Armagh is a city in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, with a population in 2021 of 16,400. It's regarded as the ecclesiastic capital of all Ireland by both Protestants and Roman Catholics. It's no longer a "county town" as there's no such unit of governance in Northern Ireland, but since 2015 it's formed part of the Armagh-Banbridge-Craigavon "super-district" covering the northern half of historic County Armagh.

Armagh was a religious and secular power centre even in pagan times. In 432 AD St Patrick literally capitalised on this tradition by building his first stone church here and declaring it to be the country's Christian capital. (Or at least, he did so in any history controlled by the Armagh church: earlier christianising missionaries elsewhere in Ireland were studiously ignored, so today they have local observances but don't get to stop the New York traffic with a big annual parade.) The site of that 5th century church is now Saint Patrick's Cathedral, the seat of the Church of Ireland (ie Protestant) Archbishop & Primate of All Ireland. Here as elsewhere, the Protestants ejected the Catholics from their churches, and forbade them to build anew. Only in the 19th century was that prohibition abolished, so on the neighbouring hilltop was built St Patrick's Roman Catholic Cathedral, the seat of the RC Archbishop & Primate of All Ireland.

The religious divide was exacerbated by the national divide: after the Irish partition Armagh found itself in Northern Ireland, but with a large population who were Catholic and supportive of the republican cause, and with a nearby porous border with the Republic. "The Troubles" of 1969-1998 were very bitter hereabouts, with 86 deaths, and the place became run-down as business and individuals took flight.

Armagh lost its city status in 1840 but this was restored in 1994 - it's ceremonial, and the place continues to feel like a medium-sized town. After "The Troubles" were calmed by the Good Friday Agreement, Belfast and Londonderry successfully relaunched themselves as lively destinations for travel and business, but Armagh hasn't yet done so. It's still worth visiting for itself and as a base for exploring the county.

Visitor information is available online and at the museum.

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Map of Armagh

By road from Belfast and the ferry ports follow M1 west to Craigavon then A3 through Portadown. From Dublin follow M1 / N1 / A1 north across the border to Newry then A28 to Armagh.

Goldliner Bus 251 takes 70 min from Belfast Grand Central via Lurgan and Portadown. It's hourly M-F, two-hourly Sa and only four buses on Sunday.

Goldliner 270 / 271 runs once a day on the same route, and from Armagh continues to Monaghan, Clones and Cavan Town.

Goldliner 278 runs in university term-time, with one bus Su-F from Monaghan via Armagh to Moy, Dungannon, Cookstown, Magherafelt, Garvagh, Coleraine, Ulster University, Portstewart and Portrush.

Ulsterbus 61 runs hourly from Craigavon and Portadown, taking 35 min.

Ulsterbus 72 runs every two hours from Dungannon, taking 40 min.

Ulsterbus 40 runs every two hours from Newry, taking an hour.

Ulsterbus 70 runs from Monaghan, taking 40 min, with five M-F and two on Saturday.

54.3511-6.65411 Armagh Bus Station is on Lonsdale Rd in town centre.

Armagh is small enough to explore on foot. Ulsterbus 73 passes Navan fort on the road to Killylea and Caledon, but it's a sparse service.

Taxi firms are Callan (+44 28 3751 1170), Eurocabs (+44 28 3751 1900) and Diamond (+44 28 3752 5204).

National Cycleway 91 runs mostly on-road from Portadown to Armagh, Monaghan and Enniskillen. Route 95 runs from Armagh to Dungannon, Cookstown and Strabane.

