Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [558]
The nearby Royal Irish Fusiliers Museum ( 3752 2911; The Mall East; admission free; 10am-12.30pm & 1.30-4pm Mon-Fri) tells the story of the ‘Eagle Takers’, the first regiment to capture one of Bonaparte’s imperial eagle standards in 1811.
ARMAGH PLANETARIUM
The Armagh Observatory was founded by Archbishop Robinson in 1790 and is still Ireland’s leading astronomical research institute. Aimed mainly at educating young people, the nearby Armagh Planetarium ( 3752 3689; www.armaghplanet.com; College Hill; admission to exhibition area per person £2, shows per adult/child £6/5; 1-5pm Mon-Fri, 11.30am-5pm Sat) has an interactive exhibition on space exploration, and a digital theatre that screens a range of spectacular half-hour shows on its domed ceiling (check website for show times).
Sleeping
Armagh City Hostel ( 3751 1800; www.hini.org.uk; 39 Abbey St; dm/tw £16/34; open daily Mar-Oct, Fri & Sat only Nov-Feb, closed 23 Dec-2 Jan; ) This modern, purpose-built hostel near the Church of Ireland Cathedral is more like a small hotel – there are six comfortable twin rooms with private bathrooms, TV and tea-and-coffee facilities, as well as 12 small dorms, a well-equipped kitchen, a laundry, a lounge and a reading room.
Hillview Lodge ( 3752 2000; www.hillviewlodge.com; 33 Newtownhamilton Rd; s/d £38/58; ) Just 1.5km south of Armagh, Hillview is a welcoming, family-run guesthouse with a self-contained accommodation block containing six appealing rooms with great countryside views. And there’s a driving range next door if you feel like improving your golf swing.
De Averell House ( 3751 1213; www.deaverellhouse.net; 47 Upper English St; s/d £45/75; ) A converted Georgian town house with four spacious rooms and a self-catering apartment, the De Averell is run by a friendly landlord who can’t do enough to help. Rooms at the front can be noisy; the twin at the back is the quietest.
Charlemont Arms Hotel ( 3752 2028; www.charlemontarmshotel.com; 57-65 Lower English St; s/d £55/90; ) This hotel dates from the 19th century, but has been renovated in charming period decor – oak-panelled dining room, Victorian fireplaces, flagstone-floored cellar restaurant. The bedrooms, in contrast, are modern and stylish.
Eating
Café Papa ( 3751 1205; 15 Thomas St; mains £4-8; 9am-5.30pm Mon-Sat, 6-9pm Fri & Sat) This deli-cum-cafe serves good coffee, cakes, home-baked bread and gourmet sandwiches, and does bistro dinners on Friday and Saturday evenings when you can bring your own wine.
Stage Bar & Bistro ( 3752 1828; Market Sq; mains £5-12; food noon-4pm Mon-Sat, 5-9pm Thu-Sat, cafe menu from 9.30am Mon-Sat) This stylish little place is a chilled-out haven of coffee- and cream-coloured sofas and chairs in the theatre lobby, with a menu that offers some tasty vegetarian dishes – try the brie, red onion and spinach tart – as well as the steak sandwich with caramelised onions, and baked sea bass with curried mango dressing.
Uluru Bistro ( 3751 8051; 16-18 Market St; mains £14-18; noon-3pm & 5-9.30pm Tue-Fri, noon-3pm & 5-10.30pm Sat, 4-10pm Sun) The Aussie chef at Uluru brings a bit of antipodean flair to Armagh, with a fusion menu that ranges from Balinese chicken with ginger and lemongrass to marinated, chargrilled medallions of kangaroo with sweet-potato chips, plus lobster, monkfish and other seafood freshly landed at Kilkeel.
Manor Park Restaurant ( 3751 5353; 2 College Hill, The Mall; mains £15-25; noon-9.30pm) Crisp white linen and silver candlesticks complement a cosy old-world decor of red-brick walls, parquet floors and Persian rugs in this atmospheric French restaurant. The menu runs the gastronomic gamut from sautéed scallops to tournedos Rossini, with a wine list as long as the Loire. There’s a three-course early evening menu for £20, available 5pm to 6.30pm.
Entertainment
Market Place Theatre & Arts Centre ( 3752 1821; www.marketplacearmagh.com; Market St; box office 9.30am-4.30pm Mon-Sat) Armagh’s main cultural venue hosts a 400-seat theatre, exhibition galleries, a restaurant, a cafe and the Stage Bar & Bistro, which has live