By Mark McKelvey

Mary McCartan was simply born to do; an active person who uses any spare time she may have in pursuit of further achievements and developments, not only for herself but in the lives of others.

The saying goes "the Devil makes work for idle hands." Well, Mary will never had that problem as a 40-year-old farmer's wife with two teenage boys, a businesswoman, entrepreneur and president of Omagh Chamber of Commerce, which is a full-time job in itself, lobbying government to help provide Omagh with a bright, vibrant future.

Mary was brought up in Arvalee, helping out as a video editor for Crystalvision, her family's television production company. That provided her with a good grounding for the business world.

Mary initially trained as a nurse, working in the Tyrone County Hospital, before living in America for a year in 1989. It was this time in Philadelphia that proved to be the turning point in her life.

"It was in America where I discovered Montessori education and I knew immediately it was a method of education I wanted to see in Northern Ireland," says Mary.

Montessori is a method of education used all around the world, whose essence promotes the individuality of the child.

Mary explains, "Montessori educates to the individual rather than the group, looking at the child as a whole, the spirituality, physical, psychological and academic aspects of the child from all ages. We are all born into this world with this drive to learn and create.

"Children learn at different speeds and different ways, this environment allows the child to choose their activities for the day, free to choose the direction they want to go in, creating from a young age a self motivation that carries on through their life."

On her return to Ireland, Mary studied this teaching method at St Nicholas Montessori Teaching Training College in Dublin for two years in 1990-91. She uses this qualification through her childcare business, Treehouse Kindergarten based in Arvalee and Omagh College where she operates a pre-school Montessori curriculum.

"We look at practical life skills, how to put on your coat, how to pour, how to spoon, how to use a pencil for example allowing them to develop the skills they need, giving them confidence and self-belief by making daily choices."

Mary is so passionate about this method she introduced the Montessori course to Omagh College in 1998 in a joint venture with St Nicholas College. It was Mary's drive and initiative that brought both institutions together for Omagh College to offer a BA degree in Humanities and Montessori Education.

Out of her training in Montessori, Mary has gained an interest in business development, and is fervent about helping others succeed. So in 1999, she became a founding member of the Network for Enterprising Women that was set up by businesswomen in Tyrone and Fermanagh.

Mary explained, "We found women in business were very isolated out here in the west, so we set up this forum for women to meet and train to help and encourage them to set up their own business because that stepping stone we found was harder than a man just to get finance and be taken seriously."

This strong belief in economic development led Mary to become a member of the Omagh Chamber of Commerce.

"The reason I first got involved with the Chamber was through their health committee as it was an area in which I had an interest," explained Mary. "They have done some fantastic work over the past few years through a difficult period in Omagh, meeting with the relevant ministers and departments with a different approach."

The Chamber's main work of late is to get Omagh's name into central government as much as possible, lobbying with many ministers and heads of department.

"It is a matter of knocking on the doors, telling Omagh's story, giving a very positive approach to them. That has been our mission, to talk Omagh up," asserted Mary.

"We asked them directly if this government is committed to the whole country and committed to decentralisation, is committed to every citizen of Northern Ireland, why can't we have a government department in the west? Why does our young people have to move to Belfast? Young people have the right for progression in a civil service career in the west so why not here?

"Omagh has a lot of strategic sites already, so we ask in a big hearted way and will keep asking and pushing Omagh's case for one of these new government departments to be located here.

"It is important to offer a solution rather than be negative. The only way to move forward is to network and put your business case across, saying Omagh is open for business, we have young people that are highly trained, a college that will accommodate and provide the education that you need for the workforce, a vibrant town with good schools, we have a good quality of life, a place the government should consider for investment.

"The business forum office markets and promotes the town through all possible avenues and together we are looking to provide a sustainable viable future for the town, building a town that attracts new people and new businesses, and to achieve that we are going to have to work together and encourage anyone with a good business idea."

Behind the scenes it has been the dedicated work of the Chamber that secured the money for the recently completed environmental scheme in Omagh and for part of the investment for the new Arts Centre by lobbying the government and creating a good relationship with the relevant minister.

"We are not interested in how it is got or who gets credit for it, all we care about is that it gets done, and that is the great strength of the Chamber," declared Mary.

Looking towards the future the Chamber is developing a 2020 strategy, being pro-active to create a better quality of life for the district and will be addressing the vital issue of affordable housing for first time buyers.

As Omagh is in a unique situation of having a 188-acre area of prime development land in the town centre due to the immanent closure of the Glenelly and St Lucia Barracks next summer they are also addressing what options this creates.

Mary said, "We have submitted a consultation paper to the government and challenged Mr Hanson (Regional Development Minister) on this issue. We would like to see it uses as a continuation of the town, not a competitor of the town.

"What we have really asked is for consultation so it of use to the people and gets the proper development, if it simply sold of to the highest bidder we don't know what it could be used for."

With a creative, positive and pro-active person like Mary, along with her colleagues in the Chamber, striving for economic development for the Omagh district, a sustainable, vibrant future surely awaits.