Day 8: Figuring Out What There is to do in Armagh

You may be wondering why in the world we chose to spend time in Armagh, Northern Ireland. Well, it just so happens to be the area of Ireland from where my grandfathers came before settling in the US. So, it was very touching for me to be able to see the area and picture them there.


In order to get a better idea of what life might have been like for my grandfathers, we first went to the Armagh County Museum. They had artifacts from the Bronze Age to the 20th century. There were lots of clothing from various time periods set out, and it was fascinating to try to imagine my ancestors in them.

After that, we stopped to get Zach a jelly-filled doughnut and sat at Embers Coffee Shop, where I enjoyed a mocha (I tried to have one everyday).

Another interesting fact about Armagh is that it is supposed to be the place from where St. Patrick established Christianity in Ireland. So, there are 2 St. Patrick's Cathedrals in Armagh- the Church of Ireland one and the Roman Catholic one. Both were equally stunning from the outside.
We started with the Church of Ireland cathedral, which had a list of all the bishops from St. Patrick in 444 AD to today. There were lots of statues honoring various men, and there was a beautiful painting of Jesus and his disciples at the last supper.

Before leaving, I purchased a little card with a part of St. Patrick's Breastplate on it. It said:

Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

I really like that prayer.

We then walked to the Roman Catholic cathedral (just down the street), where we were surprised to find an even more ornate building. There were detailed mosaics on the walls, ornate chandeliers, elaborate stained glass windows, etc. Zach thought I went a little crazy with the picture-taking here, but I was just amazed by it all.


For dinner, we went to a place in the town square called The Basement Cafe and finally had some fish and chips. Let me tell you, they were well worth the wait, and I cleaned my plate in no time!

With our bellies full, we headed back to the hostel, where we enjoyed more friendly conversations with John, Peter, and Viv.