Navan FortA circular hilltop enclosure with a mound inside it, west of Armagh city, known in the old tales as Emain Macha, the seat of the kings of Ulster.
Ard Mhacha
Armagh
A cathedral city in the north and the Ring of Gullion in the south.
- Ulster
- 20 places
- 9 more listings
The list
Top 10 things to do in Armagh
Armagh is a small county with an old city at its middle, where St Patrick's two cathedrals stand on neighbouring hills and Navan Fort sits on a hilltop to the west. The south of the county is the Ring of Gullion, hills around Slieve Gullion with portal tombs and old churches on their slopes, and the north runs down to Lough Neagh.
Navan FortA circular hilltop enclosure with a mound inside it, west of Armagh city, known in the old tales as Emain Macha, the seat of the kings of Ulster.
St Patrick's Church of Ireland CathedralThe Church of Ireland cathedral stands on the hill that gave Armagh its name, on the site of the great stone church that tradition gives to Patrick.
St Patrick's Catholic CathedralThe Catholic cathedral stands on the neighbouring hill, its twin spires above a long flight of steps, built in stages between 1840 and 1904.
Armagh Observatory and PlanetariumMuseum · ArmaghArchbishop Richard Robinson founded the observatory in 1790, and the planetarium on the same grounds opened in 1968 and is the oldest still running in Ireland and Britain.
Slieve GullionMountain · MeighThe highest point in the county, with a forest drive up its side and a passage tomb on the summit, at the centre of the Ring of Gullion.
Gosford Forest ParkForest · MarkethillThe old demesne of the Earls of Gosford outside Markethill, now a forest park of woodland and parkland around the castle, with an arboretum and a walled garden.
The ArgoryHouse and gardens · CharlemontAn Irish gentry house finished in 1824, on a wooded estate above the River Blackwater, off the Derrycaw Road near Moy.
Armagh Robinson LibraryMuseum · ArmaghArchbishop Richard Robinson opened his own collection to the public here in 1771, and a copy of Gulliver's Travels with handwritten notes is on display.
Ballykeel DolmenPrehistoric site · MullaghbawnA portal tomb at the western foot of Slieve Gullion, its granite capstone balanced on three stones at the end of a long cairn.
Oxford IslandNature reserve · LurganNot an island at all but a peninsula reaching into Lough Neagh near Lurgan, a national nature reserve of woodland and meadows with the Lough Neagh Discovery Centre.
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Killevy ChurchesChurch · MeighTwo ruined churches in a graveyard at the foot of Slieve Gullion, on the site of the nunnery that St Moninne founded at Killevy.
Moyry CastleCastle · JonesboroughA small square tower built on rock in 1601 to hold the Moyry Pass, the old road north through the Gap of the North.
Derrymore HouseHouse and gardens · BessbrookA thatched cottage orné built in the late 1770s for Isaac Corry, set in parkland and woods outside Bessbrook that are open to walk.
Peatlands ParkBog · MagheryLowland raised bog kept as a country park, where boardwalks cross a bog garden and the walks run on through woodland and old orchards.
Ardress HouseHouse and gardens · PortadownA 17th century farmhouse remodelled in Georgian times at Annaghmore, with a cobbled farmyard and apple orchards around it.
Armagh County MuseumMuseum · ArmaghThe oldest county museum in Ireland, opened in 1937 in a building with a columned front on the edge of The Mall in Armagh.
Kilnasaggart StoneCemetery · JonesboroughA tall pillar stone carved with crosses inside circles, standing in a field near Jonesborough among smaller cross-carved stones from an early Christian cemetery.
Ballymacdermot Court TombPrehistoric site · BessbrookThe stones of a court tomb laid out on the hillside south of Bessbrook, with the hills of the Ring of Gullion behind.
Newry Canal at Moneypenny's LockCanal · PortadownThe Newry Canal opened in 1742, and its towpath, now a walking and cycling route, passes the lock and lock-keeper's house at Moneypenny's Lock outside Portadown.
Camlough LakeLake · CamloughA glacial ribbon lake in the valley between Slieve Gullion and Camlough Mountain, and the largest lake in the Ring of Gullion.
Where they are
Tap a pin to open the place.
All 20 places are on the map.
in Armagh today
- Navan Fort
- St Patrick's Church of Ireland Cathedral
- St Patrick's Catholic Cathedral
- Armagh Observatory and Planetarium
- Slieve Gullion
- Gosford Forest Park
- The Argory
- Armagh Robinson Library
- Ballykeel Dolmen
- Oxford Island
- Killevy Churches
- Moyry Castle
- Derrymore House
- Peatlands Park
- Ardress House
- Armagh County Museum
- Kilnasaggart Stone
- Ballymacdermot Court Tomb
- Newry Canal at Moneypenny's Lock
- Camlough Lake
Towns
The one with enough in and around it for a page of its own.
More to see in Armagh
9 more places from Northern Ireland’s heritage records and other public sources, linked to an official page where there is one.
Castles and houses1
- Charlemont FortCharlemont
Abbeys and churches1
- Armagh Franciscan FriaryArmagh
Ancient sites7
- Haughey's FortArmagh
- The King's StablesArmagh
- Annaghmare Court TombCrossmaglen
- Clonlum South CairnMeigh
- The King's RingJonesborough
- Lisdoo CashelJonesborough
- Lisnamintry RathPortadown
Music in Armagh
Trad sessions, venues and festivals.
Where to hear it
Sessions come and go: check with the pub before you travel.
Getting to Armagh
- By air
- Belfast International Airport, Belfast City Airport, Dublin Airport
- By rail
- Stations at Portadown, Lurgan, Newry and Poyntzpass, on the Belfast to Dublin line.
- By road
- The M1, A1, A3, A28 and A29.
Questions
What are the best things to do in Armagh?
Our top three are Navan Fort, St Patrick's Church of Ireland Cathedral and St Patrick's Catholic Cathedral. The full list of twenty is at the top of this page, and every place on it has a page of its own.
What can you do in Armagh for free?
Walks and open ground cost nothing to visit. On our list that includes Slieve Gullion and Gosford Forest Park. Some forest parks charge for the car park, so check parking and access with the place before you go.
What is on in Armagh?
Our event listings come from Fáilte Ireland and cover the Republic, so events in Armagh do not show here. For music, the venues and festivals are on the music page.
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