Good Relations- News
Good Relations Week. ‘Omagh In-Spires’ Walking Tour
Fermanagh Omagh District Council, in partnership with local historian Johnny Hamill, successfully delivered an “Omagh in Spires” walking tour exploring all four historic Hill Churches of Omagh on Saturday 17th October 2026 as part of this year’s Good Relation Week. The programme provided a unique opportunity to learn about the history and architecture of all four churches, their various denominations and enjoy exclusive access to some of the town’s best-loved and historic building. The walking tour started at the Strule Arts Centre at 3:00pm and ended 5:30pm, finishing with complimentary tea and biscuits at Omagh Methodist Church. Fifteen local people actively participated and thoroughly enjoyed their engagement on the programme.
FODC Kicks Off Good Relations Week 2026
Fermanagh and Omagh District Council kicked off Good Relations Week 2026 today with a Local Democracy event at Enniskillen Townhall. Politics students from Mount Lourdes Grammar School and St Michael’s College attended the event, exploring how local government works, the role of councillors and how political decisions shape everyday life in our communities.
The event encouraged young people to learn more about local democracy, understand their role in shaping the future and recognise the importance of having their voices heard in building stronger, more inclusive communities.
This year’s Good Relations Week theme, INCLUDE – Everyone. Everywhere. Everyday., celebrates the importance of bringing people together and creating a sense of belonging for all.
“Sing from Your Soul” Brings Communities Together Through Music
Supported by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council’s Good Relations Programme, Our Music NI delivered a successful “Sing from Your Soul” pilot event at St Columba’s Church on 28 May 2026.
More than 350 people came together to celebrate shared musical traditions, with four cross-community choirs performing sacred music from both Catholic and Protestant communities.
The project also featured a Good Relations workshop and podcast exploring the history of hymns, alongside online videos showcasing the performances and community reflections, attracting over 10,000 views combined.
Following fantastic feedback, there is potential to develop the initiative into an annual cross-community Choir Fest, creating further opportunities for choirs and communities to connect through music.
Brassfest 2026 Brings Communities Together Through Music
The second Brassfest event, held at Enniskillen’s Buttermarket on 5 September, welcomed 17 brass bands and over 540 musicians from across Ireland, entertaining an audience of more than 4,000 people. The festival celebrated musical talent, cultural diversity and community spirit, providing an inclusive space for people of all ages and backgrounds to connect through music. Supported by a diverse team of volunteers, Brassfest promoted positive social interaction, strengthened community relationships and created lasting friendships through a shared love of music.
Fermanagh Tyrone Brass Band Summer School
The Fermanagh/Tyrone Brass Band Summer School 2026, part-funded through Fermanagh and Omagh District Council’s Good Relations Small Grants Programme, was a fantastic success, bringing together 80 musicians from across Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Mainland UK to celebrate music, culture and community. The three-day event aimed to bridge cultural divides within the brass band community, promote understanding and tolerance, and strengthen relationships through the shared enjoyment of music. The programme culminated in an open-air performance at The Diamond, Enniskillen, followed by a grand finale concert at Devenish College, with more than 750 people attending across the two performances. The event demonstrated the power of music to bring communities together, celebrate diversity and promote positive relationships.
Remembering Srebrenica
Sing for Your Soul
Omagh, 28 May 2026 – More than 340 singers and audience members from across the Fermanagh and Omagh District came together at St Columba’s Church, Omagh, to celebrate the success of Sing from Your Soul, a cross-community music project supported by the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council Good Relations Programme and delivered by Our Music NI. Through shared singing, sacred music and community performances, the event highlighted the power of music to bring people together, strengthen community relationships and celebrate shared heritage. The initiative also reached thousands more online, with performance videos attracting over 5,000 social media views, while organisers are now exploring plans to develop the popular pilot into an annual district-wide “Big Choir” festival involving communities across the area.
Good Relations Week Webinar
Fermanagh and Omagh District Council’s Good Relations Officer, Hugo Sweeney, recently took part in a Community Relations Council webinar promoting Good Relations Week 2026.
As a panel speaker, Hugo shared insights into the Council’s work to foster inclusion, respect, cultural understanding, and positive community relationships across the district. He joined representatives from community organisations across Northern Ireland to discuss the value of creating welcoming and connected communities.
