Table of Contents

Ireland

Abbey Theatre

The Abbey Theatre, also known as the National Theatre of Ireland, is a Dublin theater that has been in operation since December 27, 1904, with a hiatus caused by a fire in the original building in 1951. The Abbey was the first publicly subsidized theater in the English-speaking world; from 1925 it was subsidized by the Irish Free State. 1)

Oileán Acla

Achill Island (Irish: Acaill, Oileán Acla) is an island in the west of Ireland, in County Mayo. It is the largest island in Ireland. It is connected to the mainland by a swing bridge (Michael Davitt Bridge). Achill Island has managed to preserve its natural beauty. On its northern coast are the Croaghaun Cliffs, which are the third-highest in Europe. 2)

Lough Neagh

Lough Neagh is a lake in Northern Ireland west of Belfast. It is the largest lake in the British Isles. It is home to numerous colonies of water birds. Windermere is the largest lake in England, and Loch Lomond is the largest lake in Scotland. 3)

Academy Award and the Nobel Prize

Irishman George Bernard Shaw was the first person to receive both the Academy Award and the Nobel Prize. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1925 and received the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay in 1938. 4)

Dubhlinn

Dubhlinn (“black pool”) was a small lake used for mooring ships and was connected to the River Liffey. The lake was covered in the early 19th century as the town grew. 5)

Samhein

Halloween comes from the Irish festival of Samhain. 6)

James Hoban

Irishman James Hoban designed the White House in the US. 7)

St. Patrick

St. Patrick was not actually Irish, he was born in Britain. 8)

Buying locally

Irish people tend to buy products made in their country. Hence, on stickers you may find the words “Buy me, I'm Irish”. 9)

Muckanaghederdauhaulia

The longest place name in Ireland is Muckanaghederdauhaulia. 10)

First two figures on license plates

On the license plate of cars in Ireland, the first two numbers are the year of manufacture. 11)

Titanic

The Titanic, the indestructible ship that sank on its maiden voyage, was built in Ireland. 12)

Tara Mine

The Tara Mine near Navan is the largest zinc mine in Europe and the fifth-largest in the world. 13)

Foreigners

There are almost 8 times as many Poles as people who speak Gaelic in Ireland. 14)

Free night for Mary and Joseph

One hotel chain was offering a free night during the holidays for married couples where the woman's name is Mary and the man's name is Joseph. 15)

Irish birthday traditions

According to Irish birthday traditions, people hold the baby upside down and lightly bang its head on the floor. This tradition is believed to bring good luck. 16)

Tailteann Games

Ireland has had its own Olympic Games since the Bronze Age, called the Tailteann Games. 17)

William Edward Wilson

William Edward Wilson was the first person to accurately measure the temperature of the sun. 18)

John Tyndall

Irishman John Tyndall was the first scientist ever to be called a physicist. 19)