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| Primate's Chapel, Armagh Palace |
I paid a visit to the City of Armagh in May, 2013.
Arriving at the main entrance to St Patrick's Roman Catholic Cathedral in the city of Armagh, I strode up the steep hill where, at the summit, there stands augustly and loftily that great cathedral church with its twin spires, seat of many Cardinal Archbishops of Armagh.
There was a wedding taking place inside, so I bided my time by wandering round the cathedral, past Ara Coeli, the official residence of the Catholic Primate.
Ara Coeli is Latin, incidentally.
When the wedding ceremony ended, I walked in to the cathedral, an impressive church dating from about 1840, though not completed until the first years of the 20th century.
Former cardinals' galeros are suspended from the ceiling in the aisles.
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| Galero |
THENCE I ambled on to English Street, past the Charlemont Arms Hotel and, a mere few yards further along, the De Averell guest-house.
Back at The Mall, where I'd parked the two-seater, I stopped to look at the court-house.
The old entrance posts of THE PAVILION, erstwhile home of the Lord Armaghdale, still exist.
The Royal Irish Fusiliers Museum, located at the Sovereign's House, was open; so I spent about thirty minutes there.
They have two Victoria Crosses and Field-Marshal Sir Gerald Templer's uniform is on display, as Colonel-in-Chief of the Regiment.
I drove to the Palace Demesne, well worth a visit.
I've already written about the Palace, official residence of the Church of Ireland Archbishops of Armagh and Primates of All Ireland from 1770 until 1975.
The private primatial chapel is somewhat dwarfed by its close proximity to the Palace, though this wasn't always the case, since the Palace was originally two storeys in height.
These edifices are austere, though stately, noble and dignified; apt descriptions for archiepiscopal properties.
That concluded my visit to the city of Armagh, though I hope to revisit the city and county during the summer.
First published in May, 2013.
What an interesting post about an even more interesting place, which, regrettably seems less well visited than other Irish Cities.
ReplyDeleteI was perplexed at the choice of the name 'Ara Coeli' as the choice of name for the Roman Catholic Archbiships residence, as it translates as 'altars of the sky'. Perhaps you could elucidate please?