Chamber invites stakeholders to revive Omagh’s nightlife

LETTERS have been sent out to players from across Omagh’s nightlife sector, inviting them to a roundtable talk to begin formulating a strategy to reinvigorate the town’s once-booming pub and club scene.

The plans have been set in motion by Omagh Chamber of Commerce, which believes the town’s late evening and nighttime hospitality trade has a lot more potential than current footfall numbers reflect.

“It is no secret that our bars and nightclubs are not as busy as they once were,” acknowledged recently appointed president of Omagh Chamber of Commence, John Edgar.

“This decline is a sort of elephant in the room, but one that everybody is talking about.

“Since becoming chair, I have spoken with a lot of publicans, and, unbeknownst to each other, they are all saying the same thing: The weekdays are dead and the weekends aren’t great either. We want to help them change that,” said Mr Edgar.

Twenty-five letters have been issued; most to representatives from Omagh’s nightlife industry, meaning licence holders and taxi firms, as well as to local media and the council.

“This is not going to be an easy problem to fix. But that is not to say that it is one that is unfixable,” remarked Mr Edgar.

“There are buses leaving this town every weekend to go to Letterkenny, Derry, Donegal Town, Moy, Dungannon, Monaghan, you name it. They are getting out of Omagh, which is bad.

“But they are still going out, which is good. That means there are still plenty of potential customers. What we need to do is find a way to stop our own from leaving, and to attract punters from elsewhere to come.

“I know I am making it sound simple, but it won’t be. As well as that, I am not in the business of telling anybody else how to do their job.

“All the Chamber wants to do is try to help facilitate a collaborative approach between stakeholders in order to create an economic climate that benefits them all,” reasoned Mr Edgar.

It remains unclear just how many of those who received an invitation will be at the table in the Strule Arts Centre at 9.30am on Friday, November 8. However, Mr Edgar said everybody who has been extended the offer of attending has a vested interest in having their voice heard.

“It will be a chance to acknowledge the problems that have caused Omagh’s nightlife recession. Once that is done, people can put forward ideas on how to regenerate it.

“There is only so long we can go on blaming the pandemic and the cost of living crisis. It’s time to be proactive, to come together, and to restore this town’s reputation as an entertainment destination, through a united and concerted effort.”