County Armagh Trivia Quiz

Answer: Mayo

Co. Mayo is in the province of Connacht and is situated on the west coast of Ireland. Its motto is "Dia is Muire Linn" (Irish), translated as "God and Mary be with us".

Answer: St. Patrick

The Church of Ireland (Anglican) Cathedral was built on the site of a monastic settlement in 445. It has been destroyed and rebuilt 17 times and was restored between 1834 and 1840.

The Roman Catholic Cathedral had two architects involved in its building which resulted in the bottom half being built by Thomas Duff in the English Perpendicular Style, while the top half was built by J J McCarthy in the French Decorated Gothic style.

Answer: Road Bowls

Road Bowls is played in Armagh, Cork and some parts of the USA. It is played on country roads, usually on a Sunday afternoon. The players throw a 28oz (800gm) bowl or 'bullet' along the road. The fewest number of throws to complete the course is the winner.

Curling is played by sliding stones across ice. Shinty is a Scottish game similar to the Irish hurling. Lastly, volleyball is an Olympic sport.

Answer: Apples

Armagh is known as the "Orchard County" because of the number of apple orchards. Many types are grown, but especially Bramley's Seedling (Malus domestica). In my opinion, this is the best apple for cooking, and it is used in pies, crumbles and apple sauce.

Answer: The Upper Bann

The Upper Bann begins in the Mourne Mountains and finds its way into Lough Neagh at Bannfoot, near Portadown. It is noted for coarse fishing. The Lower Bann leaves Lough Neagh at Toome and flows north to the Atlantic Ocean at Portstewart. The Lagan flows through Belfast and The Foyle through Londonderry.

Answer: Slieve Gullion

Slieve Gullion is the highest point in the county at 573m. It is an extinct volcano with a lake at its summit called The Calliagh Birra (or Lake of Sorrow). There is a cairn on either side of the lake. The Northern is a mound of stones and the Southern is a Passage Grave.

Slieve Donard and Slieve Binnian are in the Mourne Mountains in County Down, and Slievenamon is in County Tipperary.

Answer: Terence Murtagh

Dr Eric Lindsay was the Director of Armagh Observatory from 1937 until 1974. In 1943 he proposed the building of a planetarium. In 1964, government and local councils agreed to pay for it as it would be a centre for education and tourism.

It was the first planetarium in the world to show moving images by projecting video on to the dome. This was introduced by Terence Murtagh. The planetarium was officially opened in 1968 by Terence O'Neill, the Prime Minister.

Patrick Moore is an astronomer.

Answer: "Gulliver's Travels" by Jonathan Swift

Armagh City Public Library was founded in 1771 by Archbishop Richard Robinson, who stocked it with his own library. It contains a first edition of "Gulliver's Travels" (28th October 1726) with annotations in Swift's handwriting.

"Gulliver's Travels" introduced some new words into the English language - 'lilliputian' meaning small and dainty, and 'yahoo' meaning a ruffian.

Source: Armagh Robinson Library Website

Answer: Wade's

Wade's original factory was in Burslem, England, and he opened another in Portadown in 1946 making porcelain electrical insulators. The factory then expanded into gift wares, especially a range called 'Whimsies', tiny animals which have become very popular with collectors. I wish I'd kept the ones I had when I was young as they are worth quite a lot now. The Portadown factory closed in 1989.

Beleek pottery is made in Co. Fermanagh, and Wedgwood and Rockingham are made in England.

Answer: Master McGrath

Master McGrath, pronounced McGra, was owned by Lord Lurgan. He won the Waterloo Cup three times, in 1868, 1870 and 1871. He died in 1872 at the kennels at Brownlow House. When a post-mortem examination was performed, it was found that his heart was twice the size that was normal for a dog his size.

He is honored in the town. There is even a statue in his image Craigavon Civic Centre.