Six places make this list, and they sit at opposite ends of the county. Armagh City is the obvious starting point: Ireland’s ecclesiastical capital, with two cathedrals named for St Patrick facing each other across a pair of hills, a Georgian Mall laid out on a former racecourse, and a planetarium holding Ireland’s largest meteorite. It is a walkable city, and the cathedrals, the Mall and the 18th-century library are all within a short stroll of one another. North of it, Lurgan is a different proposition altogether, a planned linen town of wide straight streets from the Plantation era, with Lurgan Park behind it, 250-odd acres and a lake, the largest urban park in Northern Ireland.
The rest of the list runs south. Crossmaglen, Cullaville and Newtownhamilton are all South Armagh, close enough to make an afternoon of the three by car. Crossmaglen is built around Cardinal Ó Fiaich Square, five acres of it; Cullaville sits on the border crossroads where the A37 becomes the N53, with the River Fane carrying the frontier through the village; Newtownhamilton is roughly 11 miles west of Newry on the Armagh road, its square still used for a weekly cattle market. Richhill, in the orchard country nearer Armagh City, is at its busiest in October for the Apple Harvest Fayre.
Ireland's ecclesiastical capital, with twin St Patrick's cathedrals on facing hills, a Georgian Mall, an 18th-century library and a planetarium in walking distance.
A planned linen town whose wide Plantation streets back onto Lurgan Park, 250-odd acres around a lake and the largest urban park in Northern Ireland.
South Armagh's biggest village, built around a five-acre square, with a court tomb, fishing at Lough Ross and the Ring of Gullion nearby.
The county's southernmost village, split by the River Fane frontier, where the post office and old station stand across the water in Monaghan.
Laid out around 1770 on the western edge of the Ring of Gullion, with a wide square that still fills for a weekly cattle market.
6 of 6 shown — tap a pin for the place.
Northern Ireland, armagh
Armagh is Ireland's ecclesiastical capital, with two cathedrals named for St Patrick on facing hills and a Georgian Mall laid out where a racecourse used to be. Between them you can read a first edition of Gulliver's Travels in an 18th-century library, touch Ireland's largest meteorite at the planetarium, and taste cider from the orchards that ring the city.
Lurgan, armagh
Lurgan grew up as a planned linen town, its wide straight streets a legacy of the Plantation of Ulster. Behind it lies the largest urban park in Northern Ireland – 250-odd acres around a lake, with Brownlow House above and the rare Coalbrookdale Fountain, one of only four of its kind left in the world, on the main avenue.
Crossmaglen, armagh
Cullaville, armagh
Newry, armagh
armagh
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