Omallach

Omallach is a village to the south of Port Edward on Craònaith. Traditionally one of the centres of life on the island it was artificially depopulated to help form Town Stanley and has never recovered to its previous status.

Early History
The people of Omallach were famous across the isles as some of the best arborists and carpenters. Known for the care they gave their woods and a very selective choice of trees, timber from the slow growing Kolmio forrest was considered the best across the islands and even was exported for longship building in Norway. A steady population, good sustainable resources and one of the best defendable harbours on Finnféaran meant after the break from Fyrkyrak the Lairds of Craònaith were seated at Omallach.

Town Stanley
Omallach had a steady population of around 900 from the 1600s onwards, sheltered by the Dachaigh hills and with access to fish and rich woodlands famine was very rare. In the 1870s when British officials marked Seasamh as the most suitable site for the modern capital of Craònaith they faced the problem of building a town too big for its inhabitants. To combat this substantial grants were given to English (and to a lesser extent Scottish) families to move to the new town. At fist uptake was great but the sinking if the ... put an end to the scheme just after half of the expected residents had arrived. To make up numbers villagers from Omallach were given the promise of a modern life as well as small sums to move, though by attracting away the younger population the centuries of timber knowledge was unable to be passed along through Omallach's apprenticeships. Four years after Town Stanley was built Omallach's population was just 265.

Today
The village has recovered somewhat in the following century and as of 2011 has a population of 562. Since 2007 courses in tree surgery are run in an effort to bring back its illustrious heritage of Dendrology.