DUNGANNON

Irish Dn Geanainn town, seat, and district (established 1973; formerly astride Counties Armagh and Tyrone), Northern Ireland. Its early history is linked with the O'Neills, earls of Tyrone, whose chief residence was there; a large rath, or earthwork, north of the town, was the scene of the inauguration of their chiefs. The independence of the Irish Parliament was first proclaimed by Protestants at Dungannon in 1782. It is today a market town producing linens and cut crystal. A Royal School was founded there in the early 17th century. Dungannon district covers an area of 352 sq mi (911 sq km); it extends from Lough (lake) Neagh in the east to the district of Fermanagh in the west and from the foothills of the Sperrin Mountains in the north to the Blackwater River and the Irish Republic in the south. The district is essentially a pastoral area; pigs, dairy cattle, and poultry are raised. The other main population centre, besides Dungannon town, is Coalisland, the centre of a coal region that has never been profitably exploited. A national highway from Belfast passes around Dungannon town. Pop. (1971) town, 7,634; (1981 prelim.) district, 41,087.