Ireland Uncovered: The Land of Legends, Music, and Natural Beauty

This small island country in the North Atlantic has quite the global reputation for a country of just 5 milllion people. The country is split into the Republic of Ireland in the south and Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom.

It is a country that is filled with natural beauty, famous for its Craic or having a good time, birthplace to many famous and talented people, home to many famous Ireland landmarks and well known for drinks and dancing which sometimes go together.

Here are 35 things that Ireland is known for.

What is Ireland Known For?

1. Guinness

An interesting fact about Ireland is that Guinness is perhaps the most popular and most successful export in Ireland. Guinness was originally brewed in Leixlip, County Kildare in Ireland. In 1759, Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000-year contract with St James Gate Brewery in Dublin. This appears to have been an excellent idea as the drink regularly tops worldwide sales of over $2 billion.

There are only four ingredients in Guinness: malted barley, hops, yeast and water. The drink is genuinely a great source or iron and has fewer calories than orange juice.

2. Ryanair

This low-cost Irish airline has its head office in Swords, Dublin. Whatever your view of Ryan Air (I only fly with them when I have literally no other option) they are one of the most popular airlines in Europe and serve 34 countries.

3. St Patrick’s Day

March 17 is St Patrick’s Day, the patron saint of Ireland. The day commemorates the arrival of Christianity in Ireland and is also the day that St Patrick died in 481. For over a thousand years St Patrick’s Day was a religious holiday. It was only in later years that Irish immigrants, particularly in the United States, turned March 17 into a major celebration. And, of course McDonalds and its green shakes shouldn’t be forgotten.

4. Flavoured Crisps/Potato Chips

Joseph “Spud” Murphy came up with the idea of adding flavor other than salt to potato crisps. He developed three flavors that are still amongst the most popular in the world – Salt and Vinegar, Cheese and Onion and Barbeque.

And every Irish person that I have ever met says that Taytos are the best crisps in the world and bring bags back from visits to Ireland.

5. U2

Bono and the Edge are synonymous with Ireland and one of the most successful Irish bands – as well as probably one of the most popular bands in the world over the last 50 years.

6. Game of Thrones

Large amounts of the TV series Game of Thrones were shot in Northern Ireland in locations such as Dark Hedges and Dunluce Castle. Today this is the basis of a good-sized tourism industry.

7. The Titanic

The Titanic was built in the Harland and Wolff shipyards of Belfast, commissioned by the White Star Line. Famously this was to be the best luxury ship that the world had ever seen. After the Titanic left Southhampton, where it picked up the majority of its passengers, its last port was Cobh in County Cork which was then known as Queenstown.

Today, the Titanic museum in Belfast is one of the best that I have ever visited. If you are anywhere near Belfast don’t miss a visit and a tour. Not only are the displays state of the art and very moving, the actors working in the museum really bring Belfast in the early 1900s to life.

8. The Craic

The Craic is Irish for having a good time. It can also be used to describe news, gossip, fun or even good conversation. There are also different levels of craic. Good craic means having a decent night out. The next level up is mighty craic. This can then be topped by savage craic. And the ultimate compliment is that The Craig was ninety.

9. Castles

Ireland has over 30,000 castles. They are scattered throughout Ireland and, of course, in various states of disrepair. Some castles in Ireland were built as early as the 10th century. Some of the best known castles in Ireland are Blarney Castle, Dunluce Castle, Dublin Castle and King John’s Castle.

10. Traditional Music

Irish music is famous all over the world. And one of the most wonderful things about visiting Ireland is that people do literally sing in the pubs at night in many places. Unplanned playing and drinking sessions pop up all throughout Ireland.

11. Redheads

The reality is that only about 10% of all Irish people have red hair. But apparently, this is the highest percentage of people having red hair in a population in the world.

12. Shamrocks

Legend has it that the green shamrock was used as a tool to help St Patrick demonstrate the Christian Holy Trinity. However, there are no individual plants called shamrocks in botany. It is most likely that St Patrick used a young clover. Despite this fact, bowls of “shamrocks” are traditionally given by Irish political leaders to visiting dignitaries.

13. Harps

The harp is one of Ireland’s national symbols. Samuel Beckett Bridge in Dublin is even shaped like a harp. In the 19th century, Guinness was the first to register the harp as a trademark. The harp acts as a marker in the two-step pour process that produces the perfect pint of Guinness.

However, the Irish State also wanted the harp to be used as the state emblem. A compromise was reached. The Guinness harp faces right, and the Irish State harp faces left.

14. Guinness Book of World Records

As if providing the world with the black stuff wasn’t enough, Guiness also produced the world’s most famous book of records. The book was originally designed to settle arguments in pubs.

15. Golf

Ireland is one of the world’s top golfing destinations. This little island has over 400 golf courses including Ballybunion, County Sligo, Royal County Down and many more. The best ones are those that sit by the sea.

16. Potatoes

The humble potato cooked in many different forms has been part of the backbone of the Irish diet for centuries. In the mid-19th century problems with the potato crop led to a major famine and death and emigration. Indeed, my ancestors moved from Ireland to Australia at this time (my surname is O’Brien). Today, you will still find potatoes on every menu in Ireland.

17. Irish Stew

It might be beef or lamb but it would be hard to find an Irish pub that didn’t have stew on the menu. My personal favourite version of Irish stew is any that includes Guinness. I don’t like drinking it but I do like what it does to a stew. Most Irish stews will, of course, come with potatoes.

18. Riverdance

One of the most successful acts ever in the Eurovision Song Competition was the Irish act of Michael Flatley and Jean Butler in 1994. Riverdance and its Irish dancing went on to travel the world as a stage show and is still performed today.

