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If you are planning to Visit Armagh this weekend as part of European Heritage Open Day you won’t be disappointed!\u00a0 Earlier this week I was invited on an exclusive preview of the City and what it has to offer.<\/p>\nIf you are planning to Visit Armagh this weekend as part of European Heritage Open Day you won’t be disappointed!\u00a0 Earlier this week I was invited on an exclusive preview of the City and what it has to offer.<\/p>\n
My journey from Upperlands to Armagh took just over hour, on a beautiful sunny Monday morning where I was given a very warm welcome by my guide Carol Conlin at my first stop which was the Armagh Robinson Library & No 5<\/a>.<\/strong>\u00a0 Step back into the 18th century into this\u00a0beautiful library is a feast for the eyes and the grey matter with one of their jewels being a first edition of Gullivers Travels by Jonathan Swift. Established in 1771 by Archbishop Robinson, the library is inviting to all ages with a vast collection of the Archbishop’s books numbering around 42,000.<\/p>\n Carol then took me to No 5 Vicar’s Hill<\/strong>, VERY deceiving, as from the outside it appear to be no different from the rest of the houses on Vicar’s Hill, but one inside I was amazed by the octagonal rooms and vaulted ceilings which are home to\u00a0examples of the Library\u2019s collections, such as Roman and Medieval coins, Neolithic stone tools, Bronze Age weapons, Irish hand bells and eighteenth century fine art.\u00a0\u00a0No 5 will be holding a book sale during this\u00a0 year\u2019s\u00a0#<\/span>EHODNI<\/span><\/span><\/a>, Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th September!\u00a0\u00a0The opening hours will be 10.00am – 6.00pm on Saturday, and 2.00pm – 6.00pm on Sunday.<\/p>\n My next stop was the COI St Patrick’s Cathedral<\/strong> where my guide, David Bingham, gave me a whistle stop tour of both the Cathedral and the Crypt, which is well worth a visit. David is a very knowledgeable guide with a clear passion for the history of the Cathedral. Find out more at\u00a0www.stpatricks-cathedral.org<\/a><\/p>\n Just a few minutes walk away is St Patrick’s Catholic Cathedral<\/strong> where I met Joe Ryan who gave me a tour of the Cathedral and as much history as he could impart in the time given including the stories behind the stain glass windows, renovations, architecture, architects and much more. To find out more and how to book a tour of the Cathedral go to\u00a0www.armagharchdiocese.org\/st-patricks-cathedral\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n Next stop before lunch was a fun guided walking tour of the City by Sheila Rooney who I met at the Armagh Visitor Information Centre<\/strong> on English Street. Sheila gave me a detailed and animated tour of the city Centre including myths, legends and historical facts.\u00a0 The tour took in the beautiful Georgian architecture, the Mall, the Cathedrals, and much more. This tour is perfect for anyone who wants to explore more of what the City has to offer.<\/p>\n Lunch was in Uluru<\/strong> – an Australian bar and grill that I have wanted to visit for years having followed them on social media and I was not let down.\u00a0 I was greeted by Jonathan who is a very cool guy and made sure I was well looked after with the kitchen going out of their way to meet my vegetarian diet. I opted for the Beetroot Salad and the Stuffed Peppers, and dessert was very kindly off menu and a lovely fresh fruit bowl. This is a very comfortable affordable restaurant right in the heart of the city with something to suit everyone’s taste. Find them online at\u00a0ulurubarandgrill.com\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n After being very well fed and watered I got back into my car and drove the short journey to the beautiful village Loughgall where I met the lovely Hilda Winters at Dan Winters Cottage,\u00a0<\/strong>where the initial idea of forming the Orange Order was hatched.\u00a0 Orange Memorabilia adorns every wall of every room in the cottage which an historians goldmine.\u00a0 Hilda very kindly gave me a tour of the cottage and a brief history of her husband’s family before treating me to THE best apple pie I have ever had!\u00a0 (made with her own Armagh Apples of course!).\u00a0 The cottage is still in original condition. You can find out more and book online at\u00a0www.danwinterscottage.com\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n Next on the itinerary was the relatively new Sloane’s House Museum<\/strong>.\u00a0The Museum of Orange Heritage tells the story of the formation of the Orange Order, which was formed after the Battle of the Diamond in 1795.\u00a0 Experience the early days of the Institution with an exhibition telling its story along with a replica parlour scene giving you a glimpse into that time. Thanks to Mervyn Walker for taking the time to show me around the museum and memorial gardens. Find out\u00a0 more at\u00a0www.orangeheritage.co.uk\/museum-sloans-house-loughgall<\/a><\/p>\n My final stop of the day was the Armagh Cider Company<\/strong> situation between Armagh and Portadown where Danny Silverson gave me a very interesting insight into the business which produces cider and juices from it’s own apples in the orchards where we took a stroll.