Co. Tyrone takes its name from the old town name of Tír Eoghain, the Irish word for Eoghain's land, an area of Ulster ruled by the O'Neill's until the 17th Century. Covering an area of around 3,155 square kilometres, it shares borders with Co. Fermanagh to the south-west, Co. Londonderry to the north, and Co. Armagh to the south-east.
During the Second World War, troops established bases and trained in Ulster’s largest county. British, American, and Belgian military passed through Co. Tyrone during wartime with military bases in towns such as Omagh a large airfield at Ardboe.