A public talk exploring the role of clergy in the early development of the GAA in West Tyrone takes place in Omagh this evening.

Historian Dónal McAnallen will deliver ‘Faiths of Our Fathers’ at St Mary’s Hall, beneath Sacred Heart Church, from 7pm to 9pm. Proceeds from the event go towards the Sacred Heart Restoration Project, which is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The restoration project aims to preserve the historic exterior stonework and windows of Sacred Heart Church, a building that dates from 1899 and has long served the local Roman Catholic community. Alongside physical conservation, the project includes heritage engagement initiatives like training workshops and a planned Sacred Heart Heritage trail.

McAnallen’s talk covers the period from the early 1900s to the 1950s, a time when Gaelic games in Omagh and West Tyrone first struggled to gain a foothold before enjoying a period of resurgence and growth from the 1930s onward. The presentation highlights how parishes and priests became central to that revival.

Key figures in the narrative include Fr James McManus, who chaired the Tyrone County Board between 1917 and 1920 while serving as Parish Priest of Kilskerry. Fr James McGilligan, a curate in Carrickmore, was among the first chairs when the West Tyrone Board was established in 1931. Fr Thomas Kirke, Parish Priest in Trillick, held that same role from 1940 to 1946. Fr McEvoy, a priest in the Parish of Errigal Ciaran, was a driving force behind the creation of the South Tyrone Juvenile League, one of the area’s first youth competitions.

The talk is one of a series of heritage activities linked to the restoration work. A new interpretation space in St Mary’s Hall will host future talks and exhibitions, forming part of the project’s aim to broaden public engagement with the church’s history.