Located 4 miles south of Omagh, Seskinore is the
district's smallest village. In form it is well nucleated, centred on a main
street, with little commercial or residential development. It has an attractive
setting, adjacent to the Department of Agriculture Forest. Just outside the
village is the Seskinore Game Farm.
Seskinore is a quiet country village in the parish of Clogherney in Barony of east Omagh. It is situated two and a half miles Northeast of Fintona and seven miles from Omagh, in the centre of Tyrone.
The name "Seskinore" means "a pale, grey marshy bog". Originally Seskinore was a Townland of some 860 acres. The village is made up of one school, three churches, a post office, a garage, a few shops and neat pebble-dashed houses. Seskinore is notable for the absence of any public houses and the law-abiding citizens have never required the facility of a police station. It is interesting to know that Pat Mc Aleer, compiler of "The Townland Names of County Tyrone", held his first teaching post at Seskinore National School which was closed in June 1975. It was in 1662 that James Perry, a Welshman, obtained a grant of the lands of Mullaghmore from Sir Audrey Mervyn. The family built their castle at Mullaghmore and named it "Perrymount". Seskinore village was built in the immediate neighbourhood of the lodge. Little is known about the beginnings of the village but there is proof of its existence in the 17th century, when it is listed that at least two of its inhabitants paid what was known as "Hearth Tax".
On the Omagh road stands a
picturesque little church which was built as a private chapel for use of the Mc
Clintock family and their workers. It is over 100 years and is known as "Seskinore
Chapel of Ease".
Seskinore has it's own legendary tale of the "White Lady" who is
supposed to haunt Cow Lane. The story goes on that the marriage of the only
daughter of the owner of the old castle at Mullaghmore to a gallant young
sportsman, a hunt was organised as the high light of the festivities. Tragically
the young man was thrown off his horse and killed at the "Fox Covert",
now known as "Cow Lane". The White Lady of Seskinore, dressed in her
wedding finery, still looks for her husband in the old lane to this day!
Today Seskinore is a prosperous and progressive farming area.