From banned happy hours to not having any snakes in their country, Ireland is definitely a country that will surprise you. Learn more about the Irish in this list of facts about Ireland.
1. Ireland is called Eire in Irish and is also known as the Republic of Ireland.
2. Irish Gaelic is the country’s official language.
3. The official currency of Ireland is the Euro.
4. Ireland is divided into two parts, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
5. The total area of the Ireland is 70,282 km².
6. Ireland is the only country in the European Union without a postcode system.
7. The most popular sports in Ireland are Gaelic football and hurling.
8. Saint Patrick’s Day which falls on March 17th is a national holiday in Ireland.
9. The oldest Halloween celebration in Ireland is Londonderry’s Banks of the Foyle Halloween Carnival.
10. Only 9% of the Irish are natural redheads.
11. There are no snakes in Ireland.
12. Dublin is the capital of Ireland.
13. Raymond O’Brien was the shortest person in Irish history.
14. Shamrock is the national symbol of Ireland.
15. Abortion is illegal in Ireland unless the child and the mother’s life at risk.
16. “Happy hours” are banned in Ireland.
17. Their main religions are Protestant and Catholic.
18. The Irish consume 131.1 liters of beer per year.
19. 88% of Irish citizens are normally Roman Catholic.
20. 57% of Irish people wear glasses or contact lenses.
21. Louth is the smallest city in Ireland.
22. The total population of Ireland is 4,757,976.
23. Around 2,300 Irish are diagnosed with lung cancer every year.
24. Dublin Bay hosted the first open yacht race in the world in 1663.
25. The three most famous symbols of Ireland are the green Shamrock, the harp, and the celtic cross.
26. Ireland is the only country in the world with a musical instrument for a national symbol: The Harp.
27. The Shannon river is the longest river in Ireland.
28. Trinity College in Dublin is Ireland’s oldest university.
29. Ireland’s highest mountain is Carrantouhill, in County Kerry.
30. James Joyce once called Guinness stout “the wine of Ireland.”
31. They have a tradition that a wedding party should always take the longest road home from church.
32. Killyleagh Castle in County Down is the oldest occupied castle in Ireland.
33. The longest place name in Ireland is Muckanaghederdauhaulia.
34. Titanic, the Unsinkable ship, was made in Ireland.
35. Ireland has had its own Olympics since the Bronze Age, which was called the Tailteann Games.
36. Rotunda Hospital in Dublin is the longest continually operating maternity hospital in the world.
37. Sean’s Bar, Ireland’s oldest pub, was founded 900 years ago.
38. Hook Lighthouse is the oldest working lighthouse in Ireland.
39. The Royal Cork Yacht Club is the oldest in the world and formerly began in Ireland.
