FACTS, INFORMATION AND TRIVIA ABOUT IRELAND AND THINGS IRISH
The Irish Flag
GEOGRAPHICAL FACTS
Ireland is and island between the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea and:
~ Has a total area of 27,135 square miles/70,280 sq km
~ Has 3,500 miles/5,631 km of coastline
~ Is 302 miles/485 km from north to south at it's longest point
~ Is 189 miles/304 km from east to west at it's widest point
~ Has four provinces
~ Has 32 counties: 26 in the Republic and 6 in Northern Ireland
~ Is the 4th largest island in Europe
~ Is the 20th largest island in the world
~ Is the most westerly country in Europe
~ Is the nearest point in Europe to America
Ireland is divided into four provinces and each province is then divided into counties. The provinces and their counties are:
CONNAGHT (Mid West)
Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon and Sligo
LEINSTER (Mid East)
Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wexford and Wicklow
MUNSTER (South)
Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford
ULSTER (North and North West)
Has 3 counties in the Republic of Ireland: Cavan, Donegal and Monaghan
And 6 counties in Northern Ireland: Antrim, Armagh, Derry, Down, Fermanagh and Tyrone
Ireland is and island between the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea and:
~ Has a total area of 27,135 square miles/70,280 sq km
~ Has 3,500 miles/5,631 km of coastline
~ Is 302 miles/485 km from north to south at it's longest point
~ Is 189 miles/304 km from east to west at it's widest point
~ Has four provinces
~ Has 32 counties: 26 in the Republic and 6 in Northern Ireland
~ Is the 4th largest island in Europe
~ Is the 20th largest island in the world
~ Is the most westerly country in Europe
~ Is the nearest point in Europe to America
Ireland is divided into four provinces and each province is then divided into counties. The provinces and their counties are:
CONNAGHT (Mid West)
Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon and Sligo
LEINSTER (Mid East)
Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wexford and Wicklow
MUNSTER (South)
Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford
ULSTER (North and North West)
Has 3 counties in the Republic of Ireland: Cavan, Donegal and Monaghan
And 6 counties in Northern Ireland: Antrim, Armagh, Derry, Down, Fermanagh and Tyrone
FACTS ABOUT IRELAND AND THINGS IRISH
LARGEST
CHURCH BELLS
The largest Carillon of bells in Ireland (and also England, Scotland and Wales) is housed in the spire of St. Coleman's Cathderal in Cork
LARGEST CHURCH IN IRELAND
The largest church in Ireland is St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin which is 300' in length
LARGEST BLANKET BOG IN EUROPE
The largest blanket bog in Europe is The Bog of Allen in County Kildare
LARGEST CITY PARK IN EUROPE
Phoenix Park in Dublin with an area of some 1,752 acres is the largest city park in Europe
LARGEST TEDDY BEARS PICNIC
The largest teddy bears picnic was held in the Phoenix Park at Dublin zoo on the 24th of June 1995 with 33,573 teddy bears and their owners in attendance
LARGEST
CHURCH BELLS
The largest Carillon of bells in Ireland (and also England, Scotland and Wales) is housed in the spire of St. Coleman's Cathderal in Cork
LARGEST CHURCH IN IRELAND
The largest church in Ireland is St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin which is 300' in length
LARGEST BLANKET BOG IN EUROPE
The largest blanket bog in Europe is The Bog of Allen in County Kildare
LARGEST CITY PARK IN EUROPE
Phoenix Park in Dublin with an area of some 1,752 acres is the largest city park in Europe
LARGEST TEDDY BEARS PICNIC
The largest teddy bears picnic was held in the Phoenix Park at Dublin zoo on the 24th of June 1995 with 33,573 teddy bears and their owners in attendance
MORE FACTS ABOUT IRELAND
O'Connell Bridge, Dublin
O'CONNELL BRIDGE, DUBLIN
is the only traffic bridge in Europe that is wider than it is long. The bridge was originally made of rope and was only able to take one person and a donkey at a time. The rope bridge was replaced by a wooden bridge in 1801 and later replaced in 1863 by the current concrete bridge. The original name of O'Connell Bridge was the Carlisle Bridge
POLO
Polo was played for the first time in Europe in 1868 in County Limerick
ST. STEPHEN'S GREEN, DUBLIN
The design of Central Park, New York is based (on a much larger scale of course) on the design of St. Stephen's Green in Dublin city.
HIGHEST & TALLEST
Sliabh Liag (Slieve League) County Donegal
SEACLIFFS
The highest approachable seacliffs in Europe are Sliabh Liag/Slieve League in County Donegal which stand 1972'/595 meters high
WINDMILL
The tallest windmill in Europe which stands 40' high is in Blennervill in County Kerry. It is also the largest working windmill in both Ireland and the UK
The highest approachable seacliffs in Europe are Sliabh Liag/Slieve League in County Donegal which stand 1972'/595 meters high
WINDMILL
The tallest windmill in Europe which stands 40' high is in Blennervill in County Kerry. It is also the largest working windmill in both Ireland and the UK
OLDEST
St. Michan's, Dublin
MATERNITY HOSPITAL
The world's oldest maternity hospital is The Rotunda, Dublin which was founded in 1745
NEWSPAPER
The oldest newspaper in the world is the Belfast News Letter which was founded in 1737
PUB
The oldest pub in Ireland is often said to be The Brazen Head, Dublin which dates from 1710 but it is in fact Ireland's third oldest pub, predated by:
~ Sean's Bar, Athlone, County Meath dates from 900AD
~ The Boot Inn, Cloughran, Dublin dates from 1593
CHURCH
St. Michan's, Dublin is probably the oldest church in Ireland and on the grounds where the church now stands there was previously an earlier
The world's oldest maternity hospital is The Rotunda, Dublin which was founded in 1745
NEWSPAPER
The oldest newspaper in the world is the Belfast News Letter which was founded in 1737
PUB
The oldest pub in Ireland is often said to be The Brazen Head, Dublin which dates from 1710 but it is in fact Ireland's third oldest pub, predated by:
~ Sean's Bar, Athlone, County Meath dates from 900AD
~ The Boot Inn, Cloughran, Dublin dates from 1593
CHURCH
St. Michan's, Dublin is probably the oldest church in Ireland and on the grounds where the church now stands there was previously an earlier
SMALLEST
Nora Barnacle's Cottage, Galway
MUSEUM
The smallest museum in Ireland is the home of Nora Barnacle (wife of James Joyce) called 'The Nora Barnacle Museum' in Galway city. The house contains letters, photographs and other memorabilia of their life together.
CHURCH
Measuring just 12 feet by 6 feet, St. Gohnan's in Portbradden, County Antrim is Ireland's smallest church.
The smallest museum in Ireland is the home of Nora Barnacle (wife of James Joyce) called 'The Nora Barnacle Museum' in Galway city. The house contains letters, photographs and other memorabilia of their life together.
CHURCH
Measuring just 12 feet by 6 feet, St. Gohnan's in Portbradden, County Antrim is Ireland's smallest church.