The webinar highlighted opportunities for organisations and community groups to get involved in Good Relations Week, which will take place from 12–18 October 2026 under the theme “INCLUDE – Everyone. Everywhere. Every Day.”
The event showcased the important role that local partnerships and community-led initiatives play in building stronger, more inclusive communities throughout Northern Ireland.
Clankelly Good Relations Small Grants
The Clankelly Group used Good Relations Small Grant funding to bring together local community representatives through a series of engagement and planning sessions designed to strengthen cross-community relationships and explore future collaborative opportunities. Participants undertook community asset mapping, shared learning visits, and creative workshops that identified local strengths, heritage assets, and common interests across the Clankelly area. The programme helped build trust, increase understanding of shared resources, and develop project ideas centred on heritage, storytelling, food, blacksmithing, and shared spaces. As a result, the group established a strong foundation for future Good Relations programme delivery and a shared vision for ongoing collaboration.
Nature Makes Sense- April 2026
Environmental Youth Speak February 2026
Local primary Schools across FODC participated in Environmental Youth Speak competition February 2026. The competition, run by FODC Climate Change team in partnership with South West College supported by Good Relations, encouraged Primary 5 to Primary 7 pupils to explore key environmental issues through public speaking. A total of 13 performances from 11 schools across the district took part on the day, with pupils showcasing impressive research, creativity and confidence in addressing the importance of reuse and repair in protecting the environment.
Holocaust Memorial Day
This year’s Holocaust Memorial Day theme, Bridging Generations, was marked in Fermanagh and Omagh with a series of remembrance events. The programme included a talk by Seymour Kelly, who shared the story of his mother, Holocaust survivor Lushka Kelly. The events emphasised the importance of preserving survivor testimony and remembering the victims of the Holocaust and later genocides.
Good Relations Week 2025
A brief snippet of Good Relations week activities in Fermanagh and Omagh area October 2025
Brass Fest
Fermanagh/ Tyrone Brass Band Summer School hosted Brass Fest at the Buttermarket Saturday 13th September 2025 with support from FODC Good Relations. The event brought together bands from all over Ireland for a day filled with music, cross community spirit, and cultural interaction and celebration.
Omagh Filipino Community Group- Summer Tambayan Event
Omagh Filipino Community Group hosted a Summer Tambayan Event August 2025 with support from FODC Good Relations.
Brass Band Summer School
Fermanagh/ Tyrone Brass Band was one of our Good Relations Small Grants in the Community successful applicants this year, have a look at their project recap.
Hats of to the Forthill
Good relations team out and about promoting Good Relations at FODC Hats of to the Forthill
Omagh Show
Good relations team out and about at Omagh Show promoting Good Relations
Refugee Week
This years Refugee Week 16- 22 June 2025 theme focused on “Community as a Superpower.” Working with the Western Health and Social Care Trust our Good Relations team marked the week with an event in the Westend Community Centre, Enniskillen. The event celebrated how communities have welcomed and supported unaccompanied minors arriving in the district and support refugees and people seeking sanctuary.
Colours of Culture Exhibition on Tour
An exhibition of celebration of shared cultural heritage showcasing Irish and Highland dancers. From its opening in the Ardhowen last December the exhibition showcased at the Strule Arts Centre in Omagh for the month of June. Keep a look out for its next showcase in the Fermanagh & Omagh area.
Environmental Youth Speak
Local primary Schools across FODC participated in Environmental Youth Speak competition April 2025. The competition, run by FODC Climate Change team in partnership with South West College supported by Good Relations, saw the pupils deliver outstanding speeches on the topic of ‘Where would we Bee without Pollinators’. Events like this empower the next generation to become advocates for sustainability and help foster a lifelong commitment to protecting our planet, strengthening Good Relations our safer community strategy plan.
Lenten Lunch
Omagh Churches Forum hosted a Lenten Lunch in St Joseph’s Hall, Omagh to celebrates 60 years of Corrymeela, supported by Good Relations. The guest speaker Rev Dr Alex Wimberly from Corrymeela Community spoke about the story of Corrymeela in this the 60th anniversary year.
