Armagh << ahr MAH >> is a small, historic city in southern Northern Ireland. It stands amid rolling hills south of Lough Neagh (Lake Neagh). Armagh has long been a religious center for Roman Catholics and Protestants.
Navan Fort, west of Armagh City, served as the base of the kings of Ulster from about 300 B.C. to A.D. 300. Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, founded a church on a hill in Armagh around A.D. 445. A Church of Ireland cathedral now occupies the site. A Roman Catholic cathedral stands on a nearby hill. Other beautiful buildings in the Armagh area include Georgian houses and an observatory. The area’s workers produce chemicals, processed foods, and textiles.
Armagh was once the county town (administrative center) of County Armagh, one of the six historic counties of Northern Ireland. County Armagh ceased to be used as an administrative area in 1973, when local government was reorganized and the county was divided into smaller districts. One of the districts was named Armagh. In 2015, the Armagh district was combined with the Banbridge and Craigavon districts, and a small part of the Dungannon and South Tyrone district. Together, they formed the local government district of Armagh City, Banbridge, and Craigavon.
See also Armagh, County.
