County Armagh

County Armagh is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland. It adjoins the southern shore of Lough Neagh and borders the Northern Irish counties of Tyrone to the west and Down to the east. The county borders Louth and Monaghan to the south and southwest, which are in the Republic of Ireland. It is named after its county town, Armagh, which derives from the Irish Ard Mhacha, meaning "Macha's height". Macha was a sovereignty goddess in Irish mythology and is said to have been buried on a wooded hill around which the town of Armagh grew.Armagh is known as the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland, with two cathedrals dedicated to St. Patrick, one belonging to the Church of Ireland and the other to the Catholic Church. According to tradition, Saint Patrick founded his main church there in the year 445, and it eventually became the head church of Ireland. Patrick is considered the first bishop of the Diocese of Armagh. The 9th-century Irish illuminated manuscript Book of Armagh (also known as the Cannon of Patrick) contains accounts of Patricks' life, his Confession and a complete New Testament. The book is now held at the library of Trinity College Dublin.

The county covers an area of 1,327 km2 (512 sq mi), making it the smallest of Northern Ireland's six counties by size and the sixth-smallest county on the island of Ireland. With a population of 194,394 as of the 2021 census, it is the fourth-most populous county in Northern Ireland and is the tenth most populous of Ireland's 32 traditional counties, as well as the fifth most densely populated. Armagh is colloquially known as the "Orchard County" because of its many apple orchards. In addition to the city of Armagh and the western portion of the city of Newry, notable towns in the county include Lurgan, Portadown and Craigavon. More information on Co Armagh's history, geology and tourist attractions can be found though these links: