana McKenna and Kelly Harkin. keys to his son.

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Nurse Regina hangs up her gown

Regina Breen who has retired after 37 years Sister act: Nurses Pauline Colton, Breige Treanor, Regina Breen, Pauline Turbitt, nursing pictured with her daughter Roisin at a Maureen Glass and Mary Clancy at Reginaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s retirement party in Una Vita on Saturday retirement party in Una Vita last Saturday night. night.

Country star Ray Lynam turns back the years at Meenagh's

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Tina Colton celebrates her 40th Dromore birthday girl Tina Colton pictured, left, with parents Anthony and Dympna and other pics with family and friends.

Cathy Hawkes surprise birthday bash in the 'birches

Birthday girl Cathy Hawkes with hubby at her surprise birthday party in the Silver birch Hotel on Saturday night. omaghtoday | 47

Style and glam at Academy formal Left: Omagh Academy head boy Thomas McKeown with Emily Fleming and head girl Jessica Sproule (right) with James Catterson at their school formal in Corick House on Friday night. . Right: School principal Mr. Hill with head boy Thomas McKeown and deputies David Long and Andrew Steele.

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McBrearty family's 'Night at the Races' for medics

Family and friends of the late Darren McBrearty, who tragically died following an assault in Omagh’s town centre in August, organised a Night at the Races event at The Hogs Head on Saturday night. Proceeds from the event were divided between the Transplant Team and the Intensive Care Unit at Belfast’s Royal Victoria Hospital where Darren was treated before he died. Darren’s family made the brave decision to donate his organs after he died and six people received the gift of life as a result.

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Michael Kerr takes first place in Roscavey P. S. run Carmen Runner Michael Kerr took first place at the recent Roscavey Primary School five mile road run. Runners had the choice of a 5 mile, 3 mile and 1.5 mile kiddies run. Over ÂŁ1,600 was raised for much needed school funds.

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How or where should I get my food sources? Your diet should be based on whole foods, mainly fresh meat, fish, nuts, and vegetables, which are the foods that tend to be the most nutritious. It's also worth bearing in mind that you need 25-30g of fibre a day to maintain a healthy digestive system. To achieve this, add fibre rich foods such as nuts to your fat quota, and veggies such as broccoli and spinach to your carb intake. It's as simple as that.

I find that one of the most frequently asked questions I'm met with usually relates to diets and intake of calories. There is so much info and research out there based on foods, what calories are in what, versus the sugar, the carbs, fat and the protein. Nowadays, with such a vast selection of food to pick from, it can be a minefield trying to keep an eye on your balanced diet. As such I've decided to break it down to the simplest form. How many calories should one consume each day? As with so many other things, it will depend on your goals. If you're trying to build muscle, you need more calories than if you’re burning fat, while fat loss requires the opposite. A simple way to calculate your calorie target is to multiply your weight in kilograms by 29 for fat loss or for 40 for muscle gain. Therefore someone who weighs 80kg should aim to consume 2,320 calories a day to lose weight and 3,200 calories a day to build muscle. Remember though each person is different, and certain factors may contribute to consuming more or less calories per day. An example could a person's job, or specific training goals or targets, or whether they are an elite athlete. How should I divide my calories between the big food groups fats proteins and carbs? Protein and carbs contain approximately four calories per gram, whilst fat contains approx nine calories per gram. As a rough daily guideline, aim to consume 2g of protein and 1g of fat per kilogram of your body weight, then fill the reminder of your calorie intake with carbs. For someone who is trying to lose weight, this is roughly 160g of protein, 80g of fat and 240g of carbs per day. If building muscle, the protein and fat would stay the same, but the carb intake would rise to 460g. Confused?? Don't be...sit down, go over this and get your head around it.