• 54.3479-6.65621 St Patrick's Cathedral (Church of Ireland), 43 Abbey St BT61 7DY, ☏ +44 28 3752 3142. Apr-Sep M-Sa 9AM-5PM; Oct-Mar M W-Sa 9AM-1PM. The first church on this site was in 445 and the present building is from the 13th century, but it's been wrecked and rebuilt 17 times. What you see now is mostly from the 1830s and 40s. The body of Brian Boru, killed in victory at Clontarf in 1014, was taken to Swords then interred at Armagh: a slab on the exterior wall of the north transept denotes the spot. Adult £4, conc £3.50, child free. (updated Jun 2025)
• Armagh Robinson Library, 43 Abbey St BT61 7DY (50 yards north of C of I cathedral), ☏ +44 28 3752 3142. M-F 10AM-1PM, 2-4PM. The oldest library in Northern Ireland, founded in 1771 by Archbishop Robinson. It has a rich collection of 17th- and 18th-century books, including Jonathan Swift's own copy of the first edition of his Gulliver's Travels with his manuscript corrections. You need a prior appointment to see most of these. Free. (updated Jun 2025)

• 54.3524-6.65872 St Patrick's Cathedral (Roman Catholic), 41 Cathedral Rd BT61 7QX, ☏ +44 28 3752 2813. Daily 9AM-5PM. Built in Gothic Revival style between 1840 and 1904, the RC cathedral has an impressive interior, the mosaics and woodwork being especially pleasing. It's perched on a hillock and you approach via a grand exterior stairway. St. Patrick's is an active parish church, with Masses, weddings and funerals. Guided tours must be booked two weeks in advance. Guided tour £5. (updated Jun 2025)
• 54.344-6.65353 Franciscan Friary is a ruin just south of town centre. It was founded in 1263 but dissolved in 1542 by Henry VIII.
• 54.3506-6.65194 Royal Irish Fusiliers Museum, The Mall East BT61 9DL, ☏ +44 28 3752 2911. Tu-F 10AM-12:30PM, 1:30-4PM. Small museum of this infantry regiment, formed in 1881 and amalgamated into the Royal Irish Rangers in 1968. (updated Jun 2025)
• 54.3494-6.64915 Armagh County Museum, The Mall East BT61 9BE, ☏ +44 28 3752 3070. M-F 10AM-5PM, Sa 10AM-4PM. Displaying local natural and social history, and art. The reference library has local archives, photo and map collections. Visitor information is also available at the museum. Free. (updated Jun 2025)

• 54.3519-6.64836 Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, College Hill BT61 9DB, ☏ +44 28 3752 3689. Tu-Su 10AM-5PM. It's a working observatory only open for arranged tours and planetarium shows. (updated Jun 2025)
• Other notable buildings in town are the Gaol (primarily a women's prison, it closed in 1986), the Market House which is now a library, and the Archbishop's Palace, chapel and stables which are now council offices.
• 54.3453-6.71867 Navan Fort (Emain Macha), 81 Killylea Road BT60 4LD (two miles west of town centre), ☏ +44 28 3752 9644. Tu-Su 10AM-5PM. There are neolithic and Bronze Age remnants here, but the main structure was built in 95 BC: a timber roundhouse 40 m in diameter, which was then packed with stones, set on fire and covered with earth to create the present mound. This seems to have been a religious sacrifice, not destruction of a defensive "fort". The small nearby roundhouse is a modern reconstruction. Other nearby sites are Haughey's Fort a Bronze Age ringfort, and King's Stables an artificial hollow that may have been used for washing horses and chariots. Adult £6. (updated Jun 2025)
• 54.3071-6.51368 Gosford Forest Park, Mullabrack Rd, Markethill BT60 1GD (6 miles south east of Armagh). Daily 8AM-dusk. 19th-century country house got up like a Norman castle; it fell into rack and ruin in the 20th century, but in 2008 was converted to private dwellings. So you can't tour inside, the reason to come is for the extensive woods and parkland. Parking £5. (updated Jun 2025)

• Armagh Guided Tours explore the town and surrounds.
• Cinema: Omniplex is on Market Street.
• Market Place Theatre and Arts Centre is just behind the cinema, Box Office +44 28 3752-1821
• Golf: County Armagh Golf Club is at 7 Newry Rd, south edge of town. White tees 6212 yards, par 70.

Loughgall GC: see Portadown.

