Five False Facts About Ireland

Here is a list of 20 “facts” about Ireland… can you find the FIVE that are FALSE?

1. Ireland is home to the oldest pub in Europe, dating back to 900 A.D.
2. St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was actually born in Wales.
3. In Ireland, Halloween originated as an ancient Celtic festival called Samhain.
4. It’s illegal to cut down a fairy tree in Ireland, as it’s considered very bad luck.
5. In Ireland, it is illegal to wear green on St. Patrick’s Day unless you are Irish.
6. The national symbol of Ireland is the Celtic cross.
7. The longest river in Ireland is the River Shannon, stretching over 360 km.
8. It’s traditional in Ireland to leave a glass of whiskey out on New Year’s Eve to welcome the spirits.
9. Ireland has won the Eurovision Song Contest more times than any other country.
10. The Irish language, Gaelic, is still spoken as a first language in some parts of Ireland.
11. The Titanic was built in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
12. There are more sheep than people in Ireland.
13. The traditional Irish dance, Riverdance, originated in Dublin in the 1990s.
14. The Irish flag is said to represent peace (white), Catholics (green), and Protestants (orange).
15. There’s a yearly Irish tradition of jumping into the freezing sea on Christmas morning.
16. Dublin was originally founded as a Viking settlement.
17. In Ireland, it’s considered good luck to kiss the Blarney Stone, which is said to grant the “gift of gab.”
18. Irish people are more likely to be left-handed than those in any other European country.
19. Ireland’s national sports, hurling and Gaelic football, are among the oldest sports in the world.
20. Leprechauns were originally believed to be water spirits who controlled rivers and lakes.

The Five False Facts