As well as St Patrick's Church of Ireland Cathedral, the city of Armagh is home to St Patrick's Roman Catholic Cathedral, a majestic, twin-spired building that dates from the 19th century and sits perched on a hill to the northwest of the city centre.

The views over Armagh from the cathedral are terrific, with the huge, imposing towers dominating the horizon from down below. Built in Gothic Revival style, the construction of the cathedral began in 1838 by Thomas Duff, but work was suspended during the Great Famine of 1845-48. The building was completed, and the design redeveloped, by J.J. McCarthy in 1873, although extensive work on the interior decoration continued until the 20th century.

The entrance is reached via a long flight of steps, and leads into an airy interior that is exquisitely decorated with dazzling, colourful mosaics. Unfortunately, the modernisations that took place under the Second Vatican Council led to the removal of many of the intricate adornments that had been added at the beginning of the 20th century. The simplified granite sanctuary that replaced the earlier work is regarded by some as a jarring, incongruous addition. Nevertheless, the spaciousness and grandeur created by the building's impressive structure triumph over the lack of unity in design.

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