Armagh's Twin Cathedrals

Two cathedrals, one saint

Armagh has been the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland for fifteen centuries. Saint Patrick founded his principal church here in the 5th century, and the city is to this day the seat of two archbishops — one Church of Ireland, one Roman Catholic — each presiding over a cathedral dedicated to him. The two cathedrals stand on two small hills, separated by about a quarter of a mile of narrow Georgian streets, facing each other across the centre of the city.

The older of the two, the Church of Ireland cathedral, sits on the site Patrick himself is said to have chosen in 445. A church has stood here in some form ever since, partially destroyed and rebuilt many times through Viking raids, Anglo-Norman wars, and the Nine Years' War that left the city in ruins. The present medieval fabric was substantially restored in 1834–1840 by the architect Lewis Nockalls Cottingham for Archbishop Beresford. Inside are carved Celtic and medieval stones, monuments by Chantrey and Roubiliac, and a stone marking the traditional burial place of Brian Boru, killed at Clontarf in 1014.

The Catholic cathedral on the opposite hill is younger, larger, and unmistakably 19th-century. Begun in 1838 to designs by Thomas Duff and finished sixty-six years later in 1904, it is the work of four different architects across three different Gothic Revival styles. The twin spires reach 63 metres (207 feet). The interior, redecorated by Cardinal Logue at the turn of the 20th century, is covered in mosaic and Italianate paintwork — a continental treatment uncommon in Irish church interiors. Steps and terraces lead up to it from the town centre.

The two cathedrals are not separated by very much — you can walk between them in fifteen minutes — but they belong to very different eras and faiths. Visited together they say something about the city of Armagh, and about the long argument over Patrick's inheritance, that neither says on its own.

Both are working cathedrals with daily services and both are open to visitors outside service times. There is no admission charge. Donations are welcomed. There are guided tours at the Church of Ireland cathedral most days in summer and by request the rest of the year.

Essential information

Getting there

Armagh is a short drive off the M1, about an hour from Belfast. Bus from Belfast Europa — the Goldline service drops you on the Mall.

Order of visit

Start at the older Church of Ireland cathedral, walk down to the Mall, then climb the steps to the Catholic cathedral. Easier on the legs than the other way round.

Services

Both are working cathedrals. Visitors are welcome at services, or you can wait outside the times posted at each door.

Photography

Allowed inside both, no flash. The interior of the Catholic cathedral repays a tripod-free patient look at the mosaics.

Add the Library

The Armagh Public Library, beside the CoI cathedral, is the second-oldest library in Ireland (founded 1771). Open weekdays. Bring an interest in old books.

Refreshments

Several cafés on Market Street and around the Mall. Uluru Bistro and 4 Vicars are reliable for lunch.