39 . Scarva Pillbox

Banbridge

Scarva Pillbox is situated at the rear entrance to Scarvagh House (Scarva). In the early 1940s, a network of defences were built throughout Northern Ireland to prevent an anticipated German invasion. The most common of these defences were called 'pillboxes'. These were low concrete forts which were sited at road junctions, canals and other strategic points. The Scarva pillbox was part of the Lough Neagh-Carlingford Lough line of defence. The river Bann and the Newry canal were used as the main obstacles in these areas and the pillboxes would have been used to defend crossing points. Although the threat of invasion diminished after 1941, the possibility of Nazi commando raids remained a constant fear.

Scarva Pillbox contains two machine gun embrasures. There is a stepped machine gun platform and a square recess, which was probably used for ammunition or water coolant, on the inside of each embrasure.

40 . Newry Canal/
Campbell's Lock

Newry & Mourne/Banbridge

The Newry Canal is the oldest summit canal in Britain and Ireland. It consists of two sections, an inland stretch from Portadown to Newry and the Ship Canal from the town of Newry to Victoria Locks, halfway along Carlingford Lough.

It was built between 1734 and 1742 to carry the recently discovered coal deposits in east Tyrone to Dublin. Although the Tyrone coalfields were not a success, the canal stimulated the domestic linen industry and greatly facilitated the import and export of goods. The Newry Canal was the first true summit level canal in Ireland or Britain, its entire navigation was 18 miles long, with 15 locks. Campbell's lock is located north of Scarva town and the lock house dates from the 18th century. The coming of the railway in the mid-19th century signalled the end for the canal.

Although today the canal is non-navigable, the Newry Canal Towpath (where the horses once walked to tow the barges) provides an ideal routeway for walkers and cyclist to discover the natural and manmade heritage of the region.

41 . Gilford Mill

Banbridge

Gilford Mill was once the largest industrial undertaking on the Upper Bann. The village of Gilford dates from the mid-17th century and developed and prospered as the result of the linen industry. Linen was Ireland's most important manufacturing industry in the 18th and 19th centuries and it was heavily centred on Ulster. The town was ideally situated with the Newry Canal facilitating imports and exports to the town. Moreover, the water from the River Bann had properties that were ideal for whitening linen and waterpower was easily accessible.

The 'Dunbar, McMaster & Co.' mill was established in 1834. They became one of most important thread manufacturers in Ireland and Britain, and at its peak employed 1,500 people. From the middle of the 20th century production at the mills declined as modern fabrics and technologies began to take over from traditional weaving. Gilford Mill finally ceased production in 1987, although parts of it had already been unoccupied for a number of years. Today the mill is awaiting redevelopment. Gilford Mill is one of the last remaining spinning mills on the River Bann and bear testament to the industrial importance of the area.

42 . Ulster Canal

Monaghan

The Ulster Canal was constructed between 1825 and 1841 to link Lough Erne to Lough Neagh. Its entire navigation was 46 miles long, with 26 locks; seven locks were built at the Monaghan town section of the canal to facilitate the rise into the town. The canal ran from Charlemont on the River Blackwater to Wattle Bridge on the River Finn (south-east of Upper Lough Erne). The canal was to create a navigable waterway, which would link the ports of Belfast and Coleraine with the River Shannon and onwards to Limerick. However, a poor water supply, inappropriately narrow locks and the arrival of rail and ultimately road transport meant that the canal was finally abandoned in 1931.

Although the canal was not a commercial success, it has immense cultural and heritage value. In 2007, it was announced that the western section of the Ulster Canal, from Lough Erne to Clones, is to be restored.

This section of the Ulster Canal has been converted into a small park in the centre of Monaghan Town. Although the original canal bridge has been replaced by a flat bottomed one, the Ulster Canal Stores is located across the road in the St. Louis Convent Grounds. Other interesting sites for the Ulster Canal built heritage includes the Canal Stores in Clones town, and the bridges and locks visible along the main Monaghan- Armagh Road at Silverstream two miles outside Monaghan town.

