The Mall, central to Armagh’s leisure activities for over two centuries, is located centrally to the city’s main shopping area.
Originally used for horse-racing and monthly trade fairs, Archbishop Robinson put plans in place in 1765 to reform Armagh as a city to rival Belfast and Dublin.
The redevelopment transformed the park from the hub of raucous pursuits such as fist fights, cock fights and bull-baiting to a public park. He ordered a walkway to be built around its parameter and all activities thought unbecoming to a modern day city were banned.
A very popular location for walkers and joggers, much of which is thanks to Archbishop Newcome who then developed the Mall into a people’s park in 1794 – much as it is today. It was used both as a sports ground up until the mid twentieth century and then later only for cricket, and indeed still is.
In 2003/04 it was significantly refurbished with the aid of a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The work was carried out by the Mall Trustees and Armagh City and District Council who are currently equally responsible for the Mall and its upkeep.
The restoration and conservation of the Mall was awarded the 2005 Civic Trust Northern Ireland Public Realm Special Award, sponsored by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. It also won the Irish Architecture Award in the same year.