19. Whiskey

The oldest document mentioning whiskey in Ireland dates back to 1405, which would make Irish Whiskey older than Scottish Whiskey. The Gaelic Uisce Beatha, which means water of life, is the base of the word whiskey. The word Whiskey has an “e” in it in Ireland but not in Scotland.

The traditional recipe difference between the two is that distillers in Scotland use only malted barley but in Ireland a mix of malted and unmalted barley can be used to create whiskey. Irish whiskey is also blended and triple distilled (vs the single or double methods in Scotland) which is used as evidence that it has a smoother taste. Ireland’s most famous brand of whiskey is Jameson.

20. Horse Racing

Horse Race has been part of Ireland for centuries and is still extremely popular. Ireland has produced some of the greatest jockeys of all time, such as Anthony Peter McCoy. The Five Irish Classics take place at the County Kildare racecourse.

21. Literature

Some of the world’s best writers, novelists, poets, and playwrights have come from Ireland. WB Yeats, Oscar Wilde, James Joyce, and more recently, Irish Murdoch and Roddy Doyle come to mind.

22. Pubs

Irish pubs are synonymous with a fun atmosphere, lots of drink, laughs, and banter, chatting with anyone and everyone, and hopefully some traditional Irish music. The notion of the Irish pub has now spread all over the world and you can find Irish pubs everywhere from Koh Samui airport (one of my strangest encounters) to Dubai and most countries in between.

23. Chatting

Boy can the Irish talk. And talk quickly. Irish people are seldom silent in my experience and they are often very amusing. Their natural willingness to chat means they are generally very friendly – both in Ireland and when outside the country.

24. Leprechauns

The Irish culture is filled with stories and tales that are populated by fairies and often leprechauns. Apparently, they do exist and are all over Ireland but it is not easy to find evidence. These naughty little guys began appearing in stories in Ireland in the 8th century.

Leprechauns are usually quite small, have a beard and wear a green hat and coat. The name comes from the Irish words “leath bhrogan” which means shoemaker.

25. Temple Bar

The Temple Bar area is in Dublin and well known for its pubs. It is very touristy but it is worth heading to The Temple Bar area at least once to see what it is about. After that ask the locals to recommend somewhere a bit more authentic for an Irish pub experience. Which shouldn’t be too difficult as there are over 1,000 pubs in Dublin.

26. Sports

The Irish love sports; the country’s most popular sport is Gaelic football. (For Australians, this is believed to be the source of Australian Rules football). There are 15 players on each side, the match is played on a pitch and the objective is to score goals. Hurling, a rather unique version of hockey, is another popular sport in Ireland.

27. Halloween

Until I wrote this post, I had no idea that Ireland was the first place to celebrate Halloween. It does appear that Irish kids don’t have as a good a deal as those in many other countries as their treat is eating Colcannon (boiled potatoes, kale, raw onions and cabbage) which may have coins hidden inside.

The Jack o Lantern also started in Ireland but took the form of a turnip used by a spirit doomed to wander the earth. The turnip contained burning coal and was used outside houses to keep the evil spirit Jack away. When many Irish people moved to the United States they found that it was a lot easier to get their hands on a pumpkin than a turnip so used them instead.

28. The Blarney Stone

The Blarney Stone is located at Blarney Castle. It was built into the castle in 1447 and it is said that if you kiss the Blarney Stone you will receive the gift of the gab which so many Irish people have. Millions of visitors head to the Blarney Stone for a kiss each year.

29. The Wild Atlantic Way

The west coast of Ireland is justifiably famous for its beautiful and wild landscape. The Wild Atlantic Way is a 1500 mile highway from the northernmost point of Ireland, Malin Head in Donegal, to Kinsale in West Cork. There are many stunning views and a lot of sheep.

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30. The Giant’s Causeway

This stunning reserve is located in the north of Ireland and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is made up of thousands of connected black stone columns. Legend has it that an Irish giant named Fionn Mac Cumhaill built the causeway to cross to Scotland.

31. Tea

Tea is extremely popular in Ireland and served very hot. It is virtually always served with milk and sugar. Some of Ireland’s most well-known tea brands are Bewley’s (which also has restaurants), Barry’s, and Lyon’s. You may think of Irish coffee when you think of warm Irish beverages but that of course contains whiskey. And you probably won’t be surprised to hear that iced tea is not common in Ireland.

32. Soda Bread

Soda bread contains baking soda and is much denser than standard bread. Baking soda was added to increase the speed of baking a traditional style of bread.

33. Lock-Ins

By law, Irish pubs close at 11:30 on weekdays and 12:30 on weekends. However, in many cases, if you are at a pub in Ireland around this time you may notice that quite a few people have left, the curtains have been drawn, but drinks are still being served. The owner may allow a small number of people in that they know and then the door is locked and the drinks continue. This is a lock-in.

34. A Long History

It is believed that the first people settled in Ireland around 6000 BC. Around 700 BC a more advanced culture from central Europe called the Celts settled on the island and stayed for the next 2,000 years. Vikings invaded in the ninth century AD and in 1170 Norman Vikings from England invaded and made Ireland an English territory.

In 1922, the Irish Free State was created. In 1948, most of Ireland became independent, but six counties in the North East remained British.

35. Aran Sweaters

These cable knit sweaters are made of wool and their unique knits represent the fishermen’s ropes. Their diamond stitches are to invoke the Irish moss farmers use to fertilize fields and the zig zags the craggy cliffs of Ireland’s coast. These sweaters are named after the beautiful but rugged Aran Island which is off the west coast of Ireland.

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