32 Bizarre Facts That Go Beyond the Pub Quiz

Ancient Oddities & Lost History

1. The Village Beneath the Waves

Yes, the stories are true! There is indeed a village beneath the waters of Blessington Lake. The lake itself isn't a natural body of water but a man-made reservoir created in the 1930s and 1940s by damming the River Liffey to generate hydroelectricity and provide Dublin with its main water supply. This flooding submerged the village of Ballinahown. During low water, the spire of the submerged church is said to become visible, and local folklore claims you can sometimes hear the mournful sound of ghostly church bells ringing from beneath the waves.

2. The Unconquered

Ireland was the only country in Western Europe that was never successfully conquered by or incorporated into the Roman Empire, despite frequent contact.

3. The Ring-Dyke Volcano

The beautiful mountains of Slieve Gullion in County Armagh are not just regular peaks. They are the eroded remnants of an ancient, massive ring-dyke volcano, the last active volcano Ireland had millions of years ago.

4. The World's Oldest Maternity Hospital

Dublin’s Rotunda Hospital is the oldest continuously operating maternity hospital in the world. Founded by Dr. Bartholomew Mosse, The Rotunda opened its doors in 1745 and has been running for over 275 years, still serving the women of Ireland today.

5. The Island's First Name

The Greek geographer Pytheas, writing in the 4th century BC, referred to Ireland as Iernē, the oldest recorded name for the island.

Inventions & Record Breakers

6. The Submarine Pioneer

From Liscannor, County Clare, John Philip Holland is widely credited with pioneering the first modern submarine.

He designed the Fenian Ram (launched in 1881), and the subsequent Holland Type submarines which were the first submersibles commissioned by the US Navy.

7. The Nobel Prize Record

Ireland has produced four winners of the Nobel Prize in Literature: W.B. Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, Samuel Beckett and Seamus Heaney. Relative to its small population, this gives Ireland the highest number of Nobel Laureates in Literature per capita in the world.

8. Birthplace of the Hypodermic Syringe

The hypodermic syringe was invented by a Dublin-born physician named Francis Rynd in 1844. He initially used the hollow needle to inject a sedative to treat a patient's severe nerve pain.

9. The Pneumatic Tire

The pneumatic (inflatable) tire was invented by John Boyd Dunlop in Belfast in 1888. He originally developed it for his son's tricycle to make the ride smoother on rough roads.

10. The First Flavoured Crisp

The world's first seasoned potato crisps were invented in the 1950s by Joe "Spud" Murphy, the owner of the Irish company Tayto. He pioneered the technique of adding seasoning directly to the packets, starting with the iconic Cheese & Onion flavour.

11. The Botox Connection

The pharmaceutical ingredient used to manufacture Botox is produced by the company AbbVie at a facility in Westport, County Mayo, giving the small town an unusual connection to the global cosmetic industry.

12. The DeLorean Car

The DeLorean sports car (famous for Back to the Future) was manufactured in a custom-built factory in Dunmurry, near Belfast, Northern Ireland, from 1981 to 1982.

Geographic & Sporting Oddities

13. The Landlocked County

Laois is the only county in Ireland that is not on the coast or near a river mouth, making it the country's only landlocked county. It is also unique in the fact that it does not border a county with a coastline, making it doubly landlocked.

14. The Longest Coastal Drive in Europe

At 2,500 km in length, the Wild Atlantic Way is the longest coastal driving route in Ireland and Europe! The route passes through nine counties and stretches from the Inishowen Peninsula in Donegal right the way around the coast to Kinsale in Cork.

15. The Fastest Field Sport

Hurling, the national sport of Ireland, is often cited as the fastest field sport in the world due to the high speed of the sliotar (the ball) which can travel up to 150 km/h (93 mph). The sports origins date back over 3,000 years.

16. The Burren's Unique Flora

The Burren in County Clare is a unique karst landscape where Arctic, Alpine, and Mediterranean plant life grow side-by-side, a true ecological mystery that shouldn't happen anywhere else in the world.

17. Europe's Darkest Skies

Ireland boasts some of the darkest night skies in Europe, particularly in County Kerry, which is ideal for astronomy and has been designated a Gold Tier International Dark Sky Reserve.

18. The Largest Deer

The extinct Irish Elk (Megaloceros giganteus) was a massive deer whose antlers spanned up to 3.65 meters (12 feet) across, the largest of any known deer species.

19. The First Transatlantic Telegraph

The first ever international telegraph service was established between Valentia Island, County Kerry, and Newfoundland, Canada, in 1866.

20. The Largest Ever Skinny Dip

In 2018, the world’s biggest skinny dip occurred when 2,500 women stripped down to raise money for children’s cancer charity Aoibheann’s Pink Tie.

Culture, Law & Quirks

21. The World's Oldest Pub

The title for the oldest pub in the world goes to Sean's Bar in Athlone, County Westmeath. Guinness World Records dates it back to 900 AD, confirmed by archaeological evidence of its ancient structure.

22. The Smallest St. Patrick’s Day Parade

The town of Dripsey in County Cork holds what is believed to be the world's shortest St. Patrick's Day parade, spanning just 25 yards between two pubs.

23. The Origin of “Boycott”

The word "boycott" originated in Ireland in 1880, named after Captain Charles Boycott, a land agent who was ostracised by his community for his harsh treatment of tenant farmers.

24. The Longest Place Name

The longest place name in Ireland is Muckanaghederdauhaulia, an Irish townland in County Galway.

25. The Word "Whiskey"

The word "whiskey" comes from the Irish phrase uisce beatha, which translates to "water of life".

26. The Smallest Festival

In 2023, the tiny village of Omeath, Co. Louth, held a festival in honor of a lost border collie named Seamus, after his story went viral.

27. Vampire Origins

Bram Stoker, the author of the iconic novel Dracula, was born and raised in Dublin.

28. Eels of the North

The eel fishery at Toome in Northern Ireland is the largest eel fishery in Europe. It has been active since the Bronze Age and exports millions of eels annually across the continent.

29. Land of the Giants

The Giant's Causeway in County Antrim is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with over 40,000 interlocking basalt columns. Legend says it was built by the giant Fionn mac Cumhaill to reach his Scottish rival.

30. The Foreign Potato

Despite the potato's central role in Irish history, it is not native to Ireland; it was introduced from South America in the 16th century.

31. The Irish Time Zone

Until October 1916, Ireland operated on its own distinct time zone. Dublin Mean Time (DMT) ran exactly 25 minutes and 21 seconds behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

32. Puck Fair

“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, crowned king and festivities are held in Killorglin for three days before the goat is brought safely back up into the mountains.