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 The bridge was originally made of rope and was only able to take one person and a donkey at a time.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
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
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.