Armagh

Armagh City is the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland. Famous for Saint Patrick who built his first stone church here, the Christian Capital of Ireland is rich in cultural heritage, graceful architecture and ancient legend. St. Patrick’s Cathedral was founded on the hill of Armagh in 445 AD and there has been a Christian church on the site ever since. Over the course of Ireland’s troubled history, the cathedral has been destroyed and rebuilt at least seventeen times. The Cathedral is far more though than a stop on a tour bus; it still houses parishioners daily, where men and women gather to worship. Armagh is filled with things to see and do. The Argory is an atmospheric Irish gentry house of the 1820s, unchanged since the 1900’s. The house has no electricity, so plan on viewing the spectacular furnishings and paintings on bright days. Armagh also has one of Ireland’s only planetariums that has star shows daily. There are a number of museums, heritage centers, gardens and markets to keep visitors to Armagh busy for days.