Fermanagh Omagh District Council delegation on visit to China

FERMANAGH and Omagh’s top council officials have embarked on a high-level visit to China this week – aiming to open new doors for tourism, education and business investment across the district.

Council chair Cllr Barry McElduff, vice-chair Cllr Shirley Hawkes, and chief executive Alison McCullagh are spending four-and-a-half days in Huangshi, central China, to deepen ties through a Friendly Co-operative Cities Agreement first signed in 2018.

The visit – funded by the council with support from the Northern Ireland Bureau in China – follows a formal invitation from the Mayor of Huangshi, who renewed the partnership during his own visit to Fermanagh and Omagh last year. Over the course of the trip, the delegation will visit schools, universities, and local enterprises, meet with political representatives, and attend a major film festival.

They will also take part in cultural exchanges designed to strengthen understanding between the two regions. Ahead of the visit, the council team undertook lessons in Mandarin and Chinese etiquette through the Confucius Institute, underscoring their commitment to fostering long-term, respectful links.

“This is going to be a very busy trip where we hope to really promote the Fermanagh and Omagh area as best we can,” said Cllr McElduff before departure.

“There are already strong links between Huangshi and our district, and we hope to strengthen those further.”

“China is a financial and cultural leader on the world stage, and we want to showcase how attractive our local area is to businesses, students, and the tourism industry.”

He added that the visit reflects the council’s ambition to ‘look both forward and outward – economically and socially’.

One of the highlights will be a visit to the Hubei Harps, the first GAA club in Central China, which includes members from Tyrone and Down.

A council spokesperson said the visit builds on previous cultural and trade exchanges and will focus on identifying new opportunities for collaboration in tourism, education, and economic development.

“This visit is about turning friendship into partnership and partnership into opportunity,” the spokesperson said.

With international links seen as key to future growth, local leaders believe the strengthened ties could translate into real benefits at home – from student exchanges and new tourism links to potential inward investment and job creation.

As Cllr McElduff summed up, “We’re proud of what our district has to offer and we’re determined to make sure the world knows it.”