Overview
The Camowen loses its name in Omagh. It meets the River Drumragh in the middle of the town, and from that point flows on as the River Strule, which carries the water into the Foyle system and out to Lough Foyle. The Camowen (Irish An Chamabhainn, the crooked river) is a 45 km salmon and trout river that rises in the hills south of Pomeroy in County Tyrone and runs west, then north, gathering tributaries before it reaches Omagh past the county hospital.
For most visitors the river is best met on foot or by bike in the town: there’s a flat, traffic-free riverside path and a weir loop that locals run and cycle. For anglers it’s a salmon fishery, at its best in late summer. There’s no dramatic scenery here – it’s a working county-town river – but the Omagh weir loop is a genuinely good, easy hour.
Walking and cycling in Omagh
A bike path and walking trails follow the Camowen through Omagh, with a weir near the town centre as the landmark. The local favourite is the Omagh town-centre weir loop, a flat riverside circuit of about 7 km (4.3 miles) that’s popular with runners and cyclists and stays off the roads. It links into Omagh’s wider riverside paths, so you can shorten or extend it as the legs allow. Mature trees line the lower banks, and the going is easy and family-friendly.
Upstream, between Omagh and Beragh, an old cobbled watermill once powered by the Camowen still stands above the river on Leap Lane – it’s now a private home rather than anything to visit, but it’s a reminder of what the river worked at before it became a place to walk.
Angling
The Camowen is a noted salmon fishery, holding Atlantic salmon and brown trout, with sea trout running too. Salmon fishing is at its best in late summer, around August and September; sea trout come earlier, through June to August. The river is medium-sized with good access and a gravelly bed that makes wading manageable.
A couple of practicalities before you fish. You need a DAERA rod licence (the Loughs Agency, which covers the Foyle system, sits within DAERA) plus a permit for the water – it isn’t free fishing. The Camowen Angling Club manages stretches near Drumduff and has run day tickets, though availability has been uncertain, so check ahead rather than assuming. Permits and local advice are available from CA Anderson Hardware in Omagh.
Practical information
- Access and admission: The riverbanks and town paths are open year-round and free.
- Parking: Town-centre car parks in Omagh put you within a short walk of the river paths and the weir loop.
- Public transport: Omagh is served by Translink (Ulsterbus) services to Belfast, Derry and across the region; the river paths are within walking distance of the bus station.
- Dogs: Welcome on the public paths under control; keep them close near livestock and during the salmon spawning season.
- Best time: Spring and summer for walking and cycling; August and September for the salmon.
Nearby
- Ulster American Folk Park – Open-air museum tracing Ulster emigration to America, just north of Omagh.
- Sperrin Mountains – Walking and cycling country, with the OM Dark Sky Park at Davagh forest nearby.
- Beaghmore Stone Circles – A complex of Bronze Age circles and cairns on the edge of the Sperrins.
- Gortin Glen Forest Park – Forest drive, trails and a play park north of the town.
If you’ve an hour in Omagh, walk the weir loop from the town centre – it’s the easiest way to see why the town grew up where two rivers meet.