Fifty pupils from primary 3 to primary 7 at McClintock P. S., Seskinore, many dressed in green and NI colours with scarves, flags and hats attended the recent N. Ireland U17 team play Turkey U17 at Strangmore Park, Dungannon. Unfortunately, even with

If I'm training, do I need to eat more or less the same types of food at the same times of the day? The answer can vary, but not really. If you're training you should be aiming to try to eat 20-40g of protein pre-exercise. It could take anything up to 4/5 hours for this to be digested and released into the body, so this famous mindset we have of a protein intake post training doesn't necessarily need to happen. Is it better to eat three big meals per day, or six small ones? A lot of opinions are divided on this - some nutritionists say to eat small and often to keep the metabolism high, which is how it's gained tradition, but others say this may be incorrect. As long as you're hitting daily calorie intake you can divide it up whatever way it suits you best. In other news, Sports Specific Training and Fitness is excited to announce the forthcoming opening of its new gym at 20, Church Street, Dromore. The grand opening of this fully equipped & modern facility, will take place on Monday 6th January 2014. Opening hours 9am to 9pm and 9am to 1pm on Saturdays. Early morning / late night appointments are available on request. SSTF will continue to provide the top class service its customers value. Please join us on Saturday 5th January, 2014 between 12.30pm & 3pm for our open afternoon. You can view our facilities for yourself & find out more about the services we have to offer. Mark the date in your diary now! As part of its development, SSTF is currently seeking a part-time Personal Trainer/s who will assist SSTF in delivering a high class service to its customers, for an immediate start. Candidates should be motivated, reliable & hold a relevant Level 3 Personal Training qualification. Interested parties should send their CV via email to sportsspecific@hotmail.com without delay. Should you require any of the SSTF services or any further information regarding any of the topics discussed, please contact me on 07786375730, email sportsspecific@hotmail.com or visit our website www.sstf-web.com. Find us on Facebook and ‘like’ our page: Sports Specific Training and Fitness.

a fine chores from the Seskinore fans, N. I. lost by 2 goals to nil. If NI had won the match they would have progressed from Group 9 to the elite qualifying phase of the European Championships. Ben Hall from Omagh started the match. omaghtoday | 51

TheSideline Local sport insights from Paddy Hunter...

Wheelers are the best

The Omagh Wheelers are the club of the year in Irish cycling - and rightly so, they have celebrated in style. Apart from a special event in Sally’s last week the club held their annual celebratory dinner. Chairman Stevie McKenna welcomed almost 100 guests to the dinner including Cycling Ulster Chairman Tommy Lamb. McKenna started off by providing an overview of the events promoted by the club. In total, Omagh Wheelers CC promoted 41 events across the year including leisure and racing events. The first main event promoted was the renowned McCann Cup, which took place in March. Over 300 cyclists from across Ireland featured in five events which catered for the full range of senior cyclists. The Chairman thanked Hugh McCann (Hugh McCann Building & Maintenance Contractor) and Pat McCaul for their support and making the event possible. One of the other major events promoted this year was the Tour of Omagh 3-day stage race, which has become the leading event of its type in Ireland. McKenna thanked Mark McAleer and the many volunteers who made the event such a safe and successful event. Only two weeks later, the club promoted the All-Ireland Vets/ Junior Time Trial Championship and the All-Ireland A3/Junior Road Race Championship. Once again, the club pulled out all the

stops to make this event a fantastic success. The final major event the chairman mentioned was the Southwest 200 leisure event which took place recently. The two-day challenge attracted a wide range of cyclists who thoroughly enjoyed the experience and the fun, and he thanked the organising team who made it possible: Sean & Enda Harpur, Hugh McCann and Siobhan McGrath, Felim Quinn and Gerard McNabb, and the Sally’s team. Moving on from events, McKenna then recognised the progress made in the leisure side of the club this year. In particular he thanked Peadar McElhatton, Fiona McMenamin, Harry Jackson and Carole McCombe for their support and enthusiasm throughout the year. Another area of the club to see massive growth this year is youth cycling which has seen groups of up to 30 young cyclists outreach week learning about skills and cycling etiquette thanks to the leadership of Enda Harpur and John O’Neill. A new initiative introduced by the club this year which has proved to be an excellent success is the Development Programme which is aimed at cyclists under 23 years of age. Marc Potts and Angus Fyffe were the successful candidates and have made a fantastic impact on the cycling scene this year, winning races at a provincial level, before progressing to race at a National and International level. McKenna thanked our local clubs for their support and assistance throughout the year.

