In County Tyrone, this market town just off the M1 motorway, which connects Belfast to the west of Northern Ireland, is quite big by local standards with a population of over 15,000. A stronghold for the O'Neills, who ruled the province of Ulster until the 17th century plantation by Scottish and English settlers, it's worth visiting the Iron Age Tullyhogue fort near the town for an insight into the area's early history. Modern Dungannon, the destination for the first civil rights march in 1968, was greatly damaged by the Troubles over more than 30 years. But since the Good Friday Peace Agreement the town has seen a process of returning to normality and increasing prosperity. With a lake as its impressive centre piece Dungannon Park is worth visiting nearby.