armagh is ireland's oldest city and its ecclesiastical capital. there is plenty to see and do in the city and in the surrounding area, including the city’s 2 cathedrals. armagh has a church of ireland cathedral and a roman catholic cathedral, both of which are named after saint patrick. navan fort is a large earthwork on the summit of a hill. navan was known in legend as emain macha, ceremonial and spiritual capital of ancient ulster. the fort is associated with tales of the warrior cuchulainn. the navan centre replicates what the original navan fort is thought to have looked like. saint patrick's trian visitor complex offers 3 different exhibitions; the armagh story, patrick’s testament, and the land of lilliput. palace stables heritage centre is a wonderfully restored 18th century stable block. the centre was formerly part of the estate belonging to the archbishops of armagh right up until the 1970s. this fabulous visitor centre was once a bustle of servants, horses and carriages back in the latter part of the 18th century. today, you have the opportunity to relive what life was like back in the year 1786. armagh’s local theatre, the market place theatre, is situated in the centre of the city and offers lots of shows to suits all ages and tastes. armagh astropark is the home of the city’s famous observatory and planetarium. you could also visit the tayto factory, the home of tayto crisps. the factory offers a fascinating insight into how the crisps are made and you can watch the process that turns potatoes into crisps. the city also hosts a number of festivals and events throughout the year, including the john hewitt literature festival, the william kennedy piping festival and the bard of armagh, amongst others. it is a city rich in art, music and literature.

navan fort (3 km/1.8 miles) - lying to the west of the city, once known as emain macha, "ancient seat of kings", it was the earliest capital of ulster. today, navan is a system of impressive earthworks, settlement sites and sacred places. it is an area of unparalleled archaeological importance, which reflects over 7,500 years of activity. armagh planetarium (2 km/1.2 miles) - interactive technology developed in armagh, enables you to see the very latest pictures from nasa's space telescope, or to look back through time at the echo of the big bang, the massive super explosion which created the universe 15 thousand million years ago. st. patrick's trian (2 km/1.2 miles) - "the least of all the faithful" exhibition takes its title from saint patrick's confession. the exhibition examines the life and work of the patron saint and his connections with armagh as found in the ancient manuscript, the 'book of armagh'.