Community appeal to rediscover the magic of Omagh Carnival

AN Omagh educator is on a mission to uncover the story of a much-loved local tradition - and he’s inviting the community to help bring those memories back to life.

Brian McFarline, a familiar face to generations of students, has begun researching the history of the former Omagh Carnival, a lively summer attraction that once brought excitement, music and colour to the town.

Brian, who previously lectured in computer studies, accountancy and mathematics at South West College in Omagh, said many local people will remember the carnival as a highlight of their childhoods.

His own connection to it goes back nearly six decades.

“I remember when I started working at the carnival - I was about eight years-old,” he recalled. “My uncle, George McFarline, had slot machines. My job was to give out change. He handed me a big bag of brown pennies and said, ‘Turn that into silver.’”

Young Brian came up with what he describes as a “cunning plan.”

“Instead of giving people 12 pennies to the shilling, I gave them 13. By the end of the day my uncle was delighted because the bag had turned into silver rather than brown pennies. That was my starting point.”

Over the years Brian worked his way through different carnival jobs, gradually moving up the ranks.

“You moved up year by year,” he said. “I ended up on the swing boats - that’s where the big guys were. But the ultimate job was being in charge of the dodgems. That’s where the cool guys were.”

The carnival itself is believed to have started in the late 1950s, possibly organised originally by the Catholic Church, with a priest named Fr Shields playing a key role. Later, it was taken on by the GAA as a fundraiser for the development of Healy Park.

“The GAA would get half the takings from attractions like the dodgems, swing boats, slot machines, roll-a-penny or hoopla,” Brian explained. “At the end of the day you went down to a hut where the money was counted out. You took half back - I used to bring it to my granny, Agnes McFarline, who was in a caravan on the site.”

Brian clearly remembers starting at the carnival in 1968 - the same year Manchester United won the European Cup. The carnival continued into the early 1970s.

It began in St Patrick’s Park off the Gortin Road before later moving to the Showgrounds, where the town’s retail park now stands.

For two weeks each year, the carnival transformed the area into a hub of activity. Visitors could enjoy swing boats, dodgem cars, slot machines, roll-a-penny games, hoopla, the Octopus ride, speedway racing, and the popular chair-o-plane. There was also a fancy dress parade, dances, and a marquee where bands performed, along with music events in the Royal Arms Hotel.

Brian says the idea to research the carnival came after he joined his local Probus group.

“I suggested Omagh Carnival as a topic, so the pressure is on now to find out more,” he said with a smile.

But beyond the presentation, he believes the project is important for preserving local heritage.

“A lot of people will remember it - it’s part of our social history. It would be a pity if that memory was lost to the community.”

Brian is particularly keen to gather photographs, programmes, stories or any memorabilia connected to the carnival. He also hopes to create a dedicated Facebook page so people can share memories and images.

“I was surprised how little information there is about it,” he said. “There are so many things around Omagh that are fading into memory. If they’re not preserved, they’ll be lost.”

Anyone who can help with information, photographs or memories of the Omagh Carnival is encouraged to contact Brian at bmcfarline@btinternet.com or by phone on 077 7155 4590.

With the community’s help, he hopes to ensure that this colourful chapter of Omagh’s past can be celebrated and remembered for generations to come.