50 shocking facts about Ireland you probably didn’t know
I don’t think that any Irish person ever gets bored of hearing shocking facts about Ireland.
Ireland is a fantastic country, full of amazing facts. For such a little country with a small population, Ireland has a massive amount of culture, history, and has had a huge impact on the world. There is so much to learn about Ireland, so here are fifty amazing facts about Ireland in no particular order.
1. More Irish people are living abroad than there are in Ireland. There are 80 million Irish people outside of Ireland and only around 6 million in Ireland.
2. The president of Ireland has very little power. The Taoiseach is the head of the government and controls all the power.
3. Ireland is known as the Emerald Isle because of how green it is.
4. Ireland has hundreds of accents, and each town in Ireland has its own unique flavour.
5. Roughly 2% of people in Ireland speak Irish daily.
6. St. Patrick was born in Wales, not in Ireland.
7. More Guinness is sold in Nigeria than it is in Ireland.
8. Croke Park in Dublin is the fourth biggest stadium in Europe.
9. Ireland ranks sixth worldwide in the average consumption of beer per person.
10. The submarine was invented in Ireland by John Philip Holland.
11. The longest place name in Ireland is Muckanaghederdauhaulia. Try pronouncing that after you have had a few pints!
12. Halloween was derived from an Irish festival called Samhain.
13. Ten million pints of Guinness are produced in Dublin every day.
14. The harp is the national symbol of Ireland and not the shamrock. It is featured on the front of Irish passports.
15. Ireland has the third-largest consumption of tea per capita.
16. Another of the top Irish facts is that a form of the Irish sport hurling is over 3,000 years old.
17. The White House, where the president of America lives, was designed by an Irishman.
18. Only around nine per cent of Irish people are actually natural gingers.
19. St. Valentine is actually buried in Whitefriar Street Church in Dublin.
20. More people speak Polish at home than speak Irish.
21. There were never snakes in Ireland, even before Saint Patrick.
22. Irish is technically the first language in Ireland and not English.
23. Gay marriage has been legal in Ireland since 2015.
24. Abortion has been legal in Ireland since 2018.
25. The Wild Atlantic Way is the longest coastal drive route in the world.
26. The oldest yacht club in the world is in Ireland.
27. The Irish flag was inspired by France. Green, white, and gold as opposed to blue, white, and red.
28. Argentina’s navy was founded by an Irishman.
29. Around 88% of Irish people are Roman Catholic.
30. Irish surnames that start with “Mac” means ‘son of’.
31. Irish surnames that start with “O” means ‘grandson of’.
32. Ireland has won the Eurovision song contest seven times, more times than any other country (in 1970, 1980, 1987, 1992, 1993, 1994, and 1996).
33. Bram Stoker, who wrote Dracula, is from Dublin. Dracula is said to have been inspired by the Irish legend of Abhartach.
34. Craoghaun Cliffs on Achill Island are the second highest cliffs in Europe. They are 688 metres above the Atlantic Ocean.
35. The Tara Mine in County Meath is the largest zinc mine in Europe and the fifth-largest in the world.
36. The guillotine was used in Ireland before it was used in France.
37. The River Shannon is the longest river in Ireland.
38. Since 2009 it is illegal to be drunk in public in Ireland.
39. An Irishman designed the award given at the Oscars.
40. Ireland is home to one of the oldest pubs in the world, it opened in 900AD.
41. Hook Lighthouse in Wexford is one of the oldest lighthouses in the world.
42. The Titanic was built in Belfast.
43. Ireland has one of the youngest populations in the world because of its high birthrate, especially within the last 50 years.
44. There have been people living in Ireland for approximately 7,000 years.
45. Ireland has had two female presidents, more than most countries in the world.
46. Ireland has its own ancient version of the Olympics called the Tailteann Games.
47. In the 18th century, Cork was the largest exporter of butter in the world.
48. The Woodenbridge Hotel in Wicklow is the oldest hotel in Ireland. It opened in 1608.
49. Lots of multinational companies set up offices in Ireland because of low tax rates.
50. Roughly 34,000 Americans reported Irish ancestry in the 2000 US census.
There you have it, the top fifty Irish facts you probably didn’t know! How many of these facts were you aware of?
