The Abbey Theatre, also known as the National Theatre of Ireland, is a Dublin theater that has been in operation since December 27, 1904, with a hiatus caused by a fire in the original building in 1951. The Abbey was the first publicly subsidized theater in the English-speaking world; from 1925 it was subsidized by the Irish Free State. 1)
Achill Island (Irish: Acaill, Oileán Acla) is an island in the west of Ireland, in County Mayo. It is the largest island in Ireland. It is connected to the mainland by a swing bridge (Michael Davitt Bridge). Achill Island has managed to preserve its natural beauty. On its northern coast are the Croaghaun Cliffs, which are the third-highest in Europe. 2)
Lough Neagh is a lake in Northern Ireland west of Belfast. It is the largest lake in the British Isles. It is home to numerous colonies of water birds. Windermere is the largest lake in England, and Loch Lomond is the largest lake in Scotland. 3)
Irishman George Bernard Shaw was the first person to receive both the Academy Award and the Nobel Prize. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1925 and received the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay in 1938. 4)
Dubhlinn (“black pool”) was a small lake used for mooring ships and was connected to the River Liffey. The lake was covered in the early 19th century as the town grew. 5)
Halloween comes from the Irish festival of Samhain. 6)
Irishman James Hoban designed the White House in the US. 7)
St. Patrick was not actually Irish, he was born in Britain. 8)
Irish people tend to buy products made in their country. Hence, on stickers you may find the words “Buy me, I'm Irish”. 9)
The longest place name in Ireland is Muckanaghederdauhaulia. 10)
On the license plate of cars in Ireland, the first two numbers are the year of manufacture. 11)
The Titanic, the indestructible ship that sank on its maiden voyage, was built in Ireland. 12)
The Tara Mine near Navan is the largest zinc mine in Europe and the fifth-largest in the world. 13)
There are almost 8 times as many Poles as people who speak Gaelic in Ireland. 14)
One hotel chain was offering a free night during the holidays for married couples where the woman's name is Mary and the man's name is Joseph. 15)
According to Irish birthday traditions, people hold the baby upside down and lightly bang its head on the floor. This tradition is believed to bring good luck. 16)
Ireland has had its own Olympic Games since the Bronze Age, called the Tailteann Games. 17)
William Edward Wilson was the first person to accurately measure the temperature of the sun. 18)
Irishman John Tyndall was the first scientist ever to be called a physicist. 19)