A former bar, restaurant, and nightclub in Omagh, The Aviary on Old Market Place, has been listed for sale with an asking price of 500 thousand pounds. The venue, located on the Strule River embankment, ceased operations at the end of October 2024.

Originally refurbished and reopened in 2021, The Aviary was part of the Innbarr Group’s expanding portfolio in Co Tyrone. Stephen Doherty re-launched the space, which included a street-level bar and restaurant called “The Aviary” and a first-floor nightclub known as “The Perch”. The two-story property, spanning 4,767 square feet, is currently being marketed by CBRE NI.

Potential buyers are given the option to purchase the site with or without its valuable license. CBRE has also raised the possibility of redeveloping the site for housing purposes, noting that there could be “potential for alternative uses including residential, subject to planning”.

For more than three decades, the Aviary has been a pillar of Omagh's hospitality industry, changing ownership and developing under several proprietors, but the town's nightlife has had a lot of problems, especially because of the continuous crisis in the cost-of-living which Northern Ireland is facing, and the cultural shift away from traditional nightclubs.

This shift has affected many provincial towns, including Omagh, where the closure of McCann’s pub on John Street at the end of 2024 further underscored the difficulties facing the local pub scene. Although The Aviary's outstanding location and adaptable layout offer promise for a range of purposes, its future is still uncertain as the town adapts to these shifting patterns.