KAREN with big brother, DENNY … on his GRADUATION DAY” “1953” … This PHOTO is taken in front of the “German St. Vincent Orphanage Gymnasium” … 7401 Florissant Road, Normandy, Missouri.
We were in line to get on the “FERRIS WHEEL” one of the attractions on the grounds of the “ORPHANAGE” to attract lots of Visitors to and for this “Graduation-Picnic occasion.”
“If only this Photo would have been in color… You could see the terrific super and fantastic shade of “RED HAIR” and those freckles that DENNY has.”
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“This is with MOM and the three of us… February 1946 as our baby sister, “EVE KAREN Francisca McClarren” was born on the 16th… and when “MOM and DAD” took our sister to the “HOLY NAME CHURCH” to be baptized… and were asked what the baby’s NAME will be… he was told “EVE KAREN” … the Priest said … “there is not a “SAINT EVE KAREN” … DO you have a DOG?” … “I need a “SAINT’s NAME” ….So as not to hold up the ceremony… “MOM remembered that a “Francisca CABRINI” was in the NEWS … as just having been canonized a “SAINT” … so that is “HOW” our sister “KAREN” received her long and full name.
This was an “IRISH PRIEST” and his “IRISH brogue” was so strong … “you could hardly understand what he was saying as the word “DOG” really sounded like “DOGUE!”
“This is “KAREN” with DADDY…. and of course the three of us – DENNY – ME – TOMMY … in the area where the “APPLE” trees were growing… every so often one of us kids… would run down and get a handful of ‘apples’ for friends but… for some of the kids… they could not eat the green “apples” they would get… a good case of the “runs” to the bathroom.”
That “SAILOR” outfit that “TOMMY” is wearing is the same “outfit” that “DENNY” wore on his solo trip to “OHIO” when he was only “four years old” … I did write about that trip a couple of times earlier… and posted the news-paper clipping along… giving all of the particulars of the long “trip” that little DENNY took … all by himself … when “DADDY” had to go to “CALIFORNIA” to work on the “NAVY SHIPS” during WWII … just some the exciting things that the “McClarren” children did during those “hard” times… and we all have lived a long enough time to tell about it!
“Just some of the memories of our little sister, EVE KAREN” … just good to have a few old PHOTOS … for a “BACK-up” otherwise… no one would believe… half of the good old days… when we were in the bad and hard times of a “WAR” and what “AMERICANS” all did to help our “COUNTRY” WIN… but we “ALL” just did that which we could… and we always felt good… for what we were able to do.!” D.V.
Long-EZ builder Mike Sabourin provides a narrated walk-around of his award-winning airplane. Learn what makes the Burt Rutan-designed Long-EZ different from most homebuilt aircraft and what it’s like to fly. For more on the Long-EZ, check out our special Buying Used feature.
Over 40 years ago, Burt Rutan set the homebuilt airplane movement on its ear in 1976 with his unusual VariEze design. From its canard foreplane “tail” to its moldless fiberglass construction, the little Eze broke new ground in an age of staid tube-and-rag homebuilts.
Rutan wasn’t the first to build and fly a pusher-type airplane with the tail in front, but he did solve the inherent weaknesses in the concept, flaws that had bedeviled the similar WW-II era Curtiss XP-55 Ascender fighter plane. Rutan’s strength as a designer has always been to find innovative ways to successfully achieve a performance objective or limitation. For instance, when it was evident that the CG of an empty VariEze would cause the powerplant-heavy aft fuselage to drop to the ground, his solution was to make the nosewheel retractable. By cranking it up after disembarking, thereby parking the aircraft in a self-chocking, prayerful position, the awkward storage problem was solved
History
Burt Rutan’s Long-EZ, as the name implies, was introduced in 1980 as what appeared to be a lengthened version of the original VariEze, but in reality it was a complete redesign, not a simple scaling-up. The little VariEze began as a light Volkswagen-powered airplane, but it was soon optimized with the O-200 Continental pusher configuration. It didn’t take long for builders to want larger engines.
