Local archive
Crime & Public Safety City Centre
An increased police presence and more community safety wardens are to be deployed in Armagh city centre following reports of vandalism, theft, abuse, threats and deliberate fires.
Education
Eighteen-year-old Southern Regional College student Jack Abbott travelled from Armagh to Houston after being selected for the United Space School 2026, where he helped design a habitat for six astronauts on an 800-day mission to Mars.
Traffic & Construction
A man was taken to hospital after a collision involving a car and pedestrian outside the Spar store on Monaghan Road in Armagh shortly after 11.15am on Sunday, September 13. Police are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage.
Traffic & Construction City Centre
Newry and Armagh MLA Gareth Wilson has criticised what he calls a reactive approach to road safety after the death of musician and educator Eithne Vallely in a collision on the Portadown Road. He is calling for a wider review of safety measures at The Mall and across Armagh city centre.
Business & Openings
County Armagh premium snacking company Kestrel Foods, the owner of Forest Feast, has announced plans to double the business by 2030 after annual sales rose to £43.8m and its products reached 22 international markets.
Community Markethill
An ABC Council shopfront paint scheme attracted 146 applications from local businesses, with extra funding secured to allow 93 eligible applications to progress. A former DUP Lord Mayor is now calling for the programme to return next year with a larger budget.
Culture
Market Place Theatre in Armagh has announced a packed October 2026 programme featuring Teresa Livingstone, Coldplace, The 4 Of Us, Ralph McTell and a wide range of live music, comedy and theatre events.
Culture
The Market Place Theatre in Armagh has announced a wide-ranging September programme featuring Lisa O’Neill, Susan McCann, local student performers, Elvis and ABBA tribute shows, jazz, Irish folk music and a National Theatre screening.
Community City Centre
A local resident has praised an unnamed woman who regularly spends the early hours collecting litter from Armagh’s streets and caring for public flower beds.
Crime & Public Safety Milford
A man escaped injury after a suspected petrol bomb was thrown through a window of a house in the Anne Street area of Milford, Armagh. Police are investigating the deliberate ignition and appealing for CCTV, dash-cam or other footage that could identify those responsible.
Culture
No. 5 Vicars’ Hill in Armagh will open its doors for European Heritage Open Days 2026, offering free access to a historic building designed by Thomas Cooley across one weekend in September.
Culture
Armagh Robinson Library will open its doors for European Heritage Open Days 2026, featuring original architectural drawings by Thomas Cooley alongside displays exploring the building’s history and heritage.
Culture Cathedral
St Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral in Armagh will open its doors to visitors from 10am to 5pm on Saturday 12 September 2026 as part of European Heritage Open Days.
Crime & Public Safety
An Armagh couple have been returned for trial in relation to serious child sexual abuse and cruelty charges, according to a report from the Belfast Telegraph.
Community
Residents aged over 50 across Armagh and the wider ABC Borough are being invited to join a month-long programme of sports, arts, cooking, crafts, health activities and tea dances this October.
Traffic & Construction Milford
Berny Rafferty has spent four decades behind the counter at Rafferty’s Bar, also known as The Cuchulain Bar, on Thomas Street in Armagh. He recalls an unexpectedly packed punk gig, a protest over Sunday opening, the changing pub trade and the local characters who made the business part of city life.
Culture The Mall
Repairs to the pothole-plagued road leading to the Palace in Armagh are expected to begin in October, after concerns were raised about visitor access ahead of the Georgian Festival.
Crime & Public Safety Milford
A couple from Armagh have been returned for trial following multiple delays in a case involving serious child sexual abuse charges allegedly spanning two years and potentially involving joint enterprise.
Crime & Public Safety Milford
Police are investigating a suspected petrol bomb attack on a house in Anne Street, Milford, after a man was inside when the window was smashed and the device was thrown into the living room.
Business & Openings
Garden Escapes Ltd has been appointed to deliver a £2.3 million programme upgrading playparks across the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough.
Community Richhill
A full-day history conference in Richhill will examine the village and wider County Armagh from the 17th to the 19th century, with expert speakers discussing its development and identity.
Community
ABC Council is encouraging residents across the borough to check which everyday items can go in their green bins during Recycle Week 2026, running from 14 to 20 September.
Sport Blackwatertown
Riverdale Football Club, based in Benburb, is seeking girls for its under-12, under-14 and under-16 teams, with players from Armagh, Moy, Dungannon and Blackwatertown already involved.
Crime & Public Safety
A County Armagh man is due to face a Crown Court trial after allegedly presenting himself as a property agent to homeowners in Turkey and America.
Education Keady
St Patrick’s High School in Keady has welcomed Teddy, an ADNI Therapy Dog who will support pupil wellbeing, inclusion and pastoral programmes across the school.
Culture Keady
The Tommy Makem Folk Festival will take place across multiple venues in Keady, Armagh, from 6 to 8 November 2026, with concerts, cultural workshops and performances celebrating Irish folk traditions.
Culture Navan
Navan Centre and Fort in Armagh has received the Autism NI Impact Award after staff training and practical changes including a sensory room, quiet shows and relaxed educational visits.
Crime & Public Safety
A Co Armagh man has denied stealing £3,500 in cash during an alleged burglary, according to a court report.
Business & Openings
Garden Escapes Ltd has been appointed to deliver an ABC Council programme refurbishing 12 play parks and building five new ones over two years, with work expected to begin later this year at sites in Portadown, Craigavon and Banbridge.
Crime & Public Safety
An 18-year-old Newry man accused of seriously assaulting a woman over the weekend has been granted bail after appearing at Armagh Magistrates’ Court.
