Interesting Facts About Ireland – Fun Facts About Ireland

The Republic of Ireland is located in the western part of Europe towards the west of Great Britain. Ireland is a parliamentary democracy with the President being the chief of the state and Prime Minister being the chief of the government. The capital of Ireland is Dublin. The city traces its history all the way back to 600 BC when Celts first came and started settling down on the island. The country’s population is estimated to be about 4,250,163 with a growth rate of 1.102%. The majority of the people (about 87%) of Ireland are Roman Catholics. It is also the country of picturesque landscapes and a coastline famous for its steep cliffs. Ireland used to be a part of the British Empire till it won its freedom on December 6, 1921 after a series of bloody conflicts that ended in Britain retreating from most of the island. The constitution of Ireland was adopted on July 1^st, 1937 and became effective on 29^th December that same year.

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Interesting & Fun Facts About Ireland

Among those that came to Ireland first, the most noteworthy tribes were the Tuatha De Danann, the Fomorians, the Nemedians and the Firbolgs.
King Henry II of England was the first to extend his rule to Ireland after he obtained allegedly, forged bull from the church that authorized him to take over Ireland in exchange for monetary payments made to the church on a yearly basis.
By the 1300’s decedents of the Anglo-Normans were being considered native Irish and to spite them the Anglo-Irish Parliament passed the Statute of Kilkenny in 1366. According to the statute, anyone found to be an ally of the native Irish would be severely punished and excommunicated.
The actual colonization of Ireland was begun by Queen Mary I who sized land owned by the Irish and started redistributing it to English colonists.
The struggle against the Protestant tyranny in Ireland was influenced a lot by the American and French Revolutions. It eventually led to the passing of the ‘Act of Union’ in 1801 according to which the legislatives of Ireland and Great Britain were to be united.
After the passing of the ‘Act of Union’, the Irish concerned themselves with obtaining freedom from Great Britain.
The failure of the potato crops in 1845 led to what is known as the great famine which lasted for 5 years and is known to have seen about 250,000 Irishmen and women leave the country to settle elsewhere.
Tracing Irish genealogy prior to 1922 is difficult because the records from the 14th century to 1922 were destroyed in a fire caused during the Irish civil war.
The official languages of Ireland are Irish and English.
The main national holiday in Ireland is St Patrick’s Day (17 March).
Ireland has only three main social categories, the working class, the middle class, and the gentry. The social boundaries among these classes are known to be indistinct at times.
The Irish society is pretty egalitarian and social interaction and strangers don’t need the prelude of a formal introduction to start conversations with one another. Sharing of one’s processions with others is also a commonplace among the Irish.
Ireland is the third largest island in Europe and the twentieth largest island in the world.
There are three World Heritage Sites on the island: the Brú na Boinne, Skellig Michael and the Giant's Causeway.
The average annual temperature in Ireland is about 10 degrees Celsius.
Because of the length of the days in the summers, you don’t have to switch on lights till after 10pm.
The best time to visit Ireland is anytime but the winters, when temperatures can fall below freezing.
The highest point in Ireland is Carrauntoohil which stands at a height of 1041 meters which is about 3414 feet.
Ireland is the home of the famous Blarney Stone; kissing which is supposed to give a person the gift of eloquent speech.
It is also the home of the myth regarding the existence of Leprechauns and their pots of gold.
Ireland’s tallest waterfall, located in Enniskerry, County Wicklow, East Ireland, is 350 feet tall.
The longest river in Ireland is the Shannon River which extends over a distance of 240 miles or 384 km.
The cloudiest place in Ireland is supposed to be Eireann Omagh and is known to receive as little as only 3 hours of sunlight every day.
The headland off Malin Head in Donegal is the northernmost point of Ireland.
Out of all the counties in Ireland, that of Dublin is the most populated and County Leitrim is the least populated.
The fastest growing city in Ireland is Galway and not Dublin, as many might believe.
Ireland is also famous for the beer Guinness, the brewery for which is located at St.James' Gate in Dublin.
The most popular purchases made by tourists in Ireland are blackthorn walking sticks, Guinness glasses, Waterford Crystal and Aran Isle sweaters.
Ireland trades a lot in brewing, clothing, pharmaceuticals and textiles. A major amount of this trade is done with Great Britain, the United States of America and other members of the European Union.

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