Entrance to St.Mark's Church, Armagh

Image: © P Flannagan Taken: 6 Feb 2017

St Mark’s Church was built in 1811 as a chapel of ease to St Patrick’s Cathedral, which was the Parish Church for Armagh. Consecrated by Archbishop Stuart in 1814, Significant rebuilding and enhancements in 1832 and 1866 have shaped St Mark’s St Mark’s owes it origins to a most influential predecessor, Archbishop Robinson, whose desire was expressed in his will for a church to be built on a site between the Royal School and the military barracks. Archbishop Stuart supported this aspiration in order to ease the pressure placed upon the Cathedral, which was at this time in need of repair and whose capacity was potentially insufficient to house the growing number of Anglicans living in Armagh at that time. into the building we worship Almighty God in today. The pulpit which was installed in 1896 is believed to be the highest in the Church of Ireland! In 1972, a statute was passed at the Church of Ireland’s General Synod changing the status of St Mark’s to become the parish church for Armagh. The extensive Church Yard surrounding the church offers much insight into local history, within which includes the burial places of victims of the Armagh Rail Disaster of 1889, War Veterans and Mr William McCrum (inventor of football’s penalty kick).

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