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County Armagh

county armaghCounty Armagh is a county in Ulster in the north east of Ireland. In area it is the smallest of the six counties that form Northern Ireland and the second smallest in Ulster. Armagh comes from the Irish word "Ard Macha" - 'Macha's Height', referring to Queen Macha who supposedly built a fortress on top of a hill.

Armagh is located near the shores of Lough Neagh and is sometimes called "the Orchard of Ireland" because of its success in the growth of Bramley Apples.

Its county town is Armagh, in the middle of the county, although both Lurgan and Portadown, in the north of the county, each have larger populations. Traditionally Armagh has been the centre of Christianity in Ireland, and both Roman Catholic and Church of Ireland leaders in Ireland are based in Armagh.


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