There are a million-and-one fun facts about Ireland dotted around the web, but I’ve narrowed this guide to the most interesting and unusual Irish facts!
Facts like ‘St. Valentine’s remains are in a church in Dublin’ tend to shock both locals and tourists alike.
While Ireland facts like ‘St. Patrick wasn’t actually Irish’ and ‘Halloween originated in Ireland’ are little nuggets of Irish trivia.
Interesting, unusual and fun facts about Ireland
Dublin’s oldest pub, dating to 1198. Photos via The Brazen Head
A note before we start – the various Ireland facts in this guide are suitable for kids, so don’t worry about finding anything mad!
There’s a mix of trivia, quirky history, and fun folklore, making it perfect for young and old alike.
1. St. Patrick wasn’t actually Irish
Photos via Shutterstock
Yep, St. Patrick was born in was born in Roman-Britain circa 386 A.D.
Learning more surprising facts about St. Patrick!
2. There’s an Irish festival where a wild goat is made king for 3 days
Photos via Shutterstock
‘Puck Fair‘ is said to be the longest-running of the many festivals in Ireland.
In August every year, a goat is caught from the Kerry mountains and placed in a cage in the village of Killorglin.
It’s crowned king and for three days a number of festivities are held throughout the town.
When the festival ends, the goat is brought safely back up into the mountains.
3. Halloween originated in Ireland
Photos courtesy Ste Murray_ Púca Festival via Failte Ireland
If you read my guide to Irish traditions, you’ll know that the festival of Halloween originated in ancient Ireland.
The story begins with the pagan celebration of Samhain.
4. Count Dracula was written in 1897 by a Dubliner
Photos in the Public Domain
The now-iconic Count Dracula is the main character in the Dracula novel. The book was written by Bram Stoker who was born in Clontarf, one of the wealthier neighbourhoods in Dublin.
If you’re familiar with Irish mythology, you may have heard of the Abhartach, also known as ‘the Irish Vampire’.
It’s believed that some of the inspiration for Dracula came from this legend.
5. Dublin’s Rotunda is the oldest continuously operating maternity hospital in the world
Old photos in the Public Domain. Other via Google Maps
Next up is one of the lesser-known Irish history facts. The Rotunda Hospital in Dublin is officially the oldest continuously operating maternity hospital on earth.
The hospital opened in 1745 and has been running for 275 years.
6. Ireland’s oldest pub is one of the oldest on earth
Photos courtesy Sonder Visuals via Ireland’s Content Pool
Dating back to 900 AD, Sean’s Bar in Athlone Town is the oldest pub in Ireland.
It’s also widely believed that it’s the oldest pub in the world.
Related reads: What is Ireland famous for and our guides to Irish slang and Irish jokes
7. One of the lions used in the opening clips for MGM movies was born in Dublin
Photos via Shutterstock
This is arguably one of the more interesting Ireland facts.
The seventh lion used by MGM in the opening clip for many of its movies was born in Dublin Zoo in the Phoenix Park.
He started to appear at the beginning of movies from 1957.
8. The place with the longest name in Ireland is Muckanaghederdauhaulia in Galway
Map photos via Google Maps
If you can pronounce ‘Muckanaghederdauhaulia’, let me know in the comments below!
Other long names include Illaungraffanavrankagh in Clare, Glassillaunvealnacurra in Galway, Ballywinterrourkewood in Limerick and Corragunnagalliaghdoo Island in Mayo.
9. St. Valentine’s remains are in a church in Dublin
This is one of the weird facts about Ireland! Yes, you read correctly – the remains of St. Valentine can be found in Dublin City.
They’re located in Whitefriar Street Church where they’ve been since the 10th of November, 1836.
Related read: Check out my guide to 32 interesting facts about Dublin
10. Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way is the longest coastal driving route in the world
At 2,500 km in length, the Wild Atlantic Way driving route is the longest in Ireland and the longest on earth!
The route passes through nine counties and stretches from the Inishowen Peninsula in Donegal right the way around the coast to Kinsale in Cork.
This is another of the many fun facts about Ireland that tends to come up in quizzes.
11. Ireland is the Emerald Isle country
Photos via Shutterstock
Ireland’s famous for its lush green fields, earning it the nickname “Emerald Isle.”
But there’s also plenty of rugged, rocky terrain. Around 15,000 years ago, glaciers covered the whole island, scraping away soil and leaving stretches of flat limestone.
12. One of the oldest lighthouses in the world is located in Wexford
Photos via Shutterstock
Located in County Wexford, Hook Lighthouse is one of the oldest operational lighthouses in the world.
The current lighthouse at Hook has been there for a whopping 848 years.
13. The Brazen Head is the oldest pub in Dublin
Photos via Shutterstock
The Brazen Head on Merchant’s Quay is the oldest pub in Dublin.
It’s said that it started its life as a tavern back in 1198 and was later developed into a coaching inn in 1754.
Today, it’s a tourist hotspot and is arguably one of the most unique looking pubs in Ireland.
This is another of the many interesting facts about Ireland that comes up in quizzes.
14. County Cork was once the largest exporter of butter in the world
Photos courtesy Catherine Crowley via Tourism Ireland
This is one of the more random facts about Ireland in this guide. During the Exchange’s peak in the 19th century, County Cork was the worlds biggest butter exporter.
