County Armagh is the smallest of the six traditional counties of Northern Ireland, covering 512 square miles (1,327 km2) on the southern shore of Lough Neagh. The 2021 census counted 194,394 people living within its boundaries. It is known as the Orchard County for the apple growing of the Loughgall and Richhill area.
Armagh has not been an administrative unit since 1973. The name is still used for addresses, sport, land registry and postal purposes, but local services are run by district councils. Armagh city is the county town and the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland; the largest urban area is Craigavon, which takes in Lurgan and Portadown.
| Country | Northern Ireland, United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Province | Ulster |
| Status | Traditional county, not administrative |
| Area | 512 sq mi (1,327 km2) |
| Population (2021) | 194,394 |
| Density | 147 people per km2 (380 per sq mi) |
| County town | Armagh |
| Largest urban area | Craigavon (Lurgan and Portadown) |
| Highest point | Slieve Gullion, 573 m (1,880 ft) |
| Nickname | The Orchard County |
| Councils | Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon; Newry, Mourne and Down |
Towns and Villages in County Armagh
The list below covers about 80 named places, grouped by the district council that administers them. Both councils also cover ground in County Down, so district borders and county borders do not match; a small strip in the north-west, along the Blackwater, falls into Mid Ulster.
Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon (north and central Armagh)
- Acton
- Aghory
- Allistragh
- Annaghmore
- Annaloist
- Ardress
- Armagh
- Balleer
- Ballyleny
- Bannfoot
- Blackwatertown
- Bleary
- Callan Bridge
- Carnagh
- Charlemont
- Charlestown
- Church Hill
- Cladymilltown
- Clare
- Craigavon
- Darkley
- Derryadd
- Derrymacash
- Derrynoose
- Derrytrasna
- Drumcree
- Drumnasoo
- Grange Blundel
- Hamiltonsbawn
- Keady
- Killylea
- Kilmore
- Kingsmills
- Laurelvale
- Lislea
- Lisnadill
- Loughgall
- Loughgilly
- Lower Darkley
- Lurgan
- Maddan
- Markethill
- Middletown
- Milford
- Milltown
- Moorefield
- Mountnorris
- Mowhan
- Moyallan
- Portadown
- Poyntz Pass
- Richhill
- Scotch Street
- Seagoe
- Tandragee
- Tassagh
- The Birches
- The Diamond
- Tullyroan Corner
- Tynan
- Wells Cross
Newry, Mourne and Down (south Armagh)
- Altnamackan
- Ballsmill
- Belleeks
- Bessbrook
- Camlough
- Cloghoge
- Cloughreagh
- Creggan
- Crossmaglen
- Cullaville
- Cullyhanna
- Drumintee
- Forkill
- Glen Anne
- Jerrettspass
- Jonesborough
- Meigh
- Mullaghbane
- Newry (west bank)
- Newtownhamilton
- Silverbridge
- Whitecross
Geography
Armagh runs from the flat, wet shore of Lough Neagh in the north to the granite hills of the south. County Tyrone lies across the River Blackwater to the west and north-west, County Down across the Newry River and the Bann to the east, and County Monaghan and County Louth in the Republic of Ireland to the south.
The north is orchard country: deep drumlin soils around Loughgall, Richhill and Portadown carry most of Ireland’s Bramley apple crop. The middle of the county is drumlin farmland cut by small lakes. South Armagh rises into the Ring of Gullion, a ring dyke of hills around Slieve Gullion, at 573 m the highest ground in the county and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The Upper Bann enters Lough Neagh at Bannfoot; the Blackwater enters at Maghery. The Newry Canal, opened in 1742, links the Bann at Portadown to the sea at Newry and was the first summit-level canal in Ireland or Britain.
Demographics
The 2021 census recorded 194,394 residents, roughly 147 people per square kilometre. Most live in the Craigavon urban area — Portadown, Lurgan and the planned centre between them — which holds well over 60,000 people between them and is the second largest built-up area in Northern Ireland.
Armagh city itself had about 16,000 residents. South Armagh is rural, with Crossmaglen, Bessbrook, Keady and Newtownhamilton as its service towns. The county has a Catholic majority: 58% of residents were recorded as Catholic or from a Catholic background in 2021. Roughly one resident in ten was born outside the United Kingdom and Ireland, most of them in the Craigavon urban area, where Portuguese, Polish and Lithuanian communities settled around the food processing plants.
Economy and Local Life
Food processing is the biggest employer: poultry at Portadown and Craigavon, mushrooms across the north of the county, and apple pressing at Loughgall and Richhill. The apple harvest runs from late August to October, and Armagh Bramley apples hold Protected Geographical Indication status.
Armagh city works as an administrative, church and visitor centre. It has two cathedrals, both called St Patrick’s, one Church of Ireland and one Roman Catholic, and both archbishops of Armagh have their seats there. The Armagh Observatory has recorded weather continuously since 1795, the longest such run in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Road haulage and cross-border trade matter in the south, where the frontier with Louth and Monaghan is only minutes away from Crossmaglen and Jonesborough.
History
The county takes its name from Armagh city, in Irish Ard Mhacha, “Macha’s height”. Two miles west of the city stands Navan Fort, Eamhain Mhacha, the royal site of the kings of Ulster and the setting of the Ulster Cycle tales. Saint Patrick founded his principal church on the hill of Armagh around 445, and the city has been the primatial see of Ireland since.
Armagh was shired in 1585 and heavily settled during the Plantation of Ulster, which is why village names such as Hamiltonsbawn, Richhill and Waringstown carry planter surnames. The Battle of the Diamond near Loughgall in 1795 led directly to the founding of the Orange Order at Dan Winter’s cottage the same day. Linen weaving supported the north of the county through the nineteenth century. Armagh County Council was abolished in 1973.
Getting There
The M1 motorway crosses the north of the county, serving Lurgan, Craigavon and Portadown, and links Belfast to Dungannon. The A1 runs south from Belfast past Newry to the Dublin road; the A3 crosses from Portadown to Armagh city, and the A28 continues south from Armagh to Newry via Markethill.
Portadown, Lurgan and Newry are on the Belfast–Dublin railway line, with Enterprise services calling at Portadown and Newry. Armagh city has had no railway since 1957. Belfast International Airport is about 35 miles from Armagh; Dublin Airport is about 70 miles by the A1 and M1.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the population of County Armagh?
194,394 at the 2021 census. About 147 people live in each square kilometre.
Which councils cover County Armagh?
Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon covers the north and centre; Newry, Mourne and Down covers south Armagh. A small area in the north-west falls into Mid Ulster. The county has had no council of its own since 1973.
What is the largest town in County Armagh?
Portadown, with about 33,000 residents, is the largest single town. The Craigavon urban area, which joins Portadown to Lurgan, is larger still. Armagh city, though it holds city status, has about 16,000 people.
How many towns and villages are in County Armagh?
Around 80 named towns, villages and hamlets, listed above by council district.
Why is Armagh called the Orchard County?
Because of the apple orchards on the drumlin soils around Loughgall, Richhill, Portadown and Armagh city. Armagh Bramley apples have Protected Geographical Indication status.
What postcodes does County Armagh use?
Mainly BT60 and BT61 for Armagh city and its villages, BT62 for Portadown, BT63 to BT66 for Craigavon and Lurgan, and BT35 for Newry, Bessbrook, Crossmaglen and south Armagh.
Where is County Armagh?
In the south of Northern Ireland, between Lough Neagh and the border with counties Monaghan and Louth, with Tyrone to the west and Down to the east.