ARMAGH

The trip to Armagh was our excursion into Northern Ireland. As we crossed the border, which is an open border with no customs, some of us were treated to an unusual sight on the part of the Northern Ireland police. The armament of the police walking in Armagh and the fortification of the police stations brought home to us some of the facts of the Northern Ireland problem.

Armagh is the Ecclesiastical Capital of Ireland where St. Patrick established his mission to Ireland in the 5th century. We visted visited St. Patrick's Trian (not a mispelling) for a journey of historical discovery. The Trian, which gets its name from the ancient division of Armagh City into three distinct districts, or 'Trians', is divided into three major exhibits:

• Armagh Story, looking at the story of Armagh from pre-history to the present day.


• Saint Patrick, examining the life and work of the Irish patron saint and his connections with Armagh as found in the ancient manuscript, the Book of Armagh.
  
• The Land of Lilliput, presenting a dramatized exhibit of Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver's Travel".
  

	St. Patrick's Cathederal in Armagh
	Another of the many streets that David had to navigate for us.

The presentation of the story of Gulliver in Lilliput was done in a dramatic fashion. They used an interesting technique to show the facial expressions on the giant's face. Jonathon Swift is from Ireland and spent time in the district.