43 . Mullan Village

Monaghan

The picturesque 19th century mill village of Mullan is one of the few well-preserved examples of early rural industrial development in existence in Ireland. Mullan derives its name from the Irish Muileann meaning 'Mill'. The village contained a substantial flax mill and was at the centre of the linen industry in the 18th and early 19th century. Later, Mullan became known for the manufacture of Bullock Irish Serge. In the early part of the 20th century the mill fell into disuse and the village lay idle until a shoe factory was established in 1924. The village was purchased by the Boylan family in 1944 and remained a busy and bustling rural centre until the late 1970s.

There are a number of interesting heritage features within the village, which include a mill-race (reputedly the longest in the country at 1km), a curved stone bench and a working water pump. The original structure of the village included the White Row, the Red Row, the Felt and the Dance Hall, and a shop and school as well as the Mill. A village competition was held every year for best garden, best vegetables and a field was kept in an allotment style for use communally by the residents.

Mullan's border location contributed greatly to its decline over the last quarter of a century, and the village suffered a gradual reduction of population, with most of the mill houses falling into disrepair and abandonment by the 1990's. Works are now underway to restore the mill houses and revive the village as a centre for the local community once more.

44 . Bessbrook Mill

Newry & Mourne

One of the earliest of the model villages associated with the Industrial Revolution, the mill village of Bessbrook was founded in 1845 by John Grubb Richardson, a Quaker linen manufacturer, to house workers at his huge flax mill. The village gets its name from Elizabeth (or Bess, for short) Nicholson whose family had a linen business in the area in the early 19th century. The 'brook' refers to a stream which runs nearby. The Bessbrook River was known to be the hardest working river in Ireland, with more mills per mile of its length than any other. The village was a social experiment and among it founding principles was the philosophy of the Three P's: that there should be no public houses, no pawn shops and consequently no need for a police force. To this day there are no public houses in the village.

The mill flourished under Richardson, Bessbrook linen earned a reputation as among the finest in the world and the village prospered. The houses built for the mill workers were laid out in neat squares and terraces, with lots of green open spaces - all of the houses which remain are still occupied today.

In the 1970s, the mill was taken over by the British Army and converted into an army base. The army withdrew in 2007, thus bringing to an end the British military presence in the South Armagh region.

Bessbrook Mill has recently been given Listed Building Status

45 . Armagh Public Library

Armagh City

Archbishop Richard Robinson founded the Armagh Public Library in 1771. His aim was to improve Armagh and establish a University. Thomas Cooley designed the Georgian building and an inscription, in Greek, over the entrance translates as 'the healing place for the soul'.

The nucleus of the collection is Archbishop Robinson's own library, which contains 17th and 18th century books on theology, philosophy, literature, travel, history, medicine and law. The library also houses a number of rare and important books, such as John Gerson's De Praeceptis Decalogi (printed in Strasbourg, 1488), Walter Raleigh's History of the World (1614) and Fynes Moryson's Travels (1617). The collection also contains a first edition copy of Gulliver's Travels (1726), which contains notes in Swift's own handwriting.

In addition, the library holds mediaeval and 17th century manuscripts, engravings and artefacts. The library gained museum status in 2002 in recognition of its role in safekeeping valuable and delicate works.

46 . The Argory

Armagh

The Argory, situated on a wooded estate overlooking the Blackwater River, was built in 1824 for Walter McGeough. This superb neo-classical house has maintained much of its original contents and structure, and houses four generations of family treasures. Its most notable feature is a cabinet barrel organ, built by James Bishop of London, which still in working order. Also to be seen is the rare acetylene gas plant, installed in 1906, which for seven decades was used to light gas lamps in the house. On the grounds there is a rose garden, which contains a sundial bearing the inscription 'Here reader mark the silent steps of never standing time'. There are also 315 acres of woodland to explore.

