Cheap Hotels in County Armagh

County Armagh is the smallest of the six counties of Northern Ireland, measuring 52 km (32 miles) from Lough Neagh in the north to the border with the Republic of Ireland in the south, and 32 km (20 miles) east to west. The terrain is hilly but not particularly high, and the fertile soil makes it the richest agricultural area in Northern Ireland.

The town of Armagh was once the capital of the ancient Kingdom of Ulster, and a nearby grass mound is believed to be the spot where Queen Macha built a palace in the 4th century BC. Later destroyed in about 450 AD by tribes from Connacht, the name Armagh is said to be derived from Macha. St Patrick founded a monastery in Armagh in about 445 AD, as a result of which the area became of great religious importance, and nowadays Armagh is a cathedral city for both the Catholic and Protestant primates of Ireland. As with much of Northern Ireland, the county was occupied by English and Scottish migrants as part of the Ulster Plantation scheme.

County Armagh is also known as the 'Orchard County' because of the vast number of apples and strawberries which are grown in its fertile soils. In addition to the rich vegetation there are several fine architectural sites, including Gosford Castle, Palace Castle and Armagh Cathedral.