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vested in the latter for useful purposes by an act of the
13th and 14th of Geo. III.: the enclosed area, on the
eastern side of which are many superior houses, com-
prehends nearly eight acres, kept in excellent condition.
In addition to this, the primate’s demesne is open to
respectable persons; and his laudable example has been
followed by two opulent citizens, who have thrown open
their grounds in the vicinity for the recreation of the
inhabitants. The Tontine Buildings, erected as a pri-
vate speculation by a few individuals, contain a large
assembly-room having a suite of apartments connected
with it, a public news’-room, and a savings’ bank.
Dramatic performances occasionally take place in this
edifice, from the want of a special building for their
exhibition. The public library was founded by Primate
Robinson, who bequeathed for the free use of the pub-
lic his valuable collection of books, and endowed it with
lands at Knockhamill and houses in Armagh yielding
a clear rental of £339. He also erected the. building,
which is a handsome edifice in the Grecian style, situated
to the north-west of the cathedral, and completed in
1771, as appears by the date in front, above which is the
appropriate inscription “TO TH∑ ΨУXH∑ IATPEION.”
The room in which the books are deposited is light,
airy and commodious, and has a gallery: there are also
apartments for a resident librarian. In 1820, an ad-
ditional staircase was erected, as an entrance at the west
end, which has in a great measure destroyed the unifor-
mity and impaired the beauty of the building. The
collection consists of about 20,000 volumes, and com-
prises many valuable works on theology, the classics,
and antiquities, to which have been added several modern
publications. In the record-room of the diocesan regis-
try are writings and books bequeathed by Primate
Robinson to the governors and librarian, in trust, for
the sole use of the primate for the time being. The
primate, and the dean and chapter, by an act of the
13th and 14th of Geo. III., are trustees of the library,
with liberal powers. The observatory, beautifully situ-
ated on a gentle eminence a little to the north-east of
the city, was also erected by Primate Robinson, about
the year 1788, on a plot of 15 acres of land: the build-
ing is of hewn limestone, and has on its front the in-
scription, “The Heavens declare the glory of God;” it
comprises two lofty domes for the observatory, and a
good house for the residence of the astronomer. The
munificent founder also provided for the maintenance
of the astronomer, and gave the impropriate tithes of
Carlingford for the support of an assistant astronomer
and the maintenance of the observatory, vesting the
management in the primate for the time being and twelve
governors, of whom the chapter are eight, and the
remaining four are elected by them as vacancies occur.
Primate Robinson dying before the internal arrange-
ments were completed, the estalishment remained in
an unfinished state till 1825, when the Right Hon. and
Most Rev. Lord J. G. De La Poer Beresford, D.D.,
the present primate, furnished the necessary instru-
ments, &c., at a cost of nearly £3000. This city is
usually the station of a regiment of infantry: the bar-
racks occupy an elevated and healthy situation, and
are capable of accommodating 800 men. In the imme-
diate vicinity is the archiepiscopal palace, erected in
1770 by Primate Robinson, who also, in 1781, built a
beautiful chapel of Grecian architecture nearly adjacent,
68
ARM
and embellished the grounds, which comprise about
800 acres, with plantations tastefully arranged.
Though an increasing place, Armagh has now no
manufactures, and but little trade, except in grain, of
which a great quantity is sent to Portadown and Newry
for exportation: much of the flour made in the neigh-
bourhood is conveyed to the county of Tyrone. After
the introduction of the linen manufacture into the North
of Ireland, Armagh became the grand mart for the sale
of cloth produced in the surrounding district, From a
return of six market days in the spring of 1835, the
average number of brown webs sold in the open market
was 4292, and in private warehouses 3412, making a
total of 7704 webs weekly, the value of which, at £1.11.
each, amounts to £620,942. 8. per annum. But this
does not afford a just criterion of the present state of
the trade, in which a great change has taken place within
the last 20 years; the quantity now bleached annually
in this neighbourhood is nearly double that of any for-
mer period, but only a portion of it is brought into the
market of Armagh. The linen-hall is a large and com-
modious building, erected by Leonard Dobbin, Esq.,
M.P. for the borough: it is open for the sale of webs
from ten to eleven o’clock every Tuesday. A yarn
market is held, in which the weekly sales amount to
£3450, or £179,400 per annum. There are two ex-
tensive distilleries, in which upwards of 25,000 tons of
grain are annually consumed; an ale brewery, consum-
ing 3800 barrels of malt annually; several extensive
tanneries; and numerous flour and corn mills, some of
which are worked by steam. The amount of excise
duties collected within the district for the year 1835
was £69,076. 5. 8½.. The Blackwater, within four miles
of the city, affords a navigable communication with
Lough Neagh, from which, by the Lagan canal, the line
of navigation is extended to Belfast; and to the east is
the navigable river Bann, which is connected with the
Newry canal. A canal is also in progress of formation
from the Blackwater, to continue inland navigation from
Lough Neagh to Lough Erne, which will pass within
one mile of the city. The markets are abundantly sup-
plied; they are held on Tuesday, for linen cloth and yarn,
pigs, horned cattle, provisions of all kinds, vast quanti-
ties of flax, and flax-seed during the season; and on
Saturday, for grain and provisions. Fairs are held on
the Tuesday after Michaelmas, and a week before
Christmas, and a large cattle market has been establish-
ed on the first Saturday in every month. By a local act
obtained in 1774, a parcel of waste land adjoining the
city, and containing about 9½ plantation acres, was
vested in the archbishop and his successors, to be par-
celled into divisions for holding the fairs and markets,
but only the fairs are now held on it. The market-house,
an elegant and commodious building of hewn stone,
erected by Archbishop Stuart, at an expense of £3000,
occupies a central situation at the lower extremity of
Market-street; the old shambles, built previously by
Primate Robinson, have been taken, down, and a more
extensive and convenient range, with markets for grain,
stores, weigh-house, &c, attached, was erected in 1829
by the committee of tolls: the supply of butchers’
meat of very good quality is abundant, and the veal of Ar-
magh is held in high estimation: there is also a plenti-
ful supply of sea and fresh-water fish. Several of the
inhabitants, in 1821, raised a subscription, by shares