The Best Attractions In Crolly

Armagh Cathedral - Saint Patrick's Cathedral

This stunning Cathedral that is located in Armagh city is St. Patrick's Cathedral - or as it is sometimes referred to Armagh Cathedral - which overlooks this beautiful city and brings back history that is related to Saint Patrick who was behind building the church.

For this cathedral to come to life, it went through different building phases that started in 1840 and ended in 1904, and it was mainly built in order to serve as the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Armagh, the original Medieval Cathedral of St. Patrick having been transferred to the Protestant Church of Ireland at the time of the Irish Reformation.

This Cathedral stands on a hill that is known as Sandy Hill and so does its Anglican Counterpart; this is the reason why this cathedral overlooks the whole city of Armagh and makes one important historical attraction for those coming to visit the city and check what it has to offer them.

This cathedral which was built by Saint Patrick has gone through years of construction and there were those times in which the construction phase was the most slow. One of the longest gaps in this construction process was during the years of the Great Famine since the cathedral funds were diverted to the more pressing cause of the famine relief.

Since it took lots of years for this cathedral to come to life and open its doors to the people of Armagh, there were different Archbishops who were behind the work done in this cathedral. Archbishop William Crolly negotiated the current site for the cathedral and the original architect was Thomas J. Duff Newry. Primate Joseph Dixon who took the work from 1852 to 1866, declared East Monday as a Resumption Day, not just for the financial contributions for the cathedral, but also for the first bazaar that he organized and for which there were different gifts sent over, such as the grandfather clock which is now standing in the cathedral sacristy.

After the death of architect Thomas Duff, J. J. McCarthy took over and he even came up with a new plan but which was not entirely followed, it was used as a continuous plan for what Duff initially started. Under Archbishop Daniel McGettigan the cathedral was completed and he even witnessed the construction of the seven-terraced flight of steps leading from the cathedral gates to the piazza in front of the west door, and he also completed to make other additions since he built the Archbishop's house in 1879-1877 and the sacristan's lodge in 1884-1886 just inside the cathedral gates.

And eventually came Cardinal Michael Logue who was the one to bring lots of changes to the cathedral and since the interior of the cathedral was dull and undecorated, he even traveled to Italy on his personal expenses to see what the Vatican city has and try to implement some things from it; the walls decorated with mosaic, the stained glass windows, the oil ceilings, and every other thing was the work of Logue.

We have to say that St. Patrick's Cathedral in Armagh city is a piece of art, whether from the inside or from the outside, and this goes for the different eras it has been built in and the different minds who helped in adding different ideas to its building phase - it is definitely a place which those coming to Armagh city for the first time should visit and check.

St. Patrick's Cathedral has been built in the Gothic Revival Style and that was one of the reasons why the plan that Duff has placed was never changed afterwards by those other architects who came after. The interesting thing about the completion of this cathedral is that it was completed mainly by using Irish materials and workmanship, which means that it is a locally built cathedral.

The cathedral later on went through a restoration phase that took place in 2003 for major structural repairs that needed to be done and this also included restoring and enhancing the interior decoration and the upgrading of the existing facilities. There were different changes done to the cathedral and there were even things that were transported to other places to make a new one for praying and meditation.

Being in Armagh city, Northern Ireland, urges you to walk through the city in general and check some of the most famous places that is found there and which will even attract you generally with their buildings ( There are some recommendations which we have, such as Armagh County Museum ( Navan Fort ( Armagh Planetarium and Observatory ( as well as some other buildings like the library for example.

This is one of the most famous Cathedrals in Northern Ireland and one that carries great history behind; it should be already on your list!

Some of the best locations around Ireland / Northern Ireland and further afield. A travel blog/vlog of the hidden treasures that are on our doorstep.

Carrick Cottage, Derrybeg, Gweedore, County Donegal

Carrick Cottage, Derrybeg, Gweedore County Donegal
Carrick Cottage is a modern 4 bedroom holiday home in Derrybeg, Gweedore that can comfortably accommodate up to 10 people. The holiday home is on an elevated site and enjoys wonderful panoramic views over the rugged Gweedore coastline.
Carrick Cottage is tastefully furnished and decorated throughout. There is a cosy living room to the front of the house with an open fireplace( turf supplied. Double french doors lead to a bright modern kitchen and dining area. To the side of the house there is a lovely sun room with a full furniture suite and a second dining area. Three of the four spacious bedrooms are ensuite and there is also a large bathroom with bath and separate shower. There are relaxing sofas on the spacious ground floor hallway and on the first floor landing.
Carrick Cottage is ideally situated to take advantage of the many amenities in the Derrybeg, Bunbeg and general Gweedore area. Just 1.5km from the front door, along a quite laneway, is the fabulous Port Arthur Strand- a beautiful and totally unspoilt beach that looks out towards Gola Island. This is just one of several fine beaches on the stretch of coastline -- a coastline that also features a number of quaint harbours. To the south is the wonderful Magheraclogher Strand in Bunbeg, just a 5 minute drive from the holiday home.
Derrybeg is a popular destination for water based activities. Selkie Sailing is a local outfit that that offers tuition and practical guidance for sailing, kayaking, boat handling and watersports in general. Fishing is available on the Clady and Crolly Rivers and at nearby Loughanure (14km). The newly expanded Dunlewey Centre has activities for all the family and is just over 15km away. Not to be missed is a trip to Glenveagh National Park in the heart of the Donegal Highlands (25km). Indoor leisure facilites are available at the nearby Ostan Gweedore Hotel and at An Chuirt Hotel overlooking the Clady River (8km)

View from A Dash Cam - Crossing The Irish Border from Co. Donegal to Co. Tyrone on Thursday, 5/1/17

This recording was made on the Castlefin (Co. Donegal) to Castlederg (Co. Tyrone) Road. In this part of the world, the border is configured in such an Irish way: You go south to head into The North and vice-versa.

The border is crossed after about 13 seconds. There was an absence of road markings on the Co. Tyrone soide.