10 Iconic Buildings to Explore in Armagh

Checkout places to visit in Armagh

Armagh

County Armagh is one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland and one of six counties of Northern Ireland. There are so many attractions to explore and also it is one of the historical localities in this area.

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Iconic Buildings to Explore in Armagh

Archbishop's Palace, Armagh

The Archbishop’s Palace, Armagh, Northern Ireland, is a landmark Neo-Classical building located on 300 acres of parkland just south of the centre of the city. The building served as primary residence of the Church of Ireland Archbishops of Armagh for over two hundred years, from 1770 to 1975, and thereafter as headquarters of Armagh City and District Council from then until April 2015 when that local authority was replaced following the reform of local government.

Archdiocese of Armagh

The Archdiocese of Armagh is an Irish Roman Catholic archdiocese. The ordinary is the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Armagh who is also the Metropolitan of the Ecclesiastical province of Armagh and the Primate of All Ireland. The mother church is St Patrick's Cathedral. The claim of the archdiocese to pre-eminence in Ireland as the primatial see rests upon its traditional establishment by Saint Patrick circa 445. It was recognised as a metropolitan province in 1152 by the Synod of Kells.

Armagh Robinson Library

This is the oldest library in Northern Ireland, founded in 1771 by Archbishop Richard Robinson as part of his plans to establish a university. Carved in stone above the Library’s public entrance is the original Greek inscription meaning “the healing place of the soul”, a message that still resonates today. There are some 42,000 printed works, covering subjects such as early medicine, science, history, law, politics, theology and travel, as well as maps and atlases.

Benburb Castle

Benburb Castle was built in the 1610's by Sir Richard Wingfield during the Plantation. It was probably built on the site of an earlier stronghold of Shane O’Neill, on a cliff above a bend in the Blackwater River; the border between the counties of Tyrone and Armagh. It was then called the Wingfield Bawn. The castle has been restored and stands in the grounds of the imposing Servite Priory, a religious order based in the village.

Dan Winter's House

Dan Winter’s House is located at the Diamond near the small town of Loughgall in County Armagh and is run by Hilda Winter who has maintained the cottage in its original condition. This small cottage museum is one of the hidden gems we come across from time to time, full of history and a place to see in Co Armagh. The Winter family lived in the house right up until the 1950s, and today its rooms are crammed with Orange & Winter ephemera.

Gosford Castle

This is a 19th-century country house situated in Gosford, a townland of Markethill, County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It was built for The 2nd Earl of Gosford, and designed in the Norman revival style by London architect Thomas Hopper. It is a Grade A listed building,and is said to be Ulster's largest. The Earls of Gosford occupied the castle until 1921, and the estate was later purchased by the Ministry of Agriculture to form Gosford Forest Park.

Milford House

Milford House was the one of its age. The most technologically advanced house in 19th century Ireland - the first in Ireland to be lit with hydro electricity. The creation of Robert Garmany McCrum, self made industrialist, benefactor and inventor who revolutionized the linen industry. His son William invented the penalty kick rule in football and his daughter Harriette was a founding member of the women’s suffragette movement in Ireland.

National Trust - The Argory

This handsome Irish gentry house is surrounded by its 130-hectare wooded riverside estate. The former home of the MacGeough Bond family, a tour of this neo-classical masterpiece reveals it is unchanged since 1900 – the eclectic interior still evoking the family's tastes and interests. Outside there are sweeping vistas, superb spring bulbs, scenic walks and fascinating courtyard displays.

No 5 Vicars’ Hill

No 5 was built in 1772 as the Diocesan Registry by Archbishop Richard Robinson as part of his plans for the improvement of the City of Armagh. From the outside No 5 looks no different from the houses on either side. However, its small hallway opens into two beautiful, octagonal rooms with vaulted ceilings. The building used to hold records for the Church of Ireland and Armagh Diocese: the octagonal rooms contained many public as well as Church records.

The Museum of Orange Heritage, Sloan's House

Sloan’s House is a site of iconic significance in the history of the formation and heritage of the Orange Order. Following the Battle of the Diamond in 1795, the Orange Order was founded at a meeting held in James Sloan’s House. This is an opportunity to experience the early days of the Institution with an exhibition telling its story along with a replica parlour scene giving visitors a glimpse into that time.

Map of Iconic Buildings to explore in Armagh