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CASTLEDERG |
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The friendly market village of CASTLEDERG sits around a spruced-up
square beside the River Derg, across whose waters lie the ruins of a
plantation castle , built in 1619 and destroyed by Sir Phelim O'Neill
during the 1641 Rebellion. Modern Castlederg retains something of its
traditional flavour as a staging-post for travellers and a watering hole
for pilgrims on their way to St Patrick's Purgatory on Lough Derg . The
town's bars and cafés make this a good place to stop for refuelling; and
the tourist office , or Castlederg Visitor Centre, on the Lower Strabane
Rd (April-Oct Tues-Fri 11am-4pm, Sat 11.30am-4pm, Sun 2-5pm; tel
028/8167 0794) will give you lots of information on local sites of
interest. Davy Crockett 's family came from the Castlederg area and the
visitor centre has a small display (£1.20) containing a model of the
Alamo Fort where the celebrated frontiersman made his last stand. Close
to each other one mile north of the village off the Lurganboy Road are
two large megalithic tombs that stand as memorials to the area's pre-Christian
past: Todd's Den is a cairn with a portal stone, but more impressive is
the Druid's Altar, a chambered grave with two portal stones and
capstones, one inscribed with ogham runes.
Accommodation in the town itself is limited to the Derg Arms , 43 Main
St (tel 028/8167 1644; £33-40). A few miles west off the Killeter road
is Ardmourne House and Stables , 36 Corgary Rd (tel 028/8167 0291;
£26-33), with comfortable B&B and riding and trekking too. Surprisingly,
the nightlife in Castlederg can often be quite lively, with various
musical entertainments from sing-a-longs to discos, at bars such as the
Castle Inn and Gallen's .
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