St. Lucia Regeneration Committee elects first officers
The latest public meeting of the St. Lucia Regeneration Committee was held on Monday 2nd February, 2026 in the lecture theatre of South West College, Omagh kindly granted.
The main business was to agree the constitution and elect the first officers for the Committee as part of the first AGM. The public meeting was also an opportunity to inform the community what has been happening.
Frances Folliard conducted the election of officers which resulted in the following: Chairman, James Herron, Vice Chairman Tony Watson, Secretary Matthew Bell, Treasurer Dwayne Marshall and Liaison Officer Stevan Patterson. It was agreed to have a membership fee of £20 Pounds per year to cover expenses of the Committee open to any member of the public and to apply for a bank account so funding can be obtained.
The new Liason officer Stevan Patterson, produced a little booklet giving progress since he organised the first public meeting that took place on the 14th August, 2025 to try and preserve the very historic site for the nation. The booklet called “St. Lucia Barracks, Omagh. Three Museums on one site.” He also spoke of the idea of a military museum to reflect on the rich military history of the site. A County Tyrone Museum to address the need for a museum to tell the rich history of the County as unbelievably in 2026 County Tyrone still does not have a museum. A Harry Ferguson Museum of Innovation. County Tyrone he said is rightfully the home of the Ferguson System and what better place for the Harry Ferguson Museum of Innovation to honour Harry Ferguson and all the great innovators and achievers from Northern Ireland than in Omagh, the County Town of Tyrone. On the 5th February we marked the 90th anniversary of the Ferguson System Day of Patents that elude to how much work Harry Ferguson and his engineers achieved in County Tyrone. He went on to say it was fitting to mention this on the Campus of South West College, as Thomas MacGregor Greer the main financial backer of Harry Ferguson and his Ferguson System had links to the old Cookstown Technical College site, now part of the current South West College.
Stormont had recently raised the prospect of a Northern Ireland sports museum and it was suggested why not have the museum on the same site as part of the Harry Ferguson Museum of Innovation to honour all the sporting greats.
As part of the different museums on one site they would have modern state-of art facilities for research and development to inspire and aid future innovators and achievers. With links to local schools, colleges, universities, public and private sector companies, it would be a world class resource adding to the economy of the often overlooked west of Northern Ireland, bringing jobs, tourism and investment. Part of the site could also be used for retail.
The large parade grounds would be a wonderful location for concerts and public events with the beautiful and historically significant stone built buildings as a backdrop.
There are so many possibilities for the site when we look at what is happening with Ebrington Barracks in Londonderry.
During the meeting a very historic sword from 1793 was passed around by a collector and it shows what history we have in the local area so deserving of a home to be shown in.
The public gave the Committee some very useful advice and a number of experts volunteered to advise the Committee in the future, which we are very grateful for.
At the end of the meeting the new officers once again thanked the community for the good attendance and continuing support.
Stevan Patterson, Liaison Officer.