10 Amazing Facts You Don’t Know About Ireland
Ireland is an exciting country. There are so many vital facts about Ireland because, after all, this is a country with a rich history and traditions. In this post, we talk about lots of good things about Ireland; others are random facts about Ireland, and others are some weird Irish facts we had no idea about.
1. The Patron Saint (St. Patrick) Isn’t Irish
Contrary to popular belief, despite being the Patron Saint of Ireland, St. Patrick was not actually from Ireland. Born in Wales around 386 AD (which makes him a British), Captured by Irish pirates and shipped to Ireland at 16, he was captured by the Irish and sold into slavery, working as a shepherd in the West of Ireland. He was enslaved in Ireland for six years, working as a sheepherder. St. Patrick then spent 15 years in the priesthood but returned to Ireland as a missionary. He is honored for converting Ireland to Christianity around the AD 400s.
2. It’s the Harp, not the Shamrock
Surprise, surprise! While the shamrock is quintessentially Irish, the harp rightfully deserves the title! Ireland is the only country in the world with a musical instrument as its national symbol. You can visit some of the oldest harps in the world at Trinity College in Dublin.
3. Nigerians drink more Guinness than the Irish
Ireland isn’t the biggest seller of Guinness. Guinness is a famous Irish drink known as the shamrock. And it’s “just” one of the most successful beer brands worldwide. The harp became the Irish national symbol in 1922 when Ireland separated from the United Kingdom. It’s brewed in 50 countries, sold in more than 120, and has been around since 1759.
While Ireland is home to THE Guinness, more of it is sold in Nigeria and Britain – leaving Ireland in third place!
4. There were never any snakes in Ireland
Another surprising fact about Ireland? While many old wines will tell the tale of St. Patrick banishing snakes from Ireland, the truth is that there have never been wild snakes on the island of Ireland. Being an island helped immensely with this since the snakes inhabiting Britain could never cross the water!
5. Want to become a “Bestseller Artist”? Go to Ireland!
To become a “bestselling” musician, one only needs to sell 5,000 copies of an album. For writers, the magic number is 3,000 books.
6. Halloween originated in Ireland
Another fun fact about Ireland: Halloween, as we know it today, originates from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when the people would light bonfires and wear scary costumes to ward off unwelcome spirits. Samhain is an old Gaelic word that translates to ‘darker half,’ thus marking the beginning of winter. Halloween originated from SAMHAIN (pronounced SAW-WHEN), an Irish festival. Samhain is a Gaelic festival celebrating the birth of winter and the end of the harvest season. Livestock was said to be slaughtered around this time. Souls were believed to visit their families too.
7. Less than 10% of the Irish population are redheads
Another fun fact about Ireland: Halloween, as we know it today, originates from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when the people would light bonfires and wear scary costumes to ward off unwelcome spirits. Samhain is an old Gaelic word that translates to ‘darker half,’ thus marking the beginning of winter. Halloween originated from SAMHAIN (pronounced SAW-WHEN), an Irish festival. Samhain is a Gaelic festival celebrating the birth of winter and the end of the harvest season. Livestock was said to be slaughtered around this time. Souls were believed to visit their families too.
8. Being drunk in public is an offense
Though Irish people are known for being heavy drinkers, you must still be composed and drink whatever you can manage. Despite what many tourists believe about the Irish and our drinking habits, “in terms of national law, drinking alcohol in a public place in Ireland is not illegal. Being drunk and disorderly is; that’s an entirely different thing.”. The only day of the year when this law is slightly bent is on St. Patrick’s Day, when there aren’t enough police officers to monitor the one million plus tourists on the streets of Dublin.
9. You could get married by “walking.”
Until the 1920s, an odd (and low-cost) way to marry in Teltown, County Meath, was for couples to walk toward one another on St. Bridget’s Day. To get a divorce, the married couple had to go to the same spot and walk away from one another.
10. More Irish are living outside of Ireland
It has been reported that almost 80 million people around the world have Irish passports. Up to half the entire population of Australia claim Irish ancestry, while just over 39 million Americans believe they are part, Irish.
