Dungannon is a town historically in County Tyrone in Northern Ireland, but since 2015 part of Mid-Ulster "super-council" area. It's industrial, with a population in 2011 of 14,340, and has become a commuter town for Belfast as it stands at the western terminus of M1. Dungannon (which in Irish means "Geanann's fort") is about five miles from the banks of Lough Neagh and ten miles from County Monaghan in the Republic of Ireland.

Get in

The nearest railway station is Portadown 17 miles east, with frequent trains to Lisburn, Belfast and Bangor, and the Enterprise Train between Dublin and Belfast

Ulsterbus 75 runs every couple of hours between Portadown and Dungannon, taking 40 min.

Ulsterbus 273 runs from Belfast Europa bus station via Lurgan to Dungannon, taking just under an hour. It runs hourly M-Sa and every two hours Sunday, and continues to Ballygawley, Omagh, Newtonstewart, Sion Mills, Strabane and Derry.

Ulsterbus 72 runs every two hours from Armagh, and Bus 80 runs from Cookstown every hour or two.

Goldline Express 261 runs from Belfast Europa station to Lurgan, Dungannon and Enniskillen. It's every two hours M-Sa with only two on Sunday.

Goldline Express 278 runs in university term-time, with one bus Su-F from Monaghan via Armagh, Moy, Dungannon, Cookstown, Magherafelt, Garvagh and Coleraine to Ulster University, Portstewart and Portrush.

1 Dungannon bus station is southwest corner of town on Beechvalley Way.

By road follow M1 west then A29 into town.

Get around

You need your own wheels to reach The Argory.

Taxi firms in town are Mark Taxi +44 7922 938538 and Home James +44 28 8772 2655. Uber doesn't operate in Dungannon.

National Cycleway 95 runs mostly on-road from Armagh to Dungannon, Cookstown and Strabane, while Route 94 circles Lough Neagh.

See

• 1 Hill of the O'Neill was the seat of power of that dynasty, lords of all they surveyed until Elizabethan England encroached. The Gaelic chieftains fought back in the Nine Years War, but finally lost at Kinsale in 1602. Some knuckled under to the new regime, some went into exile, some tried to fetch reinforcements from Spain. Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tryone, tried to have it all ways up, but in 1607 he fled to the continent along with the Earl of Tyrconnell and some 90 followers, "The Flight of the Earls". Thus ended the Irish Gaelic aristocracy - their lands were seized, to be settled by loyal British subjects, the beginning of the "Plantations" that made Ulster a Protestant province. There's a visitor centre at Ranfurly House on Market Square, open M-Sa 09:00-17:00 and Sunday 13:00-17:00.
• 2 Ballysaggart Lough is the lake southeast of town, with lots of waterfowl.
• 3 The Argory, 144 Derrycaw Rd, Moy BT71 6NA, ☏ +44 28 8778 4753, argory@nationaltrust.org.uk. Apr-Oct W-Su 11:00-17:00. Irish gentry house retaining its plush 1824 interior and wooded riverside estate. Adult £5, child £2.50, NT free. (updated Aug 2020)
• 4 Donaghmore High Cross is a richly carved 9th century cross. It's in Donaghmore village 3 miles northwest of town along B43.
• See Cookstown for Tullyhogue Fort, and Ardboe on the shore of Lough Neagh.
• See Portadown for Ardress House and Dan Winter's farmhouse.

Do

• Omniplex Cinema is on Oaks Retail Park, north side of town off A45 Oaks Rd.
• Dungannon Swifts play soccer in the NIFL or Danske Bank Premiership, Northern Ireland's top tier. Their home ground is Stangmore Park, capacity 5000, a mile southeast of the centre along A29 Moy Rd.

Buy

Donaghmore High Cross is older than Tyrone's oldest bicycles

• Oaks Retail Park is the main area, north of the centre. Sainsbury's is open M-Sa 08:00-21:00, Su 13:00-18:00 and has an ATM and filling station.
• Tyrone Crystal alas went out of business in 2010. Based near Dungannon, they made the ornate chandelier for the dining room of the Merchant Hotel in Belfast.

Eat

• 1 Viscount's Restaurant, 10 Northland Row BT71 6AP, ☏ +44 28 8775 3800. W Th Su 12:00-20:00, F Sa 16:00-20:00. Restaurant in an old church, it's mostly steak, but there are fish, veggie and oriental options. (updated Sep 2020)
• 2 Cano's Pizzeria, Feeny Lane BT70 1TX (off Thomas St), ☏ +44 28 8772 2334. Th-Su 17:00-22:00. Good selection of pizza and pasta. (updated Sep 2020)
• Brewer's House, 73 Castlecaulfield Rd, Donaghmore BT70 3HB (opposite the High Cross), ☏ +44 28 8776 1932. M-F 16:00-20:30, Sa 13:00-22:00, Su 15:00-20:30. Well-regarded gastropub, though vegetarians don't have much choice. The Lower House bar has a good selection of whiskey and gin, and they have 7 self-catering apartments. (updated Oct 2020)

Drink

• McAleer's Bar, Donaghmore Rd BT71 1EZ, ☏ +44 28 8772 5485. Daily 11:00-01:00. More club than pub, with Ivory Club, St Tropez Bar, Crystal Cocktail Bar, Zanzibar and Sports Bar. (updated Sep 2020)
• Feeny's Bar, 4 Thomas St BT70 1HN, ☏ +44 28 8772 2983. Buzzing friendly bar. (updated Sep 2020)
• Others in town centre are Donaghy's on William St, Tonnes Daly's on Irish St and Quinn's on Scotch St. The Fort has closed down.
• Clearsky Brewing Company produce a small range of ales. The brewery is a few miles north along the road to Cookstown; no tours.

Sleep

• 1 Kensington Lodge, 194 Killyman Rd BT71 6LN (2 miles southeast of town centre), ☏ +44 77 6100 8196. Smart comfy B&B, they also have a self-catering 3 bedroom cottage. B&B double £90. (updated Sep 2020)
• 2 Grange Lodge, 7 Grange Rd BT71 7EJ (4 miles southeast of town), ☏ +44 28 8778 4212. Elegant B&B in 17th C building and extensive grounds, temporarily closed in 2020. (updated Sep 2020)

Connect

Dungannon has a good mobile and 4G signal from all UK carriers. As of Sept 2020, 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

• Cookstown is where the O'Neill kings were inaugurated, by waving a shoe over their head. There are several prehistoric sites nearby.
• Omagh's Ulster American Folk Park is an outdoor museum depicting emigrant life.
• Armagh has long been the ecclesiastic capital of Ireland, with two cathedrals and a prehistoric "fort" that was clearly religious not defensive.