🍀 Discover the Wonders of Ireland: Fun Facts & Folklore! ☘️

I’m not sure how this happened, but I’ve never been to Ireland. Right next door in Scotland, yes, but not across the Irish Sea to the Emerald Isle herself. My husband and I have often talked about going, so maybe we’ll get there one day. In the meantime, in honor of St. Patrick’s Day this week, here are some fun facts about Ireland:

· Halloween is said to have originated here. The ancient Celts celebrated Samhain, with bonfires and costumes.

· Legend has it that St. Patrick banished snakes from Ireland, but in fact, Ireland never had any snakes to begin with.

· The “Emerald Isle” nickname comes from Ireland’s lush, green landscapes and rolling hills, a result of its temperate, humid climate.

· Whiskey is said to have originated here, with the oldest recorded mention of the spirit dating back to 1405.

· The Scots will claim to have originated whiskey, and they spell it without the “e” before the final letter.

· The world’s most famous passenger liner, the Titanic, was built in Belfast, Ireland, and picked up passengers in Cobh, then known as Queenstown, on its ill-fated maiden voyage in 1912.

· In Roman times, Ireland was known as Hibernia, a name that loosely translates to “land of winter.” The Romans were able to conquer England but couldn’t subdue Scotland and never made an attempt on Ireland.

· The national symbol of Ireland is the harp, the only musical instrument in the world to be so honored. It represents the country’s musical heritage and the ancient traveling bards.

· The remains of St. Valentine, the patron saint of lovers, are buried in Whitefriar Street Church in the capital city of Dublin.

· Famous people born in Ireland include the actors Pierce Brosnan, Richard Harris, Liam Neeson and Colin Farrell. The actress Catriona Balfe is also Irish, although on Outlander she plays and Englishwoman who travels back in time to Scotland. U2 lead singer Bono is Irish; other famous singers from the island include Enya and Sinead O’Connor. The island was also the birthplace of writers James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw, Jonathan Swift and Bram Stoker, who wrote Dracula.

· Guinness is well-known in the U.S. as an Irish beer but is actually more popular in Africa than in the British Isles. More than one in ten pints of beer sold in London are Guinness, but 40% of the beer’s worldwide sales are in Africa, where three of the company’s five breweries are located.

· The most popular sports in Ireland are Gaelic football, played with 15 players on a side, and hurling, sort of like lacrosse, also with 15 players per side, using sticks called “hurleys” to control the ball. Hurling claims to be the world’s oldest sport.

· Ireland has the largest percentage of red-haired people of any country in the world.

· Irish love the craic. It’s a word that translates loosely as “chat,” “good conversation” or just “a good time.” Well-known for their hospitality, Irish also love dark humor. Here’s one:

· The brewmasters of 3 major beer companies decide to step away from a beer festival and go to a local pub:

The first, a Mexican, approaches the bar and says, "Hola bartender, I would like to have the finest beer in the world. Give me a Dos Equis, por favor."
The second, a Dutchman, says, "Bartender, give me the finest beer in the world, a Heineken."
The third is an Irishman, head of the Guinness brewery in Dublin. He takes a look around and then says, "Bartender, I'll have a Coke, please."
The other two give a puzzled look and finally ask, "Why a Coke?"
The brewmaster from Guinness answers, "Well, I figured if you lads weren't drinking beer yet, I could hold off for a wee bit."

Ready to spend a wee bit ‘o time in Ireland? Give us a call!