This was my first visit to the ecclesiastical capital for a number of years.
Incidentally, I urge readers to pay this beautiful, compact city a visit.
It is utterly fascinating.
I motored in a south-westerly direction and, given that it was such a fine day, kept the hood down the entire way.
I parked at The Mall, where my first port-of-call was the County Museum, a fairly modest establishment, though of considerable interest.
On the first floor many items were on display, including various uniforms and costumes.
One example (above) was the scarlet tunic and breeches ~ court dress ~ as worn by the 5th Earl of Caledon when he was a page-boy to EDWARD VII at His Majesty's coronation.
THENCE I admired the prospect from The Mall, which I crossed, ambling along several streets before I reached the old market-place, en route to Armagh (Anglican) Cathedral, on the hill.
This is a relatively small cathedral, certainly in comparison with its counterparts in England; though it is a veritable treasure-trove of ancient relics, statuary and stained-glass inside.
There are memorial plaques to many of the old county families, including LORD ARMAGHDALE, SIR THOMAS MOLYNEUX Bt (below), of Castle Dillon, and the BLACKERS OF CARRICKBLACKER.
I hadn't been aware of the Cathedral Gardens, which I walked through.
The new See House (above) replaced a residence of ca 1973.
It was built in 2011 as the official residence of the anglican Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland.
The last archbishop to live at ARMAGH PALACE (now council offices) was the Most Rev Dr George Otto Simms.
First published in May, 2013.
4 comments :
The See House pictured was actually handed over to the Church only last year. This is a replacement for the 1973 See House which was included in CEB Brett's 'Buildings of County Armagh'.
The present See House was built a couple of years ago, replacing the 70s one. Archbishop Harper was the first to live in the new one.
There is also the hard to find memorial to Turner Macan of the Macan of Macan. Forebear to both later Earls of Antrim and Home, also Lords Clinton and then Earl of Lichfield. His widow, Harriet a few years after his death married William Henry Whitbread, head of the family family then and very rich. This brought connections to the Grey's, including Prince Albert's private secretary and later Victoria's.
Anonymous
The first See House, built in 1973, was the result of an act of architectural vandalism necessitating the demolishing of a fine terrace of artisans houses which greatly added to the character of the Cathedral environs and which were replaced with an ugly cement rendered block wall. No attempt has been made to replace the wall with a stone wall similar to the remainder of the boundary wall of the old St. Marks rectory.
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