Fivemiletown, NIR - Postcode - BT75 0LS

Description of Fivemiletown

Locals in Northern Ireland's County Tyrone will recognize the name Fivemiletown, which also serves as the name of a small community and townland. On the A4 (Enniskillen to Dungannon), it is located 16 miles (26 km) to the east of Enniskillen and 26 miles (43 km) to the west-south-west of Dungannon. At the time of the 2011 Census, the population of Fivemiletown was 1,243. Hugh de Fellonburg Montgomery established the creamery in the village in 1898 as a cooperative, and it has since become the town's main attraction. Formerly a dairy, Fivemiletown Creamery is now a cheese factory serving the United Kingdom and Ireland as well as export markets in Europe and North America.

History of Fivemiletown

Fivemiletown served as a major stop on the Clogher Valley Railway, which connected Tynan in County Armagh with Maguiresbridge in County Fermanagh. The historic train depot is still a prominent building in the town. Both the Buttermarket on Main Street and the creamery were frequent stops for the trains as they loaded and unloaded their cargo.

When the Northern Ireland government found that the Clogher Valley Railway had run at a loss for 27 years due to the rise of road mobility, it made the decision to close the line. One of Fivemiletown's defining features, the railroad, came to an end on December 31, 1941.

Friday, December 2nd, 1993 - Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officers Andrew Beacom  and Ernest Smith were ambushed and killed by members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army's East Tyrone Brigade as they drove a civilian-looking automobile down Main Street at night. While pursuing the suspects, a Lynx aircraft from the British Army came under automatic fire.

Geography of Fivemiletown

Murley Mountain is located roughly equidistant between Fivemiletown and Fintona, 9 miles (14 km) to the northwest. The western boundary of the Clogher Valley is marked by this mountain, which reaches a height of 312 meters (1,024 feet) above sea level.

The Lendrums Bridge wind farm, with its 20 wind turbines, is located on the peak and is one of the largest in all of Northern Ireland. Ten more are scheduled for construction on nearby Hunter's Hill. Murley Mountain is in a remote, exposed area, especially when the wind blows from the southwest. Because of this, it is an ideal location for wind farms.

The counties of Tyrone and Armagh, as well as the county of Monaghan, are all connected by the Blackwater River. Some distance to the north of Fivemiletown is where the Blackwater begins. Numerous fisherman visit the area due to the abundance of tiny lakes in and around the town.