Axed after more than 60 years as an annual highlight for local schoolchildren, the sports day fell victim to a dwindling number of organisers and complex health and safety and insurance issues.
However, Dromore publican Mrs. Helen McFadden (pictured above) quickly offered to help organise a reworked event, likely as part of a wider festival, and in January this year she called what was to be the first in a series of meetings with that aim in mind.
The end result is a 'Festival of Sport', held as part of the annual May Fair in town and including a children's sports evening hosted by Dromore Athletics Club on May 15 at Dromore Community Centre.
The event will be open to Dromore Central and St. Colman's Primary School pupils and everyone participating is invited to take part in the fancy dress competition, also revived, and the street parade, on Fair day itself, May 17.
The wider sports festival will run from May 13-16 and include events organised by Dromore Walking Club, Dromore Karate Club, Dromore Netball Club and Dromore Amateurs Football Club, with a later, associated event to be held by Dromore Rugby Club on May 24.
A Banbridge District Council spokesperson said, "The idea for this festival was conceived by representatives from local community and sports clubs who are keen to see community sport activities such as a Children's Sports Day taking place in Dromore.
"Working in partnership with the Council, festival organisers wanted to develop a range of sports activities for young people that would complement the popular May Fair event."
Meanwhile, the woman who got the ball rolling is as much delighted with the new festival and she was appalled by the cancellation of the traditional school sports.
Mrs. McFadden said, "We had a public meeting and since then we've been meeting every fortnight with the local clubs, putting together as many sporting activities as there are clubs who want to be associated with it.
"I'm very well pleased that so many have come on board, really chuffed about that, and I'm happy, what with all the issues involved, that we have been able to piggy-back onto the May Fair; it's great."
Mrs. McFadden said she hoped this first Festival of Sport would be a "stepping-stone" to an even bigger and better event, with more local clubs taking part in future.
Meanwhile, she may be turning her attention to another possible revival, that of the annual motorcycle/vintage vehicle cavalcade that ran in town for a few years.
"I have been asked by a number of different people if we couldn't bring back the motorcycle/vintage cavalcade and I would love to do something like that too, whether connected to the May Fair or not," she said.
(Fancy-dress judging will take place at 4pm at Dromore Central Primary School - categories: 'most topical', 'nursery rhymes', 'prettiest', 'groups' - adults also welcome to take part).