A sweet slice of history

Nearly 80 years ago, the aroma of freshly baked goods drew townspeople to Omagh’s Bridge Street.

It was here, opposite the former model school, that the much-loved Model Bakery served fresh bread and treats to locals in the town centre for over three decades.

Located where the Bridge Street entrance to the Strule Arts Centre is situated today, the Model Bakery was a two-storey premises which was officially established on September 24, 1946, when eight locals, including a banker, solicitor, and an accountant, joined forces to form the venture.

However, this was not the bakery’s original iteration; the site was once owned by James Bell, a local baker in the late 1800s, who named his business after the nearby Model School, where today’s South West College stands.

The commercial business established in 1946 was split into two sections: The bakery operations stayed on Bridge Street, while a retail shop which sold the products of the bakery opened on Sedan Avenue, where South West College’s car park stands today.

Another bakery shop was established on Omagh’s High Street where the Wattersons store is today.

One of the main proprietors of the Model Bakery’s management conglomerate was Vincent Traynor, who would go on to establish the Silverbirch Hotel.

The bakery earned a reputation not just for its goods but for its generosity: Staff were well-treated, enjoying holiday bonuses, December payouts, and even a special bonus during Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation.

The employees certainly earned their wages in March, 1960 when a strike threatened the North with a severe bread shortage.

Yet, the Model Bakery and Omagh’s other bakeries increased shifts and worked tirelessly to ensure the town enjoyed a stable supply of local produce until the strike subsided.

On April 11, 1970, the bakery’s solicitor, Roderick H O’Connor, decided to commemorate the longstanding service of founding members Meta Lyons and Brendan McCrumlish.

Mr O’Connor awarded them engraved gold watches, expressing the gratitude of the company for the many years of loyalty and dedication to the bakery.

However, after many founders retired, the Model Bakery closed its doors on February 28, 1976. Watterson’s took over the High Street store, and the Education Board repurposed the Sedan Avenue location as a youth drop-in centre, leaving 70 employees without jobs during a difficult economic period in the town, with the closure of the Kirkland factory not long beforehand.