Academy defeat by inform Lurgan

Action from the schools' hockey cup tie between Omagh Academy and Lurgan which took place last Wednesday afternoon at Campsie Playing fields. Unfortunately the local ladies lost to a more experienced side on a scoreline of 5-1.

New pool shield for SOSCA Pool champion

Members of Seskinore LOL 457 present a new shield to members Winner of the new shield was Runner up in the SOSCA pool of Sixmilecross Orange Sports and Cultural Association at a Trevor Crawford, pictured with competition was Andrew recent pool competition held in Seskinore hall. Monica Coyle and David Black. Patterson. omaghtoday | 52

Omagh High netball girls take 3rd place

Omagh High School netball team who came Donal Gormley, 5th from right, SSE Renewables with members of Knockmany Running third in the Southern netball tournament in Club at the launch of Eskra's 10k Rudolph run which will take place on Saturday, 7th Donaghmore recently. December.

Big day for local clubs Saturday will be a red letter day for two local GAA clubs. Killeeshill will face Emyvale and Eskra take on Truagh at Armagh’s Athletic grounds in Ulster club finals. While at senior level, Ulster club titles have been scarce, that has not been the case at junior and intermediate level. Greencastle, Pomeroy, Trillick and Cookstown to name a few have all secured Ulster crowns and some such as Fr Rocks and Greencastle have brought home the all-Ireland title too. Small steps first though, for Seamus McCallan’s Killeeshil and the Emmetts, winning Tyrone titles were always the aim first and foremost. With those secured it was always bonus territory for both clubs; both are stepping up a grade within the county and games in Ulster were always going to help the teams prepare for next season. Eskra will face the challenge of senior football in 2014 but for Paul Feely and his squad it’s the intermediate Ulster club final and that meeting with Monaghan side, Truagh Gaels. Just across the Tyrone/Monaghan border the Gaels are a well established

club playing in all codes and grades. Reaching the Ulster final has been a major step for them, a step back up the ladder after falling into intermediate football in Monaghan a few seasons ago. The Emmetts will face a big challenge on Saturday night but have a superb chance of adding to their trophy haul. Peter Hughes has been inspirational up front while Niall McGinn and Cormac Arkinson have been key to Eskra’s progression. Seamus McCallan is no stranger to success, as a player he

collected several O'Neill cup medals with his native Carrickmore, won Ulster medals with Tyrone and played in an all Ireland final. In 2003 Seamus opted out of the Tyrone set up after the McKenna cup final loss to Monaghan at Enniskillen. Tyrone went on to all Ireland glory, and Seamus missed out. In management the Carrickmore man has had mixed fortunes but with Killeeshill it’s all come good, winning the Tyrone title and securing promotion was a massive boost for the small rural club. Saturday will be a massive day for the Tyrone clubs while on Sunday, Healy Park will host the Ulster club senior final. Tyrone Ladies AGM. The Tyrone AGM had an historic feel this year. The well-attended county convention was held at Tyrone's wonderful new Garvaghey complex, the headquarters of Tyrone Gaelic games. There were few changes at the top table with Martin Conway returned again as chairman and Maggie Skelton remaining as secretary, although there's a new Treasurer with Frances Arnold replacing Eleanor Fox. As part of the meeting, ladies football stalwart Teresa Kelly was inducted into the Tyrone Ladies hall of fame, joining founder member Rosemary Carson. Teresa remains Tyrone's delegate to central council; having been a long time player and county secretary, she has given well over two decades service to ladies football and she received a great ovation. In his address to convention the chairman outlined his hopes for 2014 and expressed the wishes of everyone involved in ladies football that with Paudge Quinn and Brian McGee at the helm and with the quality that Tyrone have to call upon, the target remains the Brendan Martin cup. Conway spoke of the hard work being done at all levels and the need to see Tyrone return to the top table of football: "Reaching the all Ireland quarter final this year was a step in the right direction again, the spade work is being done and the players we have and those coming through will, I honestly believe, be the ones to deliver the ultimate prize in the coming years," enthused the Strabane clubman.

