Palace Stables Heritage Centre is a restored Georgian stable block and it's located beside the…read morePrimates Palace, formerly the home of the Archbishop of the Church of Ireland. I visited the Palace and Heritage Centre recently for the Armagh Craft Fair. It was an amazing day out. Craft traders had stalls within the Palace, Heritage Centre and the Palace Demesne grounds. Everything you could want was for sale - ceramics, sculpture, artworks, jewellery, designer felt and clothes - perfect for unique gifts. An art exhibition by local artist JB Vallely was displayed over 3 floors in the Palace. Primates Palace itself is an impressive building of white, bright, elegant, spacious rooms. The grounds are a breathtaking delight. There is also a small Primates Chapel with beautiful stained glass windows. It was very busy and my only disappointment being that we didn't arrive early enough to ensure a full and proper look at all crafts on display. Also, I would have loved to have sat for an hour or so in Palace Stables square outside the Moody Boar restaurant, soaking up the sun, listening to the live music and sipping an Armagh cider. Unfortunately we couldn't get a seat. However it's a fabulously beautiful place to visit and I'm already planning a return trip...

Despite being from Armagh I've never visited the Gaol. Although I no longer live in Armagh I took…read morethe opportunity today, whilst visiting family, to take a Gaol Tour. There are rumours Armagh Gaol is to be renovated into a hotel and although I'm unsure if this is still happening I thought today might be my last opportunity to see this building before it's changed forever. The tour was eye opening and our tour guide brilliant, entertaining and informative. We heard about the Gaol's history which dates back to the 1780's (it closed its doors as a working prison in 1986). At different periods men, women and children were imprisoned and executed here. It was eerily fascinating to see the whole Gaol including cells and all the different levels. The building is slowly decaying with peeling paint, crumble and decay setting in. A derelict, sad atmosphere lingers and although we took the daytime 12.30pm tour it was a great experience on Halloween. I imagine the late evening tours would be brilliant, creepy and scary! At £7 per person for an approximate 50 minute tour it was extremely good value for money. The prices vary slightly with late night tours being a bit more expensive, but family tickets and concession rates are available. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Armagh Gaol, would highly recommend it and hope this building is developed into a tourist attraction instead of being converted into a hotel.

Castle Hill in Dungannon was always sealed off, occupied by the army base and covered in masts and…read moreblast walls. thankfully the peace process saw the army move out, leaving the hill ready to be opened to the public once more. I never tire of climbing to the top of the hill and seeing the amazing panoramic views for miles around - all 9 counties of Ulster visible on a clear day or so they say! You really get a sense of how this was in days gone by a place of such power and influence. In recent years the hill has been beautifully landscaped and made more accessible through the opening of the Ranfurly House development. This contains a really good interpretive centre on the O'Neills, the flight of the Earls and the more recent history of the area, a cafe and the Square Box theatre space. There are galleries and meeting rooms too. The cafe is excellent with locally sourced treats and food, great sandwiches and soups and an amazing range of proper barista coffees and teas which is unmatched in the town. Quite reasonably priced too and the fact that its fairly quiet shows that this little gem is a bit too well hidden! The hill continues to develop with a new event space and viewing platform about to open to the public which will hopefully bring more visitors and acts to this part of the world!

Carlingford is currently the home of President Joe Biden's Irish cousins. Great people. Just 8…read moremiles away. Carlingford is also a fine example of a medieval walled town, built at the time of the Normans in the 12th century. The Vikings had invaded Ireland in the 9th Century and historical records establish that they occupied Carlingford Lough. The name Carlingford is Scandinavian translating into 'Fjord of Carlinn'. The Normans arrived in Ireland in 1169 as allies of Irish King Dermot MacMurrough. By 1184 they had reached Carlingford. A Norman Knight, Sir John de Courcy claimed this part of Louth for himself. Sir John was a busy beggar. He arrived in Ireland in 1176 and by the time of his expulsion in 1204, he had conquered considerable territory, endowed religious establishments, built abbeys for the Benedictines (yes the monks that created champagne and benedictine), the Cistercians and he also built strongholds at Dundrum Castle in County Down and at Carrickfergus Castle in County Antrim. The very first historical reference to Carlingford dates to 1184 when Sir John gave the rights of the ferry at Carlingford to the Abbot of Downpatrick indicating that the harbour was in use as a ferry point. However, the town of Carlingford only developed after the castle known as King John's Castle was built. The castle today is a ruin, but it's still obvious what it was nearly a thousand years ago - a place of defence. As for its creator Sir John De Courcy, well he returned to Ireland, sailing across the Irish sea from the Isle of Man in July 1205 with Norse soldiers and a hundred boats. John and his army landed at Strangford and laid siege to Dundrum Castle in vain, because the defences he himself had made were too strong. King John then had John de Courcy imprisoned and he spent the rest of his life in poverty so the clerics he was so generous toward left him broke. He was subsequently released when he "crossed himself" to go on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. De Courcy died in obscurity just outside what is now Craigavon - I suppose anyone who dies there still departs in obscurity as the best thing about Craigavon, even a thousand years later, is still the road out of it.

As you drive into Carlingford King John's Castle sets the scene for the magnificent historical…read morevalue of this town. The views from the ledge are amazing and worth the bit of climbing to get up to it! Transports you back in time as you see all the way over to Warrenpoint and soak up the atmosphere from days gone by. Look out for the plaques dotted around to learn more!

It looks like a jewelry box but it's actually the Jaffe Memorial Fountain. Striking and brightly…read morecolorful it was originally erected in 1874 by Sir Otto Jaffe to honor his father, Daniel Jaffe. It was initially placed in Victoria Square but was later moved to the Botanic Gardens, where it remained until 2008 It is intricate and elegant, made of Portland stone with each of the smaller columns featuring a female figure that represents each of the four seasons. It stands at the Victoria Street entrance to the Victoria Square shopping center. The original yellow and white were apparently selected to reflect the aesthetic preferences of the Victorian era, as these were popular colors to symbolize purity and light and optimism. It is indeed a fountain but in September it was dry. I'm not sure if it is ever filled with water. [Review 1883 of 2024 - 866 in United Kingdom - 22905 overall]

I bet you've walked past this wee gem hundreds of times but never given it a second look, I'm right…read morearen't I? Well now it's time to be enlightened. This is the Jaffa Fountain, not named after everyone's favourite cake/biscuit but actually named after Belfast's first Lord Mayor Otto Jaffa. The fountain itself was actually built in 1879 and it was erected in its current location, but here's the strange part. As industrial and commercial Belfast grew it was moved out to Botanic Gardens - mature students might recognise it from those days. Once Victoria Square was commissioned the decision was made to bring the old fellow back to its rightful place. I for one am glad they did as I think it provides a welcome nod to Belfast's past in the centre of its current commercial renaissance.

Admission is free to the conservatory, which has jasmine or vines. Ash, beech, and conifer trees…read moresurround a limestone gorge. High above the Blackwater River, these are the ruins of a 17th century plantation castle. The grounds are the Servite Priory's. There is a water turbine with a photovoltics solar system and three wind turbines.

Fore Abbey is a 7th century abbey spread across the valley of ancient structures. The abbey complex…read moreincludes several notable features, such as the remains of the Benedictine monastery, St. Feichin's church, and the famous Fore Crosses. There are several ruins to explore on this stop.

For a ruin, this place was really in good shape. Most here are a pile of rocks that vaguely…read moreresembles a building. This one had rooms and working stairs. If you go, there is a big parking lot on the main road. You don't have to park on the street.

Worth a look round if your driving past. Parking and information. If you park and walk to the site…read moreit is quite steep!