Remembering a voice of Omagh
When a chance request in the summer of 1968 led Stephen McKenna to try his hand at a short, light-hearted column for the Ulster Herald, neither he nor the paper could have predicted the reach and longevity of what followed. Writing under the pen-name Raymond Na Hatta, McKenna became an enduring commentator on life in Omagh and the surrounding district, his pieces combining humour, local memory and keen observation.
A half-century of local writing
The column first appeared after McKenna was approached while he was taking part in a local comedy production in Omagh’s old Town Hall. The invitation came from the paper’s publisher, Austin Lynch, who asked him to try a regular, light feature. McKenna later recalled the offer with some surprise, saying it had not been part of his plans.
“He asked whether I’d be interested in providing a light-hearted local column,”
What began as a short contribution quickly found a wide readership. Within its first year the column had been recognised nationally, being voted BBC Radio’s ‘Column of the Year’. Over the next five decades McKenna wrote consistently for the paper, producing in excess of 2,500 columns and maintaining a remarkably traditional approach: he drafted his pieces by hand, a practice that endured despite dramatic changes in printing and publishing technology.
Chronicling community and change
Born and raised in Omagh’s Gallows Hill area, McKenna drew on an intimate knowledge of the town’s people, customs and history. The column became a mix of anecdote and archive, with reminiscence and local portraiture sitting alongside commentary on current events and everyday life. Readers came to expect a voice that combined affection for the place with a sharp eye for character.
- Start of column: Summer 1968
- Recognised: BBC Radio ‘Column of the Year’ within the first year
- Output: more than 2,500 columns across 50 years
- Writing method: handwritten submission throughout his career
Legacy for Omagh’s local press
McKenna’s long-running feature is a reminder of the role local journalism plays in recording the life of a town. Columns such as his act as informal archives, preserving details about places, people and events that might otherwise fade. The combination of humour, local memory and accessible storytelling made his work familiar to generations of readers and helped shape the Ulster Herald’s identity in the community.
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1968 | Started writing the column for the Ulster Herald |
| Late 1960s | Voted BBC Radio’s ‘Column of the Year’ |
| 2019 | McKenna’s death, marking the end of his life; the column had run for c.50 years |
Although the author passed away in 2019, the body of work he left behind remains a resource for anyone interested in Omagh’s social history. His handwritten pieces, local anecdotes and observations offer a textured portrait of the town across a period of substantial social and technological change.
What it means for Omagh today
The story of Raymond Na Hatta underscores the importance of preserving local storytelling and the need to support community journalism. For readers and researchers in Omagh, McKenna’s columns are more than nostalgic reflections: they are contemporaneous accounts that map how a community remembers itself. As local media adjusts to new formats and platforms, the value of such consistent, locally rooted voices remains clear.
For those who grew up with the Ulster Herald on their kitchen table, McKenna’s voice remains part of the town’s cultural fabric. His work stands as an example of how a single columnist — beginning with a simple, hand-written piece — can become an institution within a community.
