Armagh Robinson Library

Top choice in Counties Down & Armagh


A first edition of Gulliver's Travels, published in 1726 and annotated by Swift himself, is the most prized possession of the wonderful Armagh Robinson Library, founded in 1771 by Archbishop Robinson. Other treasures include Sir Walter Raleigh's 1614 History of the World, the Claims of the Innocents (pleas to Oliver Cromwell) and engravings by Hogarth and others. The oldest manuscripts here are theological works dating from the 1480s.

Nearby, you can see ancient coins, early Christian artefacts and other curiosities at No 5 Vicar's Hill, a depository for Church of Ireland records.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Counties Down & Armagh attractions

1. No 5 Vicar's Hill

0.11 MILES

The collection of nearby Armagh Robinson Library spills over into the octagonal rooms of No 5 Vicar's Hill, a depository for Church of Ireland records,…

3. Armagh Courthouse

0.19 MILES

At the northern end of the Mall stands Armagh Courthouse, rebuilt after being destroyed by a huge IRA bomb blast in 1993. It originally dates from 1809,…

4. St Patrick's Roman Catholic Cathedral

0.23 MILES

Huge twin towers dominate the approach to Armagh's Roman Catholic Cathedral, built between 1838 and 1873 in Gothic Revival style. Inside it seems almost…

5. Mall

0.27 MILES

This long grassy expanse east of Armagh's centre was a horse-racing, cock-fighting and bull-baiting venue until the 18th century, when Archbishop Robinson…

6. Charlemont Place

0.29 MILES

The east side of the Mall is lined with handsome Georgian terraces including Charlemont Place, designed by local Francis Johnston, who later became one of…

7. Armagh County Museum

0.31 MILES

Prehistoric axe heads, artefacts found in bogs, corn dollies and straw-boy outfits, and military costumes and equipment are among the items on display at…

8. Armagh Planetarium

0.31 MILES

Aimed mainly at educating young people, the Armagh Planetarium has an interactive exhibition on space exploration, and a digital theatre that screens a…