A prominent vacant Armagh city centre premises is set to welcome a new tenant in the coming weeks.
The former Armagh Pipers’ Club on Scotch Street, which once echoed with the sound of music, is set for a new lease of life.
It has previously operated as the department store Jackson Allen, and later Wise Buys. Armagh Computer World had also earlier leased the first floor.
Now, the distinctive building will now welcome its latest incumbents, opening as a “colourful treasure trove” of pre-loved fashion and household items, operated by local social enterprise incredABLE.
It continues the Richhill-based charity’s growth in the Cathedral City following its acquisition of the former Armagh City Youth Hostel last summer.
The charity focuses on creating “meaningful social, recreational and educational opportunities for people with a learning/intellectual disability and/or autism throughout the Southern Health and Social Care Trust Area”.
Born in 1997 under the moniker of The Young Fit and Able (YFA) Group, the organisation grew steadily through the work of a dedicated team of volunteers before rebranding to Enable in 2007 and finally settling on its third and final rebrand to incredABLE in 2017 – the year of its 20th anniversary.
Since 2017 the charity has continued to develop under Big Lottery funding for the We are incredABLE project, which granted over £500,000 to develop a five-year programme for people with a learning disability aged 18–25.
As part of its programme it merged with Step by Step NI (Café One Eighty) and also purchased the Ballinran Centre – a 5,000 sq ft residential centre outside Kilkeel – which the organisation had been using since 2007.
In 2020, it was also awarded the contract to operate the café and a suite of hospitality services at the new state-of-the-art South Lake Leisure Centre.
On 17 June 2025, incredABLE announced that it would also be “taking responsibility” for operating the former Armagh City Youth Hostel on Abbey Street, where it says it will “continue its legacy as a welcoming, group-focused accommodation hub in the heart of the Cathedral City.”
The council-owned Armagh City Youth Hostel had closed in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic and was then licensed to the Southern Health and Social Care Trust for international nursing accommodation.
However, in 2023 the Southern Health and Social Care Trust vacated the property, leaving the council to review suitable uses for the building.
Finally – in conjunction with incredABLE – the hostel reopened under the new name ‘Stay incredABLE’ Armagh City and now functions as a 62-bed self-catering group accommodation facility.
The new premises on Scotch Street will continue to build on the charity’s excellent work over the years and gives it another presence right in the heart of Armagh.
