Interesting Personalities and Facts About Ireland

Interesting Personalities and Facts About Ireland

When we say Ireland the things associated with it are : pub, St. Patrick's Day, shamrock, harp, leprechaun, a predominantly Catholic nation, hurling, Gaelic football, Guinness stout, Irish stew and a lot more but little is known about some interesting facts about the Republic and famous personalities. The truth is that Irish people are one of the most talented people in the world, be it in the world of music -- rock bands, actors and actresses, poetry, philosophers, writers etc. In this hub, I will share some interesting facts and Irish personalities.

I am joining the world in celebrating St. Patrick's day. On March 17 and every year thereof, Irish people pay tribute and celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a bang and lots of activities are happening in Ireland and all over the world in recognition of the well known saint of Ireland-- St. Patrick who introduced Christianity in the Republic in 4th century AD.

I am inviting you to join me and we will discover some interesting personalities and facts about Ireland.

Interesting Facts About Ireland

First we will look where Ireland is located:

Location of ireland : Ireland is a republic and it lies to the northwest of Europe and is floating on many islands. To the east is the country United Kingdom and it is separated from the republic by the Irish. The Republic of Ireland covers almost 17 percent of the area while the rest is the Northern Ireland which belongs to the United Kingdom.

• Ireland is a neutral country

• The Titanic ship was said to be built built in Belfast - the capital of Northern Ireland

• Currency is euro and they joined the European union in 1999
• The national symbol of Ireland is the harp and the the shamrock.
• The Vikings founded Dublin in 988 AD
• Ireland is the third largest island in Europe and the 20th largest island in the world
• In the Republic of Ireland, counties form the basis of the system of local government.
• Ireland is subdivided into 4 provinces: Connacht - west, leinster -east, Munster - south, and Ulster north

• There are three (3) heritage sites in Ireland : Bruna, Boinne Skellig Michael and the Giants Causeway

• The most visited places are : Bunratty Castle, the Rock of Cashel, the Cliffs of Moher, Holy Cross of Abbey and Blarney Castle

• The capital of the Republic of Ireland is Dublin while the capital of the Northern Island is Belfast

• St Patrick is the recognized saint in Ireland
• Guinness is a popular Irish dry stout and it originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness (1705-1803) at Dublin, Ireland
• Ireland is also known for its humour

For example: The Story of the Drunken Confession

• --A drunk staggers into a Catholic Church, enters a confessional booth, sits down, but says nothing. The Priest coughs a few times to get his attention, but the drunk continues to sit there. Finally, the Priest pounds three times on the wall. The drunk mumbles, "Ain't no use knockin, there's no paper on this side either--

Some Irish Sayings and proverbs:

Irish Sayings

• Red sky at night is a shepherds delight, red sky in the morning is a shepherds warning --
• Continual cheerfulness is a sign of wisdom

Irish Proverbs

1. -Many hands make light work-
2. -A promise is a debt-
3. -The best looking-glass is the eyes of a friend-
4. -Laziness is a heavy burden-
5. -Castles were built a stone at a time -

• Motorists in Ireland drive on th eleft
• The last witch in Ireland was Dame Alice Kytler and who was born on 1280 in Kilkenny
• Ireland has produced four winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature Samuel Beckett, George Bernard Shaw, William Butler Yeats and Seamus Heaney. James Joyce is widely considered one of the most significant writers of the 20th century. Joyce's 1922 novel --Ulysses-- is widely acclaimed.
• Oscar Wilde a poet and a playwright is an Irish
• George Berkeley a well known philosopher is an Irish
• Robert Boyle a scientist who formulated the Boyle's Law
• U2, Boy Bands Westlife and Boyzone are Irish
• Trinity College in Dublin, which happens to be Ireland's oldest university,
• Famous actresses and actors are : Richard Harris, Daniel Day Lewis, Liam Neeson, Colin Farrell, Pierce Brosnan and the Cusack family, Barry Fitzgerald, Cillian Murphy etc.
• "Muckanaghederdauhaulia" is the longest place in Ireland and is located in County of Galway
• There are no snakes in Ireland,

Famous Irish-Americans

• John F. Kennedy, George M. Cohan, Mother Jones, James Braddock, Michael McGivney, James Michael Curley, Ed Sullivan, Micael Mc Cormick, Maureen O' Hara and Ronald Reagan, Liam Neeson

• Henry Ford is of Irish descent

There you go some interesting personalities and facts about Ireland.