Northern Armagh
 Stately Homes |
Lough Neagh, central to the whole of Northern Ireland and the shores of which are shared by five of the six counties, has a Discovery Centre on Oxford Island. This is in fact a small peninsula jutting out into the lough, approached form the north-eastern corner of the county. The woodlands and shoreline swamps draw a multitude of waterfowl and other birds, viewed from various hides along the banks. There is much to learn in the centre about the lough, its management and ornithology. Travel south from here, beyond Portadown, and you reach the roach-filled upper section of the River Bann - a haven for coarse anglers.
To the west is the small estate village of Loughall, lying at the centre of apple orchard country. Loughall's main claim to fame is that Ireland's oldest political grouping, The Grand Lodge of Ireland, was founded in Sept.1795 at Dan Winters' farm on the outskirts of the village. The Lodge arose from the so-called Battle of the Diamond, fought nearby, in which a dozen Catholic ‘Defenders' were killed. This remains staunch Protestant territory.
The first Orange Lodge march occurred in 1796, in celebration of ‘King Billy's' (William of Orange) victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, and they've been marching ever since. The Dan Winter Ancestral Home is open to the public and contains memorabilia from the Battle of the Diamond.
Located a little to the north of Loughall are two National Trust stately homes, both situated within a couple of miles of each other. Ardress House is a 17 th century manor house containing a renowned neoclassical interior, which incorporates ornate plasterwork by Michael Stapleton, especially evident in the drawing room. In addition, there are a fine collection of paintings and some interesting furniture. In the grounds outside is a magnificent 18 th century pink-cobbled ‘working' farmyard, containing a piggery, a blacksmith's shop and chicken houses all set against a wooded backdrop. The Argory is a striking neoclassical building dating back to 1824, which is still able to display its 19 th century period furniture and is lit by an original 1906 acetylene gas plant in the stable yard - one of very few surviving examples in the UK. This stately home sits comfortably in 200 acres of wooded countryside overlooking the Blackwater River.