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County Armagh is the smallest county in Ulster with quite varied scenery, ranging from the gentle rolling hills in the south to the wild
moorlands and mountains of the east. Low dry stone walls are everywhere, as befits the old tradition of granting each member of the family
their own piece of land. County Armagh has pretty countryside and lovely streams and woods, accommodating people, fabulous bream fishing
in the Blackwater River, and exhilarating walking in the quiet regions of Clare Glen. However, politics reign here - as befits a region
that is said to be the most Catholic area of Northern Ireland - so don't discuss them. The compact city of Armagh is one of Ireland's oldest,
with a church of some sort standing on the hill here for over 1500 years.
Click on the headings to find out more:
St Patrick is so popular in these parts that Armagh city boasts two St Patrick's cathedrals. St Patrick's Church of Ireland Cathedral in
Armagh was founded in the Middle Ages and St Patrick's Roman Catholic Cathedral was built between 1838 and 1873. Boasting the most advanced
centre for astronomical studies in Britain, the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium at the top of College Hill offers sweeping views
(and views of the planets between September and March on weekdays). The Palace Stables Heritage Centre includes the ruins of a
13th-century Franciscan friary.
Not far from Armagh city, Navan Fort is one of the oldest settlements in Ireland, dating back to the Bronze Age, just two centuries after the
birth of Christ. A visitor centre, designed to resemble a Bronze Age building, presents the history and unveils the legends.
Road Bowling in Armagh - also called `bullets'. This is a major `sport' that is peculiar to Armagh and Cork. It's a big sport with big money bet
on it! It works like this: The basic rules of "road bowling" are similar to golf in that players have to complete a set course in the
least number of shots. The rest of the game is quite different. The players have to throw an 800 gram iron ball along a public road.
To avoid damage to vehicles, officials are positioned at the front and rear of the group to alert Sunday drivers of the oncoming balls.
The game is taken very seriously and attracts big crowds. Bets are placed on individual throws or the final outcome of the game and
they often go as high as 1,000 Euros.
Straight sections of road are no problem for the players. But you need real skills to play the ball around bends in the road and to get out of
the way. Once the ball stops, its position is marked with a clump of grass. A game can cover up to six and a half kilometres and lasts for hours.
The Armagh bowlers are out on the road most weekends and it doesn't cost anything to come along and watch, unless of course you happen to
have a bet and lose.
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