Armagh

Historic county of Northern Ireland, bordering Lough Neagh to the north and the Republic of Ireland to the south; area 1,250 sq km/483 sq mi. The principal towns and cities are Armagh, Craigavon, and Keady. The county is flat in the north, with many bogs and mounds formed from glacial deposits, and has low hills in the south, the highest of which is Slieve Gullion (574 m/1,883 ft). The principal rivers are the Bann, the Blackwater, and its tributary, the Callan. Administrative responsibility for the county is held by the councils of Craigavon and Armagh.

Armagh is the smallest county of Northern Ireland. The River Blackwater, which flows into Lough Neagh, forms the western boundary with County Tyrone; County Down lies to the east. The hills of igneous rock encircling Slieve Gullion form part of the border with County Louth in the Republic of Ireland.

The archaeological site of Emain Macha (in English Navan Fort), a large earthwork 4 km/2.5 mi west of the city of Armagh, is reputed to have been built by Queen Macha in 300 BC. This was the seat of the kings of Ulster until AD 332, and, dominated by the O'Neills in the late middle ages, the territory was resettled in the plantation of Ulster. The county of Armagh has been significant in many conflicts over territory, including battles over Ulster between the British and Irish during the 17th–19th centuries. Other features include Blackwater River Park, the 17th-century manor Ardress House, and Camagh Forest.

Armagh

City and county town of County Armagh, Northern Ireland; population (2001) 14,600. Industries include textiles, including linen; the manufacture of shoes, optical instruments, and chemicals; and engineering and food processing. The city became the religious centre of Ireland in the 5th century when St Patrick was made archbishop.

History

The Anglican Cathedral The Church of Ireland cathedral (13th century, remodelled 19th century) occupies the traditional site of the church built by St Patrick. It houses several fine monuments, including pre-Christian stone statues (one of which is reputed to be of the legendary queen, Macha), and a statue of Thomas Molyneux, an 18th-century physician, by French sculptor Louis Roubiliac.

Other attractions Emain Macha, also known as Navan Fort, is a large earthwork or hill fort 4 km/2.5 mi to the west of Armagh, which dates back to the late Bronze Age. The Navan Centre is an interpretive centre located nearby that represents the pre-Christian and Celtic world of the hill fort. At Béal an Átha Buidhe, 3 km/2 mi to the north of Armagh, is the site of a battle where English troops under Henry Bagenal were defeated by Hugh O'Neill's army in 1598.

In the heart of Armagh city is a visitor centre, St Patrick's Trian (pronounced Tree-an) Heritage Centre (named after the city's ancient districts), featuring three major exhibitions: Armagh Story, Patrick's Testament, and Land of Lilliput. Armagh has many graceful buildings. The city was the birthplace of the distinguished 18th-century architect Francis Johnston, who influenced Georgian Dublin. Johnston designed Armagh's Georgian Mall, its classical Courthouse, Archbishop's Palace and Chapel (1770), whose stable and courtyard are now a heritage centre, its Observatory (1791), now housing the planetarium, and the still operational Royal School (1774). In the public library there is a signed first edition of Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels (1726).

Ardress House, a 17th-century mansion, is 14 km/9 mi north of the city. The ruins of a 13th-century Franciscan friary have been restored to form an equestrian heritage centre. The Gothic Revival Catholic cathedral was constructed 1840–73.

Armagh

Administrative region in the far south of Northern Ireland, with a border with the Republic of Ireland, and serving an area in the south of County Armagh; area 671 sq km/259 sq mi; population (2001) 54,300. The towns under the council's remit include Armagh, Richill, Markethill, Keady, Hamiltonsbawn, and Loughall. The principal sources of employment include agriculture, the service sector, education, retail, local government, and tourism.