Ireland, also known as the Land of Castles, the Emerald Green or the Land of the Redheads, is an island comprising the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. With an area of 70,273 square kilometres and divided into 20 counties, Ireland has a population of over 4.7 million. Some of its most popular cities are Dublin, Galway, Cork, Limerick and Waterford.
One of its main features is the amount of nature it boasts. Two must-sees when visiting the island are the Cliffs of Moher and the Giant's Causeway. As for the wildlife, if you visit the Skellig Islands you'll be able to spot the friendly puffins.
Photo: Pixabay
Ireland (which is called Éire in the Irish language) is said to have been inhabited for some 7,000 years. Their patron saint is Saint Patrick, in whose honour Ireland's bank holidays is celebrated. Having done some research on him, I discovered that he was not Irish, as he was born in England and was kidnapped by Irish pirates at the age of 16.
It would be years later when Maewyn Succat (yes, that was St. Patrick's real name) began to promote Christianity in the Land of Castles. Another thing that is often said about him is that he drove all the snakes out of the country, but according to other sources there have never been any snakes in Ireland. The reason St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on 17 March is because it is the day he died and the shamrock is used as a symbol because it was what he used to explain the concept of the holy trinity.
If you want to know more, read on, because here are a few interesting facts about Ireland. You may already know some of them, but I assure you not all of them:
1. "Phoenix Park", located in Ireland, is the largest urban park in Europe. It covers more than 700 hectares, so if you want to see it, it is advisable to rent a bike there.
2. With a total of 7 awards, Ireland is the most Eurovision winners, followed by Sweden with 6.
3. It is said that in Ireland there are more sheep in the census than people.
4. On 17 March, a bank holiday, Saint Patrick's Day, the patron saint of Ireland, is celebrated.
How pretty your kilt is" is not a good phrase to say to an Irish person. Skirts are called"kilt", so call a spade a spade or an Irish person might get annoyed with you.
6. Halloween is a tradition of Celtic origin. It began in Ireland more than 1,500 years ago.
7. They sometimes drink hot whisky, with cloves, sugar and lemon.
8. The US White House was designed by an Irishman: James Hoban. Every St Patrick's Day, the building colours the water in its fountains greenish.
9. If you want to blend in with the Irish population, shout "Erin vaya bragh" on St Patrick's Day. You'll be saying "Ireland forever".
10. Many Gaelic surnames begin as follows: "Mac" and "O". In Gaelic they mean "son of" and "grandson of".
11. Do you know why the Ha'Penny Bridge the way it is? It is said to be because the ferryman used to ask you for half a penny to cross to the other side.
12. Do you know Gaelic Football? It is a sport that mixes football with rugby.
13. Ireland was the pioneer in introducing a tax to protect the environment by reducing the consumption of plastic bags.
14. Rumour has it that Guinness beer was created by mistake once their barley burnt (incidentally, they let you pour your own beer at the brewery).
15. Series such as Vikings and Game of Thrones have filmed scenes in various locations on the island of Ireland.
16. There is a recipe for beef stew with Guinness beer, would you like to try it?
17. "Dubh Linn" is the origin of the name of the city of Dublin and its meaning is "black pond". It was founded by the Vikings in 988.
18. There are two official languages: English and Irish.
19. At 400 kilometres long, the River Shannon is the longest river in Ireland.
20. The Leprechaun is a creature from Irish mythology. It is said that at the end of the rainbow they hide pots of gold.
21. The symbol of Ireland is the harp, a musical instrument that also appears on the country's euro coins.
22. The Spire, located in Dublin, is considered the tallest sculpture in the world at 120 metres high.
23. The Irish alphabet consists of only 18 letters.
24. The population speaks very fast and with a somewhat peculiar accent. For example, instead of "you" you will hear "ye".
25. If you've been to Dublin you may have seen houses with coloured doors. Legend has it that they used to be painted like this so that drunks wouldn't get the wrong house.
26. Built in 1198, Ireland's oldest pub is located in Dublin.
27. Have you seen the typical Irish dance? It is characterised by how fast they move their legs when they dance.
28. In the capital of Northern Ireland, Belfast, the Titanic was built.
29. Guinness Storehouse has a 9,000-year lease.
30. Despite their reputation for being big beer drinkers, they are outnumbered by the Czechs.
I hope you found these curiosities interesting and that you have learned some new things. I invite you to leave me some more curiosities about Ireland in the comments section. If you want to and if you can, visit Ireland!
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