Lancaster Street

Formerly a street from York Street to North Queen Street, now redeveloped, closed to through traffic and entered from Thomas Street. Developed in the early 19th century, it derived its name from the Lancasterian School on the Frederick Street side of the street. A few of the early 19th century terrace houses had survived until the mid 1980s before being demolished for the Thomas Street redevelopment. Bunscoil Mhic Reachtain: 1906-07, by Blackwood & Jury as Ladies New Industrial School, with additions by R S Wilshere 1932 converting it to a Public Elementary School: Gabled Laganvale red brick building with cast concrete dressings to mullioned windows, with Diocletian and Palladian windows near the entry, and gables with merlon apexes. A tall whinstone wall formerly rising to form an archway over the entrance was presumably a survival from the old Lancasterian School formerly on the site.

Thomas Street

Recent Housing Executive development (circa.1987-88) of polychrome brick houses in red brick with cream soldier courses, string courses and ornamental corbels, spoilt by heavy pantile roofs and saddleback ridges. The original Thomas Street, from 94 Great Georges Street to Lancaster Street, was still largely occupied in 1979. It was shown as Thomass Street on map of 1819, to distinguish it from another Thomas Street which was then the east end of Little Patrick Street.

Great Georges Street

Broad street from Corporation Street to North Queen Street. Initially known as King Street in 1795, then as Georges Street, there were only ten houses here in 1822. It had acquired its present name by 1833, and was fully developed over the next twenty years with good merchant's houses, mostly in accordance with covenants to build to a height of thirty feet. The Presbyterian Church founded in the street in 1842 had an eccentric first minister, the Rev Tommy Toye, who was notorious for his addiction to tobacco. When the congregation moved to Duncairn Gardens in 1896 their church became a foundry. In the 1960s Great George's Street was still "the best Georgian street in the town... set off by the masts and funnel of the Liverpool boat closing the vista". In recent years it has largely been demolished for proposed road widening and redevelopment, the last few Georgian houses going to the Ulster-American Folk Museum at Omagh during the 1980s.

Historic Local Maps 1846-1986

Ever wonder what the Lancaster Area looked like in the past? See below some fascinating historic maps showing the layout and streets locations dating back to 1846 to 1986.  See how the local area has changed over the years.