Facts About Ireland

Fun facts about Ireland.

This article is about interesting Ireland facts you probably didn’t know.

If countries were to be esteemed by culture and heritage, Ireland would have to be at the zenith of the list. Ireland is a stunning, green country in northwestern Europe.  An important fact about Ireland is that the country is an island, which is considered the world’s twentieth largest island, occupying 84,421 square kilometers of land. The island has a hilly landscape with many plains and rivers breaking through the land. Most people speak a dialect of English. Ireland has no official religion, although Christianity is the major religion practiced in the country. Because of Ireland’s landscape and mores, many tourists consider it a veritable place for a vacation or a getaway. The above and many more fun facts about Ireland are things you’ll get to learn reading in.

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Fun Facts About Ireland

1. The nominal GDP of Ireland is $217.3 billion, while its per capita GDP is $47,478.
2. Ireland has been inhabited for approximately 7,000 years.
3. Over 80% of Ireland’s people are Roman Catholic.
4. Ireland runs under democratic nation, and established their present constitution in 1937.
5. Ireland’s flag has three colors for a reason. The green represents the Gaelic tradition of Ireland, the orange is meant to represent those who followed William of Orange, and the white stripe in the middle represents peace between both.
6. The country’s major exports include food products such as potatoes, lamb and beef, zinc, lead, machinery and pharmaceuticals.
7. The country imports include oil, aircraft parts, vehicles, and petroleum gases.
8. The United States accounts for 20% of Ireland’s exports, while the United Kingdom accounts for 38% of the country’s imports.
9. Ireland is known as the Emerald Isle, this is because of its lush greenery and rolling hills. 
10. Northern Ireland is governed by the United Kingdom, while the rest of Ireland is an independent nation.
11. Ireland’s history is synonymous with wars and violence, so it has vast amounts of castles to protect families from invaders. This is a tourist attraction. 

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1. Irish people speak English, but Irish children are still taught Irish, which is a Gaelic language.
2. Most Irish people believe that fairies exist. They believe fairies have magical powers and bring happiness and great things to families.
3. When children are little, each birthday it is traditional to pick up the child, turn them over and bump their head gently on their birthday cake. It is believed that partaking in this tradition brings good luck and good fortune to the child.
4. St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated grandly in Ireland. 
5. Any person who is born on St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland is considered very lucky.
6. Irish weddings are elegant and large celebrations. Grooms dress in kilts that signify their family’s clan, while brides dress in white to signify their purity. 
7. Funerals are sad occasions in Ireland, but they are very seldom a sad event. Family members use funerals to speak about the deceased life and share memories
8. Leprechauns are a huge part of Irish tradition. In Irish folklore, they are tiny men who can fit on top of your shoulder. They are believed to have buried numerous pots of gold throughout Ireland.
9. Guinness Beer is widely popular in the country; this is because it originated from Island. 
10. Sports are prestigious in Ireland and they include soccer, hurling, camogie and handball.
11. The average family size in Ireland is four, two kids with two adults.
12. Ireland is one of the best countries in the world for gender equality. They have had two female presidents.
13. The story of Dracula is said to have been inspired by the Irish legend of Abhartach. Bram Stoker was Irish born and raised, and learned the legend of Abhartach when he was young.
14. Ireland gave up control of Northern Island to the United Kingdom as part of a peace agreement in 1998.
15. The country has had a high birthrate for the last 50 years, which led to the nation having the youngest populations in the world.
16. The Titanic was built in Belfast, Northern Island.
17. Hook Lighthouse is believed to be the oldest working lighthouse in Europe and possibly even the world.
18. The population of Ireland still has not bounced back from the famine it faced years ago. During that time, the population was 8 million. Today, the population lingers below 7 million.

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1. The Royal Cork Yacht Club is the oldest in the world and originally began in Ireland.
2. Only about 9% of people in Ireland have natural red hair, contrary to popular belief.
3. Ireland is home to what could possibly be the oldest pub in the world. It was opened in 900AD.
4. A native of Dublin designed the iconic statuette presented to Oscar winners.
5. Rotunda Hospital in Dublin opened its doors in 1745. It is the longests-running maternity hospital in the world.
6. James Hoban, an Irishman, was the designer of the U.S. White House.
7. A law was enacted in 2009 that makes it illegal to be drunk in public in Ireland.
8. In 2007, Ireland saw 40 straight days of rain.
9. The longest river in the country is the River Shannon.
10. Abortion is illegal in Ireland unless keeping the child would put the mother’s life at risk.
11. The Irish perform in the Tailteann Games, Ireland’s version of the Olympics.
12. Ireland has mounds of dirt that are known as “fairy forts” These mounds are actually ancient dwellings from the Iron Age.
13. The guillotine was used in Ireland in 1307 before it was used in France.
14. Many Irish names begin with “Mac,” which translates to mean “son of.”
15. Some Irish surnames begin with “O.” This translates to “grandson of” in Gaelic.
16. Croaghaun in Ireland is the second highest cliff in Europe.

From the above listed Ireland facts you definitely got to know the country more, discovering Ireland is a mystical and interesting nation to live and to visit. Although, the country has been plagued by numerous fights for power, but today it is thriving as an independent nation. Asides the facts about Ireland up above there are some questions people have been asking about the country, these frequently asked questions about Ireland are what we’ll be answering in the next section.

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Ireland FAQs

• Is it dangerous to travel to Ireland?

It is not dangerous to travel to Ireland as it is considered a very safe country when compared with other European countries.

• What is Ireland famous for?

Ireland is known for a variety of things, some of which are the following:

1. Guinness(beer) is a product of Ireland and it is widely consumed not only in Ireland but all over the world.
2. Literature, some of the world’s most read and respectable books were written by Irish writers one of such books is Ulysses by James Joyce.

• Is Ireland an independent country?

Yes Ireland is an independent country. The Republic of Ireland is different from Northern Ireland which is a constituent country of the United Kingdom.

• Is Ireland friendly to American tourists?

Yes Ireland is very friendly to American tourists, the people are very knowledgeable on topics concerning the US and as such are willing to share those with American tourists.

• What is the most dangerous city in Ireland?

Tralee Town is considered the most dangerous city in the entirety of Ireland.

• What language do people in Ireland speak?

Irish otherwise known as Gaelige is the language spoken in Ireland. It is considered one of the oldest written language ever spoken in the world, it’s origin is from the ancient Celts.

• Is Ireland a 3rd world country?

Yes Ireland is considered a third world country.

• What is Ireland famous food?

There are some famous foods from Ireland, the following are some of those Ireland famous foods:

1. Soda bread.
2. Shellfish.
3. Coddle.
4. Black and white pudding.
5. Smoked salmon.

• What does Ireland produce the most?

These are some of the most produced products in Ireland according to worlds top export:

1. Pharmaceuticals: US$53.5 billion (31.5% of total exports)
2. Organic chemicals: $35.6 billion (21%)
3. Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $15.2 billion (9%)
4. Electrical machinery, equipment: $11.7 billion (6.9%)
5. Machinery including computers: $9.8 billion (5.7%)
6. Perfumes, cosmetics: $8.8 billion (5.2%)
7. Aircraft, spacecraft: $4.6 billion (2.7%)
8. Other chemical goods: $4.1 billion (2.4%)
9. Meat: $3.5 billion (2.1%)
10. Dairy, eggs, honey: $3.4 billion (2%)

• What was Ireland called before?

Ireland was previously called Hibernia by the Roman Empire.

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