Butter made in Cork was exported to everywhere from the United Kingdom and France to Australia and India.
If that’s not a bit of random Irish trivia, I don’t know what is!
15. Dublin’s Phoenix Park is the third largest walled city park in Europe
Photos via Shutterstock
At 1,752 acres, the Phoenix Park is the largest enclosed park in any European capital city. It’s the largest enclosed park in any capital city in Europe.
It’s five times bigger than London’s Hyde Park. It’s also the eighth biggest urban park in Europe overall.
16. The national symbol of Ireland isn’t a shamrock
© The Irish Road Trip
Contrary to popular belief, the official symbol of Ireland isn’t a shamrock or one of the famous Celtic symbols!
No, it isn’t a four-leaf clover, either. Ireland’s national symbol is the mighty harp!
17. The earliest evidence of humans in Ireland was in 10,500 BC
Interestingly enough, it’s thanks to a discovery made in 2016 that we now know that humans were present in Ireland in 10,500 BC.
A bear bone that was excavated from a cave in Clare that dates back to the late Palaeolithic Age showed signs that it was butchered.
18. Hurling is the fastest field sport in the world
Not only is hurling one of the oldest sports in the world, it’s also the fastest.
The sliothar (the ball used) can travel up to 120km/h. Read more about Ireland’s traditional sports in our guide to Irish culture.
19. The smallest county in Ireland is Louth
Photos via Google Maps
Known as ‘the wee county’, Louth is the smallest of Ireland’s 32 counties.
Interestingly enough, though, it’s the 18th-biggest county in Ireland population-wise.
This is one of several fun facts about Ireland that tends to appear in Irish trivia!
20. Cork is the biggest county in Ireland
Photos via Google Maps
The largest county in Ireland is County Cork, which is a whopping 7,457 km².
The second-largest County is Galway, at 6,148 km².
21. The highest mountain in Ireland is Carrauntoohil
Photos via Shutterstock
At 1,038.6 metres, Carrauntoohil in County Kerry is the highest mountain on the island of Ireland.
You’ll find it on Kerry’s Iveragh Peninsula near the Magillycuddy’s – Ireland’s highest mountain range.
22. The oldest field systems in the world can be found in Mayo
Photo left and bottom right: Michael Mc Laughlin. Top right: Alison Crummy. Via Failte Ireland
At over 5,500 years old, the Céide Fields in County Mayo are officially the oldest known field systems on earth.
These are one of the many incredible Irish attractions that don’t receive half as much credit as they deserve.
23. Before the Great Famine, Ireland’s population was estimated to be around 8 million people
Photos via Shutterstock
It’s believed that the population of Ireland prior to the famine was around 8.2 million.
After the famine, the population was recorded at 6.5 million people.
Many years later, in 2024, the population stands at just under 5 million.
24. The first St. Patrick’s Day parade wasn’t held in Ireland
Photos via Shutterstock
Yep, the first St. Patrick’s Day parade wasn’t held in the Republic of Ireland.
It was actually held in Boston in 1737. The largest St Patrick’s Day Parade in the US takes place in NYC.
25. The second longest-running talk show in the world hails from Ireland
The Late Late Show (an Irish chat show) first aired in 1962. It’s been taking place every Friday evening ever since.
The only other show that’s been running longer than it is the Tonight Show from America.
26. Some fast Irish facts to finish off
- St. Patrick’s name wasn’t Patrick: It was Maewyn Succat. Apparently he picked it up at one point or another. It’s now one of the most popular Irish boys names
- There were never any snakes in Ireland: It’s believed that the whole snake thing is to do with symbolism. In udeo-Christian tradition, the snake is the symbol of evil
- There are five cities in Ireland: There are five main cities in Ireland and five in Northern Ireland (learn about the differences between Northern Ireland and Ireland)
- U2 is one of the highest selling bands in the world: There are many Irish bands, but few can claim to have sold 116.7 million albums (see my guide to the best Irish songs)
Keith O’Hara has lived in Ireland for 35 years and has spent much of the last 13 creating what is now The Irish Road Trip guide. Over the years, the website has published thousands of meticulously researched Ireland travel guides, welcoming 40 million+ visitors along the way. In 2022, the Irish Road Trip team published the world’s largest collection of Irish Road Trip itineraries. Keith lives in Dublin with his dog Toby and finds writing in the 3rd person minus craic altogether.
fan
Thursday 17th of March 2022
blue is the original color of saint patrick
pedro
Tuesday 15th of March 2022
i love these facts! is very interesting and fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i love it, and i show it for my students, they loved it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! my best students are bernardo zoz and pedro henrique!
Elisa Brid
Monday 14th of March 2022
This is great fun. Here in Spain, we firmly believe that the first potatoes in Europe were planted in Tenerife in 1622, by Juan Bautista de Castro. Of course, it´s quite a long way from Ireland, so the two potato planters might not have been aware of each other. Even if you beat us by 34 years, we´ll still be glad to see you for holidays.
Happy St Patrick´s Day!
Marc Erick
Friday 4th of March 2022
This was so fun and interesting! Fantastic article!!
nikoli
Friday 25th of February 2022
this helped with my work at school thx