NEXT ISSUE...

12 DEC omaghtoday | 53

NO ADULTS ALLOWED!!!

THE amazing power of the weather has been making headlines around the world in recent week after the Philippines was hit by the most powerful tropical storm on record, Typhoon Haiyan. Millions of people have been left homeless, thousands have been killed, and the country’s roads, power supplies, communication networks, sanitation systems (drains and sewers) have been destroyed. Many people are living in communal or makeshift shelters; they have no access to food or clean drinking water and even though other countries and charities like the Red Cross are working to bring aid to the worst-hit areas, there are fears that the death toll could rise due to lack of shelter and the spread of disease. So what exactly is a typhoon? How do these powerful storms occur, and why do they cause such terrible destruction? Hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons are all the same thing, but they are given different names depending on where they appear. Tropical storms over the North Atlantic Ocean are called hurricanes. Over the Indian Ocean they're called cyclones and over the Pacific Ocean we call them typhoons. Tropical storms happen over warm seas. The warm water heats the air above it quickly and this warm air, which also holds a lot of moisture, rises up and then starts to cool down. As it cools, it’s pushed aside by more warm air rising below it. This cycle causes a weather system which ‘spins’ around a central point (you’ll see this on satellite pictures of storms like Haiyan). Depending on where the storm forms, the wind direction will be different – typhoons, hurricanes and cyclones formed south of the Equator spin in a clockwise direction, but those formed north of the Equator spin anti-clockwise. As the air spins faster and faster, wind speeds increase and the storm can travel quickly over large distances. The more warm, moist air it picks up, the more powerful the storm will be. Over the sea, a tropical storm can whip up huge waves. When these waves reach land they can flood large areas, including towns and cities. Over land the strong winds can cause a lot of damage - they can flatten homes, knock over trees and even tip over cars. Tropical storms usually die out

after a few days over land because there is no warm sea water there to power them. Tropical storms last a long time and are given names so they can be identified quickly. The first storm of a year will have a name beginning with A, such as Hurricane Alice, and the next one gets a name beginning with B. There are regular meetings of weather scientists who decide on new names for the next year. Names of storms which cause a lot of damage are never used again. Weather experts also give storms ‘categories’ to help identify how strong they are – ranging from category one to category five, which is the most severe. Typhoon Haiyan was a category five storm with winds of 195mph and gusts over 200mph. What damage do tropical storms cause? Here are some of the biggest tropical typhoons: Super Typhoon Vera, 1959 54 years ago, Japan's most powerful typhoon on record slammed into the nation's southeastern coastline. The storm proceeded to advance northeast, with much of the destruction focused near Nagoya city, killing 5,098 people and injuring more than 38,000. Super Typhoon Nina,1975 Another of one of Asia's deadliest storms on record, the typhoon struck briefly but powerfully in China, causing instant damage and the loss of an estimated 100,000 lives. The Banquiao Dam in Henan province was one of 62 dams to fail during the storm, resulting in thousands of deaths and millions left homeless. Haiphong Typhoon, 1881 As many as 300,000 people were killed in the low-lying Vietnamese city of Haiphong after being flooded during the typhoon – believed to be the highest loss of lives on record in a typhoon. Typhoon Morakot, 2009 The typhoon triggered record rainfall in Taiwan – resulting in widespread damage, flooding and mudslides, with the estimated loss of more than 600 lives. In 2011, the country was more prepared when Typhoon Nanmadol hit Taiwan: 8,000 were instantly evacuated and 22,000 military personnel were on standby. Hurricane Katrina, 2005 Hurricane Katrina was the most destructive and also one of the five deadliest hurricanes in US history. It formed over the Bahamas and crossed southern Florida as a category 1 hurricane before strengthening to category 5 over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. When it next hit land in the southern state of Louisiana it was classified Category 3 and caused catastrophic flooding with sea water travelling up to 12 miles inland. Almost 2,000 people lost their lives and the cost of the damage was estimated at over 100 billion dollars.

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