\u00a0 \u00a0He guided me through the harvesting, pressing, bottling and packing processes.\u00a0 As the \u2018Orchard of Ireland\u2019, Armagh is famously known for its \u2018Bramley Apple\u2019 \u2013 a protected PGI product and as the first commercial craft cider company in Northern Ireland \u2013 a visit to Armagh Cider Company is truly a taste of our heritage! Acclaimed artisan producers \u2013 Helen and Philip Troughton will take you on an aromatic journey of discovery!\u00a0 Learn about the history of the orchards surrounding Ballinteggart House and watch the complete cider making process from \u2018blossom to bottle\u2019.\u00a0 Find out more and book your tour at\u00a0www.armaghcider.com<\/a><\/p>\n The Armagh City Hote<\/strong>l provided the perfect place to rest for the night. The Hotel is located on the edge of the City with more than ample parking.\u00a0 It is a \u00a0three-star hotel with every modern convenience. The ultimate in luxury, contemporary decor and spacious layout.\u00a0 Dinner was a three course meal in the Callan Bar with an excellent vegetarian menu and something to suit everyone.\u00a0 The hotel boasts\u00a093 en-suite bedrooms, modern Irish cuisine in the Friary Restaurant (not open on Monday evenings) as well as the state of the art health and leisure club. I found the staff to be very friendly and professional, especially in the bar.\u00a0 My hotel room was very well appointed with it’s own balcony and view of the nearby Franciscan ruins of Armagh Friary. The hotel is only 50 minutes from Belfast and one hour 30 minutes from Dublin. Weekly live entertainment every Friday & Saturday evening. Find out more and book your room online at\u00a0www.armaghcityhotel.com<\/a><\/p>\n After a great night’s rest and a lovely breakfast at the Hotel it was time to meet Kieran McMahon for my guided tour of Navan Centre & Fort<\/strong>, only 2 miles away.\u00a0\u00a0As one of Ireland\u2019s most famous and important archaeological sites, the\u00a0legendary Emain Macha home of the famous Red Branch Knights and Ulster\u00a0Cycle of tales is a place were myth and reality meet.\u00a0The Centre offers visitors a unique appreciation of the history of the area.<\/p>\n Learn about the mystical characters of Navan, such as Cu Chulainn, King Conchobar MacNessa, Queen Mebh and Deirdre of the Sorrows.\u00a0 The exhibition will help you understand the history of this very important site,\u00a0\u00a0Experience the remaining mounds, ditches and banks of Emain Macha – otherwise known as Navan Fort and learn about the massive circular ritual temple on the guided tour.\u00a0Annual programme of events is listed on the\u00a0 website www.navan.com\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n If you are lucky enough to visit on a sunny day like me, you will be able to see Slemish and Cavehill Mountain in the distance!<\/p>\n My final stop on my visit to Armagh was\u00a0The Cardinal Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 Fiaich Memorial Library and Archive<\/strong> which was established in 1999 and holds nationally and internationally important collections on Irish and Church history, the Irish language and Irish sport as well as the irish overseas atchive relating to migration to continential Europe since the sixteenth century.\u00a0www.ofiaich.ie.\u00a0\u00a0<\/a>Roddy Hegarty was my host for this visit which is busy with visits and enquiries from academics and geneologists from all over the world. Walk ins are welcome. Details can be found at www.ofiaich.ie<\/a><\/p>\n It is clear that 24 hours is clearly not enough to explore everything Armagh has to offer. In my opinion three days and two nights would be more appropriate to cover everything on my itinerary giving each stop the time it deserves and needs to take everything in.<\/p>\n From historical houses to treasure troves of intriguing artefacts and fascinating connections to people and history, Tourism NI is encouraging people to explore local cultural heritage with the European Heritage Open Days taking place on 8th<\/sup> and 9th<\/sup> September.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Find out more at\u00a0discovernorthernireland.com\/events\/European-Heritage-Open-Days<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Get a taste of Armagh during European Heritage Open Day this weekend If you are planning to Visit Armagh this weekend as part of European Heritage Open Day you won’t be disappointed!\u00a0 Earlier this week I was invited on an exclusive preview of the City and what it has to offer. My journey from Upperlands … Continued<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16615"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16615"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16615\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16628,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16615\/revisions\/16628"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16615"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16615"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16615"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}