Nearby is Ardress House, a 17th century farmhouse with 18th century additions. Visitors can enjoy the cobbled working farmyard (with piggery and blacksmith's forge), woodland walks, garden and an adventure playground.

Both the Argory and Ardress House are owned by the National Trust.

47 . The Mall

Armagh City

This area known as 'The Mall' (formerly, 'The Commons') has been a focal point in the centre of Armagh for more than two centuries. It was used for horseracing, bull baiting and cockfighting in the 18th century. Archbishop Robinson banned these activities in 1773 and the area became a public walkway. Today, the Mall has retained its Georgian character and is surrounded by several of the city's main tourist attractions:

Armagh County Museum
The Armagh County Museum was originally built as a schoolhouse in 1834. Today, the Museum celebrates the history of Co. Armagh.

Armagh Gaol
Armagh Gaol was built in 1780 and extended in 1852 and is Northern Ireland's oldest prison. Its impressive and intimidating grey façade stands guard over the Mall.

Armagh Observatory
Archbishop Robinson founded Armagh Observatory in 1790. The 14-acre site (known as 'Armagh Astropark') incorporates a scale model of the universe.

Royal Irish Fusiliers Museum
The Museum tells the story of the regiment, which played an important role in the history of Armagh between 1793 and 1968, when it became part of the Royal Irish Rangers.

48 . Saint Patrick's Catholic Cathedral

Armagh City

The twin spires of Saint Patrick's Catholic Cathedral stand watch over the city of Armagh from Sandy Hill. Archbishop Crolly laid the foundation stone of the cathedral on Saint Patrick's Day in 1840. However, work was delayed and disrupted on a number of occasions, notably during the Great Hunger (1845-50). It was dedicated for worship in 1873, but the magnificent interior decoration was not completed until early in the 20th century. It was finally consecrated in 1904.

The Cardinal Ó Fiaich Library and Archive (COFLA) is an important cultural and historical resource and holds collections relating to Irish history, local history, Irish archaeology, the Irish language, ecclesiastical history and Irish sport.

Saint Patrick's Trian visitor complex is an interesting visitor centre located in the heart of Armagh City. It derives its name from the ancient division of Armagh City into three distinct districts, or 'Trians'. The complex incorporates three inspirational exhibitions under one roof: The Armagh Story, Saint Patrick's Testament and the Land of Lilliput and interprets much of Saint Patrick's legacy in Armagh and Ireland.

49 . Watch Towers

Armagh/Newry & Mourne

Erected some 38 years ago at the beginning of the period in Irish history known as "The Troubles", these towers were located in strategic positions atop the hills of South Armagh and County Down.

The towers, with their state-of-the-art surveillance equipment, were used by the British army to monitor movements along the border areas.

Remote and inaccessible, these modern day versions of Norman castles were usually supplied by helicopter, with troops and equipment being flown in and out.

With the cessation of "The Troubles" in Northern Ireland these watchtowers have proven more ephemeral than the Norman castles and are gradually being dismantled, the once high security sites being returned to greenfield status and eventually accessible to the public once again.

50 . Railways

Throughout the Region

The Monaghan Way heading north from the village of Inniskeen is the perfect place to explore the region's railway heritage.

Sections of the Monaghan Way take advantage of the old disused line for a scenic walking route from Inniskeen to Monaghan town.

The Monaghan Way is signposted from the Patrick Kavanagh Centre in the village, and the famous poet travelled on the last train to Inniskeen in 1957.

Inniskeen was on the Dundalk to Enniskillen Great Northern Railway line. Imposing cut stone bridges, viaducts, railways stations, good sheds and halts still remain as a legacy of the once extensive public transport system. Just outside Newry you can see at first hand the glory of the rail network. Craigmore Viaduct which opened to traffic in 1852 carries the Belfast to Dublin rail link, the only existing cross border route in this region.

Part of the branch line to Ardee, County Louth, is now a public walkway.