County Armagh

Name: The name “Armagh” belongs to pagen times, and existed long before the time of St. Patrick. The oldest form is Ard-Macha, which means Macha’s height; this Macha being a semi-mythical heroine, the founder of the palace of Emania, 300 years B.C.The political significance of the area is doubtless one of the reasons why St Patrick made it the centre of his mission to convert the Irish in the fifth century. Armagh is still the ecclesiastical capital of both the Roman Catholic church and the Church of Ireland. The strong nationalistic traditions of South Armagh have become well known more recently.

Size: Length of County Armagh is 33 miles, north to south, and 21 miles, east to west, with a total area of 512-1/2 square miles.

Surface: The northern part – comprising the two baronies of Omeiland – is flat, with much bog. The greater part of the rest of the county consists of gentle hills, for the most cultivated, or in pasture, with fertile valleys between.