From history, art and heritage, appley magic, city tours to the great outdoors – and even immersing yourself in the great Game of Thrones – this spring and summer is packed with enough adventure to keep you and the kids on cloud nine. So, take peek and start planning a memorable trip to Ireland’s Orchard County …
Take a tour of the Orchards and sample the cider!
Enjoy an amazing experience in the heart of the Orchard County and see how Armagh’s award-winning cider is made at Long Meadow Cider in the heart of the county’s lush countryside. With dates all over the summer and tours from 11am to 1pm, there’s plenty to see and learn in the open outdoors – and even a cooking demo with Granny’s traditional griddle breads in the company of the McKeever family, which has been taking care of this gorgeous estate for years. Spend time in the new Bramley Barn and taste test the cider with delicious bread, cheese and chutneys.
Shoot for the moon at Armagh Observatory & Planetarium
A memorable day out for all the family, Northern Ireland’s leading astronomical research and education facility is an awe-inspiring venue offering visitors a unique experience in this stratospheric “place for space”. Explore the exhibition at leisure before taking strapping in for the planetarium’s digital full dome theatre experience where you lie back and take in the magic of our universe in a full 3D cinematic show. Outside, you can explore a jaw-dropping 14-acre Astropark complete with scale models of the solar system and universe, sundials and telescopes. Join thousands of annual visitors for an out-of-this-world experience you’ll never forget. Open every day from Tuesday to Sunday.
Lose yourself in Navan Centre & Fort
Wind yourself back to a life over 2,000 years old in a world mixed with myth and reality at Navan Centre & Fort, located just outside Armagh. One of Ireland’s most famous and important archaeological sites, the legendary Emain Macha. Legends say that Macha, the ancient goddess of war and fertility, scored the earth with her brooch pin and traced the famous outline of this sacred stronghold of the hero Cu Chulainn, home of the famous Red Branch Knights and Ulster Cycle of tales. Experience life and times of a bygone era as you walk in the footsteps of warriors to the ancient Navan Fort, site of the great temple of 95BC. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm.
Take time with Donna!
With its picturesque landscapes, world renowned Cathedrals and award winning Cideries exploring Armagh on foot is a “must do” on any itinerary to Northern Ireland this summer. To discover it well, look no further than Donna Fox Tours. The local qualified tour guide is a member of the Northern Ireland Tourist Guide Association and has a devoted passion for where she comes from. Donna’s humour, inspiration and human stories let you live out your experience from the perspective of an Armagh local. Donna Fox tours run every Thursday – Saturday at 11am and Sunday at 2pm from Thursday 15 June until Sunday 10 September 2023.
Visit the award-winning FE McWilliam Gallery & Studio
Described as “a gem” by the Irish Times, the FE McWilliam Gallery and Studio, located just off the Belfast-Dublin Road in nearby Banbridge encapsulates the work of sculptor Frederick Edward McWilliam, one of Ireland’s most influential and successful artists. For an inspiring day out, great food at the award-winning in-house Quails café-restaurant, the gallery is currently home to a special exhibition of local artist Catherine McWilliam’s selected works from over six decades. Featuring original and compelling images of life in Northern Ireland – from self-portraits and recent compositions exploring climate change, this award-wining international artistic venue is an inspiring way to spend a free day. It’s open from Monday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm.
Soak in the history at Armagh Robinson Library
Famous for sharing the riches of the past, Armagh Robinson Library is a historic, cultural gem in the heart of the city. Founded in 1771 by Archbishop Robinson, the library features the rich collection from Robinson’s personal library containing seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Make your way through the beautiful Georgian front door and up an elegant staircase. Light from elegant windows lights up the Long Room of this classical library, the main visitor space. With multiple collections, permanent and temporary exhibitions, the library also features Jonathan Swift’s own copy of Gulliver’s Travels with notes in his own handwriting. Don’t miss it. Open mornings and afternoons from Monday to Friday.
