Armagh

I

Introduction

Armagh, former county in the south-east of Northern Ireland, bounded by Lough Neagh to the north, Down to the east, the Irish Republic to the south-east and south-west, and Tyrone to the west. It had a land area of 1,254 sq km (484 sq mi) and was the smallest of the six historic counties of Northern Ireland, from north to south about 52 km (32 mi) and from east to west 32 km (20 mi).

II

Land and Resources

The land is hilly but not high; red sandstone is found in the area bordering Lough Neagh and limestone skirts the rivers Blackwater and Callan. Red marble is found near Armagh. The soil is generally fertile. North Armagh, around Loughgall, is a fruit-growing area for apples and strawberries.

The principal rivers are the Blackwater and the Callan. Loughs Clay, Ross, St Peter, and St Patrick are small. The Newry Canal was built in 1729 to connect Lough Neagh with Carlingford Bay.

The climate is mild with average January temperature 4° C and July 16° C. The mean annual rainfall is 750 to 1,000 mm (30 to 40 in).

III

Population and Administration

The six counties of Northern Ireland were reorganized in the mid-1970s and divided into smaller administrative divisions known as district councils. The area of the former county of Armagh was split into three in 1975; into two district councils, Armagh and Craigavon, and the southern portion of the county joined Newry and Mourne in what was the county of Down. The northern part of the original county, around the shores of Lough Neagh and the towns of Lurgan and Portadown, is now part of Craigavon. The present-day borough of Armagh is focused on the town of Armagh (population, 1991, 14,640). Other important towns include Lurgan (1991, 21,905), Portadown (1991, 21,299), Markethill (1991, 1,337), and Craigavon.

Twelfth-century St Malachy, a successor to St Patrick, was born in Armagh. Irish writer and painter George Russell (better known as “Æ”), was born in Lurgan, and poet George Benedict Muldoon was born in Portadown. County Armagh was also the birthplace of politician Ian Paisley.

IV

Places of Interest

County Armagh is often called the Orchard county due to the high number of apple trees in the area. Armagh is a cathedral city for both the Catholic and Protestant primates of Ireland. It was here that St Patrick founded a monastery in about 445; there has been a Christian church on the site ever since. Today, a visitor complex that traces the story of the saint, St Patrick’s Trian, can be found in the city. The city holds an arts festival each year in October. Besides being a centre of cultural and ecclesiastic life, it is also an administrative centre, and an industrial and market town. The Royal School was founded in 1608, a library in 1771, the observatory was established in 1791, and a planetarium in 1968. Armagh County Museum is the oldest museum in Ireland and houses all kinds of historical exhibits. Loughgall Country Park, in the Armagh district, has many marked trails and a large fishing lake, while Gosford Park at Markethill has at its centre Gosford Castle. Ardress House, a National Trust property at Annaghmore, is a 17th-century plantation house. At Keady there is a Heritage Centre that details local industrial archaeology.

At Silverwood in Craigavon is the Barn Museum, which teaches about farming in times gone by. Lough Gullion, north of Portadown, is in the Lough Neagh basin and attracts a variety of wildlife. On the shores of Lough Neagh is the village of Maghery, and Maghery Country Park and Coney Island are found in the vicinity. The latter is the only island with any inhabitants on Lough Neagh. The Ring of Gullion, a ring-dyke, in south Armagh is an ancient area with many historic sites, including two circular ring forts, Kilnasaggart Stone, and Moyry Castle.