• Gaelic games: the County GAA team plays Gaelic football and hurling at the Athletic Grounds (capacity 18,500), off Killylea Rd half a mile west of town centre.
• Football: the Northern Ireland soccer season is Aug-May the same as the rest of UK.

Armagh City play in the NIFL Championship, the second tier. Their Holm Park Stadium (capacity 3000) is 2 miles east of city centre.

Loughgall FC also play in the NIFL Championship. Their home ground is Lakeview Park (capacity 1650) in Loughgall five miles north of Armagh.

• Fitness: There are leisure centres at Armagh City Hotel, Orchard LC on Folly Lane, and Cathedral Rd.
• Orange Order Parade is held on 12 July each year, but see the Parades Commission listing for smaller events throughout the year.

• The main shopping centre is The Mall. Sainsbury's here is open M-W Sa 8AM-8PM, Th F 8AM-9PM, Su 1-6PM.

• Shapla Indian, 39 Lower English St BT61 7LJ, ☏ +44 28 3751 8880. Daily 4-11:30PM. Reliable Indian 100 yards north of bus station. (updated Jun 2025)
• English Street is the main strip, with Shapla (above), Spice Lounge, Mulberry Bistro, Desburrito, Dante's, Lit Cafe, Embers, Uluru (below) and Indian Nights.
• Uluru Bar & Grill, 3 Market St BT61 7BX, ☏ +44 28 3751 8051. Tu-Su noon-8PM. Brighty and breezy Australian place, with 160 places over two floors. (updated Jun 2025)

• Pubs along main drag include Devlin's, McKenna's, Hughes, Turner's, Vintage Lounge Bar, Rafferty's, Red Ned and Hole in the Wall.
• Distillery: See Dungannon for Woodlab gin.

• 54.3448-6.65051 Armagh City Hotel, 2 Friary Road BT60 4FR, ☏ +44 28 3751 8888. A clean and comfortable hotel next to the Palace grounds, with a large conference centre. Some street noise in front-facing rooms. B&B double £200. (updated Jun 2025)
• 54.3503-6.65522 Charlemont Arms Hotel, 57 Upper English St BT61 7LB, ☏ +44 28 3752 2028. Reliable mid-range hotel in town centre, with Victorian public areas but modern rooms. Has two restaurants, service slow in both. B&B double £130. (updated Jun 2025)
• Seven Houses is a quirky B&B at 49 Upper English St, 100 yards south of Charlemont Arms.
• 54.3382-6.66593 The Meadows, 18 Monaghan Rd BT60 4DA, ☏ +44 28 3752 5257. Pleasant welcoming B&B southwest edge of town. (updated Jun 2025)
• 54.3095-6.7054 Drumspittal House, 9 Ballynagolan Rd, Milford BT60 3PW, ☏ +44 28 3751 5305. Lovely B&B in the hills 4 miles southwest. B&B double £100. (updated Jun 2025)
• 54.3737-6.66145 Little Acres Camping, 21 Lisdonwilly Rd BT60 8DY, ☏ +44 7739 230246. Clean well-equipped site a mile north of town, open May-Sep. No pets. Tent £20, hook-up £33. (updated Jun 2025)

To call a number in Northern Ireland from the Republic, use area code 048 with no country code. The +44 28 versions given above also work but incur international rates.

As of June 2025, Armagh and its approach roads have 4G with EE, Three and Vodafone, and 5G from O2.

If you venture near the border, take care that your mobile doesn't latch on to an Irish carrier, which may incur extra charges.

• Belfast is a great city destination, with lots to see and do.
• Cookstown has several nearby prehistoric sites, and the "Beetling Mill" where linen was given its fine finish.
• Newry won't detain you long, but it's on the route to Drogheda, Dublin and the Mourne Mountains.

Monaghan ← continues as ←	SW  NE	→ Portadown → Lisburn
Coleraine ← Dungannon ←	N  S	→ continues as → Dundalk