West Tyrone

No boundary changes

Profile: A largely rural seat in the West of the province. This is a mainly rural seat with high levels of deprivation and a a majority catholic population. The main centres of population are the town of Omagh, now most often association with the 1998 bomb by dissident republicans that has become known as one of the worst atrocities of the troubles, and Strabane, a deeply deprived border town that suffers some of the highest levels of unemployment in the country.

Despite being the third most Catholic seat in the province West Tyrone was held by the Ulster Unionists from its creation in 1997 until 2001 thanks to a pact with the DUP. In 2001 it fell to Sinn Fein. The 2005 election was one of the more unusual thanks to the intervention of Dr Keiran Deeny, an indepedent hospital campaigner in the mold of Dr Richard Taylor. Deeny had topped the poll here in the 2003 Assembly elections on a platform of saving the Tyrone County Hospital in Omagh. In 2005 he managed a strong second place.

Current MP: Pat Doherty (Sinn Fein) born 1945, Glasgow. Contested Donegal North-East in 1989, 1997 Irish elections. Contested Donegal-Ulster in European elections 1989, 1994. contested West Tyrone 1997. First elected as MP for West Tyrone in 2001.