18th Century Improvements

• The Tontinebuildings, erected as a private speculation by a few individuals, contain a large assembly-room having a suite of apartments connected with it, a public newsroom, and a savings' bank. Dramatic performances occasionally take place in this edifice, from the want of a special building for their exhibition. 

• The public library was founded by Primate Robinson, who bequeathed for the free use of the public his valuable collection of books, and endowed it with lands at Knockhamill, and houses in Armagh yielding a clear rental of £339. He also erected the building,  which is a handsome edifice in the Grecian style, situated  to the north-west of the cathedral, and completed in 1771, as appears by the date in front, above which is the appropriate inscription TO THS YUCHS IATREION  The room in which the books are deposited is light, airy and commodious, and has a gallery: there are also apartments for a resident librarian. in 1820, an additional staircase was erected, as an entrance at the west end, which has in a great measure destroyed the uniformity and impaired the beauty of the building.  The collection consists of about 20,000 volumes, and comprises many valuable works on theology, the classics, and antiquities, to which have been added several modern publications.In the record room of the diocesan registry are writings and books bequeathed by Primate  Robinson to the governors and librarian, in trust, for the sole use of the primate for the time being.  The primate, and the dean and chapter, by an act of the 13th and 14th of Geo.  III., are trustees of the library, with liberal powers.

• The Observatory, beautifully situated on a gentle eminence a little to the north-east of the city, was also erected by Primate Robinson, about  the year 1788, on a plot of 15 acres of land : the building is of hewn limestone, and has on it's front the inscription, 'The Heavens declare the glory of God' it comprises two lofty domes for the observatory, and a good house for the residence of the astronomer.  The munificent founder also provided for the maintenance of the astronomer, and gave the impropriety tithes of  Carlingford for the support of an assistant astronomer and the maintenance of the observatory, vesting the  management in the primate for the time being and twelve governors, of whom the chapter are eight, and the remaining four are elected by them as vacancies occur. Primate Robinson dying before the internal arrangements were completed, the establishment remained in an unfinished state till 1825, when the Right Hon. and Most Rev. Lord J. G. De La Poer Beresford, D.D., the present primate, furnished the necessary instruments, &c., at a cost of nearly £3000.

• This city is usually the station of a regiment of infantry: The Barracks occupy an elevated and healthy situation, and are capable of accommodating 800 men.

• In the immediate vicinity is the Archiepiscopal Palace, erected in 1770 by Primate Robinson, who also, in 1781, built a beautiful chapel of Grecian architecture nearly adjacent, and embellished the grounds, which comprise about 800 acres, with plantations tastefully arranged.