Designed around a Lycoming O-235 engine, the Long-EZ not only had a longer, sleeker fuselage but a larger main wing with less sweep angle. The wing-root strakes were bigger, giving more space for fuel and baggage, and the cockpit was wider. With 52 gallons of fuel, the Long-EZ could stay aloft for as much as 10 hours. The easiest way to discern the two EZs is to look at the wingtip; VariEzes have short protuberances below the wingtips, under the tip rudders, something not usually present on the Long-EZ.
Prefabricated kits for easy assembly were never part of the Rutan Aircraft Factory’s offerings. Plans and instructions were simply sold by RAF, and a bill-of-materials package was offered by major homebuilt supply houses. Thus, the builder is responsible for most all of the work seen in a Long-EZ offered for sale, and it is important to have a knowledgeable EZ builder/owner to help evaluate a purchase.
How long has it been, for you and your best friend… to be out on the “TOWN” to Dance up a storm… to some of those number songs on the “Charts” way back … when top “Songs” were on the “Charts” for months!
“Do you remember the singer, “Sam Cooke” and his number one song…”You Send ME” in the early 1950’s?”
“Sit back and listen to “SAM Cooke” singing, “You Send ME”… and if there is by chance… someone, in the room … that you can dance with… role back that carpet.. and have the best FUN ever…dancing as we did way back …then!”
Whatever you do… do not sit down after dancing to “YOU Send Me”… because… the the next couple of songs that will follow will be just what the doctor ordered…
and so… more dancing will follow… and you will be on your feet and all warmed up and ready to really do the best thing for you and your dancing mate…
dance just as if you were back in all of those days… back when we really did move on that dance floor…with all of the muster and fun we could put in the dancing…
and would you believe… we were all ready to do more dancing the next night… and every night following!
“Let me know… if you can do… that which, I and my dancing partner were able to do on the dance floor… as we were LUCKY to win Prizes for our dancing and were always encouraged to come back to dance … as that “Dance Floor” … does not like to be empty… the place of business needs “Dancers… to entertain and bring in more business!
In a small bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt.
In a jug mix together the buttermilk, egg, vanilla extract (if using), and melted butter.
Add the wet ingredients into the dry and mix briefly with a fork until just combined. Take care not to overmix so you end up with fluffy, soft pancakes.
Heat a pan over medium/low heat for a few minutes
Scoop ½ the batter into the pan and allow to cook for roughly 3-4 minutes.
Once bubbles have formed on the top and it has browned underneath, flip it over to cook another 2-3 minutes on the other side. Repeat with the rest of the batter to give you 2 pancakes.
Enjoy hot straight from the pan with maple syrup, butter, and whatever else you like on your pancakes.
When you tell me you love me, I feel secure. When you show me you love me, I grow confident.
I feel loved when you give me your attention. When I come home from school and I see you don’t answer the phone because you’re spending time with me, I feel special. I see I’m more important to you than other people and other things.
When you tell me, “I made your favorite cookies,” “I made the dinner you like,” “I saw this sweater in the store, and it’s your favorite color, so I bought it for you,” I know I’m loved and feel I’m worth loving. It gives me more confidence to face the world.
2. You are the foundation of my life.
I want to please you and make you proud. Please give me positive feedback often.
I feel good when I know you like what I’m doing.
3. I love it when you make time for us to spend together.
We can go out for pizza once a month, or you can cuddle with me in my bed for a few minutes each night (when appropriate). Even though I know you also have to take care of my brothers and sisters, there are so many ways you can make me feel special.