Soak up the sun at The Mall in Armagh
Flanked by elegant Georgian buildings, the magnificent oval treelined Mall is the heart of the city of Armagh. A place to meet, chat and catch-up with a takeaway coffee or picnic, soak up the splendour of this tranquil space just a few minutes away from the hustle and bustle of shops, cafés and bars. A full round-trip walk or run is almost four miles, so bring your trainers if you want to beat that 5k personal best. Or just have a snooze under the trees! Founded by former Church of Ireland Primate Archbishop Robinson, it’s a place to feel free and to free your mind.
Get up close with a Game of Thrones Studio Tour
Take your breath away with a visit to the outstanding Linen Mills Studios in nearby Banbridge which has been transformed from a working film studio to a truly immersive and interactive experience dedicated to the global, award-winning HBO TV series Game of Thrones. It was in these giant 100,000 sq. ft studios that John Snow was murdered by his own men, that Jamie and Cersei Lannister plotted their revenge to conquer the seven kingdoms, and where they eventually met their demise. The most successful series in the world may have ended, but House of the Dragon is just beginning. If you are a fan of the series, you won’t want to miss this immersive experience. Located just 30 minutes from Belfast and 90 minutes from Dublin – and open seven days a week from 10am until 6pm – this is a bucket list experience you’ll want to come back for.
Aspire to be the best at St Patrick’s Cathedrals
Armagh – the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland and the seat of both Church of Ireland and Catholic bishops on the island of Ireland, this spiritual capital is the oldest and most venerated in the country. The Roman Catholic cathedral stands on a hill and is noted for its twin spires. It’s also an architectural oddity as during construction it not only changed architecture but architectural style, halfway up the walls. The bottom half was designed in 1838, in the English Perpendicular Gothic style, by Thomas Duff of Newry; the top half designed in 1853, in the French Decorated Gothic style, by J. J. McCarthy of Dublin. The cathedral was finally consecrated in 1904.
Jump to Scarva’s beat!
Music lovers mark your diaries as this summer Scarva village has a magnificent line up of concert bands playing each Sunday from 16 April – 24 September. Spend the afternoon on Scarva Green and bring along your own picnic as you relax and watch the world go by as you whilst being entertained by music from the finest bands from the borough and beyond. To prolong the family fun, explore the abundance of plant and wildlife in Scarva Park or enjoy a coffee under the sun as the kids have fun in the family play area. Taking place every Sunday from 3-4pm.
Ponder the views around Brownlow House & Lurgan Park
After the Phoenix Park in Dublin, Lurgan Park is the largest public park on the island of Ireland. The park surrounds a 59-acre manmade lake along with well-maintained paths. At the edge of the park lies Brownlow House. Reputed to have 365 rooms the Elizabethan style home was built for Rt. Hon. Charles Brownlow in 1836 to the design by Scottish architect William Henry Playfair. The house has amazing history including the fact that at the outbreak of the First World War, it was the headquarters of the 16th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles and the 10th Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers. During World War II various contingents of British and American troops were stationed there and it’s said that General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander stayed in the house. A room has since been named “The Eisenhower Room.”
Jump into Gosford Forest Park
Loved by the locals, Gosford Forest Park is a stunning expanse of some 240 hectares of diverse woodland and open parkland which is open 365 days a year. An adventure paradise for all the family, check out the playparks, family mountain bikes, adventure trails, horse and walking trails – and a pump track. The little ones are well taken care of, with play-on Woodpecker Nests, Squirrels Drey, ropes, swing ladders and even zip lines to transport them away! Although not open to the public, the mock Norman Gosford Castle, one of the largest in Ireland, is an impressive sight. It was built by the Second Earl of Gosford in the early 1800s and featured in HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones’. Spend the day, or pitch a tent for an overnight stay, there’s plenty here to keep you busy.
For more inspiration on what to see and do in Armagh this spring and summer, jump into www.visitarmagh.com.
