Month: February 2026

Wednesday 18th February 2026 Speaker: Mr Jim McBride – “My Life and Times”
The speaker on Wednesday 18th February was Club Member, Mr Jim McBride, a much-travelled native of Omagh. After leaving the C.B.S., he joined the family business, driving a delivery van for his father’s bakery. In 1964 he emigrated to America and joined his cousin in New York. However, he was soon drafted into the United States Army. Following basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, he was assigned to an administrative post in Maryland. After successfully completing a military management course, he was deployed to Vietnam.

Although serving in an administrative capacity, Jim was stationed at a base in a remote jungle location which was periodically subject to enemy attack. He spoke of the realities of military life in a conflict zone and the challenges faced by those serving far from home during a turbulent period in history.
After completing two years of service, he returned to civilian life in New York. Among other roles, he worked as a taxi driver while studying part-time for a degree in Mathematics. This was the mid-1970s, when computing was beginning to expand rapidly. Seeing an opportunity, Jim established his own computer manufacturing company and for a time encountered leading figures of the emerging industry, including Bill Gates of Microsoft and Steve Jobs of Apple.

Unable to compete with the increasingly dominant large corporations entering the field, he later joined IBM. He was working in New York on 11 September 2001 and was approximately half a mile away in the Wall Street area when the second aircraft struck the South Tower of the World Trade Centre. He recalled feeling the ground shudder at the moment of impact — an experience that left a lasting impression.

In 1999 he changed direction once again and, after undertaking an intensive Spanish course, moved to Ecuador, where he lived and worked for the next five years. During that time he visited the Galápagos Islands and the Amazon rainforest before eventually retiring to Omagh and returning to the heart of his family. His wide-ranging and engaging account of his life experiences was warmly received by members, who expressed their appreciation for a most interesting and memorable presentation.

 

 

Wednesday 11 February2026: Speaker, Mr Oliver Loughran
The speaker on Wednesday 11th February was Club member, Oliver Loughran, reminiscing about Ballygawley and the changes he has seen in the town in his lifetime.  In terms of geography, Oliver claimed that Ballygawley always saw itself as part of the Clogher valley. While Augher, Clogher and Fivemiletown each have their own distinctive characteristics, Ballygawley was a place apart and continues to be so.

It was the first village in the region to have electricity, the power being generated by a hydro-electric turbine in the local river. It was operated by Oliver’s father until 1947 when electricity supply to the country was “nationalised” and taken over  the forerunner of NIE. From 1887 to 1942 it was an important staging post on the Clogher Valley Railway, at a time when Aughnacloy was the commercial hub of the region.

The closure of the railway came at a time when road transport was growing, particularly in the use of lorries. In recent years, the most significant development has been the opening of the A4 dual carriageway, effectively extending the M1 motorway from Dungannon to Ballygawley. Ease of access to the East of the Province has placed the town within commuting distance of Craigavon and Belfast, leading to a rapid expansion in housebuilding.  The town is now well provided for with shops, schools, restaurants, and other services for comfortable living in the 21st century.

Oliver’s talk sparked a lively conversation giving members the opportunity to share their own memories of the town and its environs.

Omagh Probus Club Wednesday 4th February 2026 – Arthur Rainey

The guest speaker was Mr Arthur Rainey talking about the Ulster Project. He began by asking if any of those present had family members participate in the scheme. A goodly number had children and grandchildren who had been to America with the Project. There was willing testimony to the lasting value of the scheme in terms of friendships formed and perceptions altered. It was readily acknowledged that the ongoing success of the Ulster Project among the churches in Omagh is testament to the pioneering energy and drive of the late Fr. Kevin Mullan and his Protestant counterpart, Mr Ed Wiltshire.

Arthur outlined the origins of the Project. It began in the early 1970’s in Belfast, at the height of the troubles, when swathes of the city were under the control of paramilitaries and opportunities for young people to meet across the barricades were non-existent. In the early days 27 centres in 21 states across the USA and Canada hosted young people from 9 centres in Ulster including Belfast, Derry, Enniskillen and Omagh. At its height over 40 young persons from Omagh participated each year. Today the scheme operates with 7 centres in the United States and 5 in Northern Ireland

On 1st November 2025 two Archbishops, two Bishops and the President of the Methodist Church in Ireland together with a large congregation from both sides of the community met in Enniskillen to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Ulster Project. Fifty years on from its foundation in 1975 the Project has slimmed down.

Arthur concluded that a number of factors have contributed to the decline. Firstly, the Good Friday Agreement altered the perception of life in Northern Ireland in the USA. It appeared from the outside that peace had been established and the need for cross-community initiatives diminished. Covid put a halt to the Project for a time, a hiatus from which it has not fully recovered. The cost of living has made host families harder to find. Yet despite the perceived obstacles the Ulster Project continues to send young people from Northern Ireland on four-week visits to the United States where attitudes and values are challenged and unconscious prejudices replaced by trust, respect and friendship.

A lively discussion followed which touched on many current issues confronting schools, teachers and pupils. As ever in education desirable outcomes are easily identified – practical solutions less so. Mr Rainey was warmly thanked for his talk by club member, Jim McBain