90 Fun Facts About St. Patrick's Day

In which modern-day country was St. Patrick born?

Patrick was born in Roman Britain, the son of Calpurnius, a decurion; his Confessio names his family's villa at Bannavem Taburniae, a site never securely identified.

What was St. Patrick's birth name before he became known as Patrick?

Tradition gives his birth name as Maewyn Succat; the seventh-century writer Tírechán listed four names for him, including Magonus and Succetus, while his own writings only ever call him Patricius.

According to legend, what did St. Patrick drive out of Ireland?

Post-glacial Ireland never had any snakes; the earliest account of Patrick chasing them into the sea is by Jocelyn of Furness in the late twelfth century.

On what date is St. Patrick's Day celebrated each year?

March 17 is the traditional date of Patrick's death; the Irish annals record it under both 461/2 and 492/3, the latter claiming he died aged 120.

How old was St. Patrick when he was captured and taken to Ireland as a slave?

In his Confessio Patrick says he was about 16 when raiders seized him from his family's villa at Bannavem Taburniae; he was held six years before escaping.

What plant did St. Patrick allegedly use to explain the Holy Trinity?

Legend says Patrick used the three-leaved shamrock to explain the Trinity; the story was first written down in 1726, though seventeenth-century Irish coins already show him holding one.

The historical St. Patrick was active as a missionary in Ireland during which period?

Only two of his Latin writings survive, the Confessio and the Letter to the soldiers of Coroticus; the traditional 432 date for his mission was probably chosen to downplay Palladius, sent to Ireland in 431.

What was St. Patrick's role during his years of captivity in Ireland?

He wrote that the years of captivity were critical to his spiritual growth; one theory places him herding sheep around Slemish mountain, another near Killala Bay.

Where is St. Patrick believed to be buried?

Tradition places Patrick's grave at Down Cathedral in Downpatrick, County Down, which is also said to hold Saint Brigid and Saint Columba, though none of the burials has been proven.

Which Waterford-born Franciscan got St Patrick's feast day onto the Catholic liturgical calendar in the early 1600s?

Wadding also opened a college in Rome to train Franciscans for the Irish mission; parades in Ireland itself did not appear until the twentieth century.

Which colour did the Order of St Patrick adopt in 1783, leaving a shade still named after the saint?

Blue was the Order of St Patrick's choice; green had been linked with Ireland since the Irish Catholic Confederation's 1640s flag, and the United Irishmen made 'wearing of the green' a nationalist statement in the 1790s.

The first recorded St. Patrick's Day celebration in what is now the US took place in 1600 in which city?

Records show St. Augustine, the Spanish colony in Florida, held a St. Patrick's celebration in 1600 organised by its Irish vicar Ricardo Artur, with a parade in 1601; Boston's first observance came in 1737.

Which city famously dyes its river green for St. Patrick's Day?

Chicago has dyed the Chicago River green for St. Patrick's Day since 1962. The tradition started when a plumber's union worker noticed that a chemical used to detect sewage leaks turned the river green.

Which dish, not traditional in Ireland, became the classic St. Patrick's Day meal among Irish Americans?

Corned beef and cabbage was adopted by Irish immigrants in nineteenth-century America, where beef was cheaper than at home; in Ireland itself the closer equivalent is bacon and cabbage.

Which Georgia city dyes its Forsyth Park fountain green for St. Patrick's Day?

Savannah stages one of the largest St. Patrick's Day celebrations in the United States; festivities open with the ceremonial 'greening' of the fountain in Forsyth Park.

What mythical creature from Irish folklore is associated with pots of gold at the end of rainbows?

Leprechauns are fairy creatures from Irish folklore who are said to hide pots of gold at the end of rainbows. They are typically depicted as small, bearded men in green coats.

Which landmark was one of the first two in Tourism Ireland's 'Global Greening' for St. Patrick's Day, from 2010?

The Sydney Opera House and Auckland's Sky Tower were the first two landmarks lit green for Tourism Ireland's Global Greening in 2010; hundreds of sites worldwide later joined.

What happens to you on St. Patrick's Day if you don't wear green?

The pinch is an American custom rather than an Irish one; in Ireland the day is marked with parades, music sessions and church services.

Which famous Irish writer wrote 'Ulysses' and 'Dubliners'?

James Joyce's Ulysses unfolds on a single day in Dublin, June 16, 1904, and is considered one of the most important novels of the 20th century.

What is the name of the traditional Irish step dance show that became a global sensation in 1994?

Riverdance began as the interval act of the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin, starring Jean Butler and Michael Flatley with music by Bill Whelan, before growing into a full-length touring show.

In which Irish county is Croagh Patrick, climbed by pilgrims every 'Reek Sunday'?

Croagh Patrick rises above Clew Bay in County Mayo; thousands climb it on Reek Sunday, the last Sunday in July, a pilgrimage that goes back at least to the Middle Ages.

What is the longest river in Ireland?

The River Shannon is the longest river in Ireland at 360 km (224 miles). It flows from the Shannon Pot in County Cavan to the Shannon Estuary in County Limerick. The River Liffey runs through Dublin but is much shorter.

Bulmers, made in Clonmel and sold abroad as Magners, is which kind of drink?

A single brand, Bulmers, dominates cider sales in Ireland; it is produced in Clonmel, County Tipperary, and sold as Magners outside the Republic.

What is the name of the famous prehistoric passage tomb in Ireland, older than the Egyptian pyramids?

Newgrange, built in County Meath around 3200 BC, predates the Giza pyramids; its passage is aligned so the rising winter-solstice sun floods the inner chamber through a 'roofbox' above the entrance.

Which Irish beer brand is famous for its dark stout and is brewed at St. James's Gate in Dublin?

Arthur Guinness leased the site on 31 December 1759 with a £100 down payment and £45 a year for 9,000 years.

A 2017 survey of about 5.7 million clovers found roughly what odds of a clover having four leaves?

The survey found roughly 1 in 5,000 clovers had four leaves, almost twice as common as the oft-quoted 1 in 10,000; belief in their luck dates back at least to the 17th century.

Kissing which famous Irish landmark is said to grant the 'gift of the gab'?

The Blarney Stone is set in the battlements of Blarney Castle near Cork; to kiss it, visitors climb to the top and lean over backwards on the parapet's edge.

Which rocky islands off Ireland's west coast doubled as Ahch-To in two Star Wars films?

Skellig Michael stood in for the planet Ahch-To; its Gaelic monastery was founded between the 6th and 8th centuries and the island became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.

In which country's 2006 census did 14% of respondents report Irish origin?

Canada's 2006 census recorded about 4.35 million people of Irish origin, 14% of the population; by comparison Australia's 2011 census put Irish ancestry at 10.4%.

Which leavener reacts with buttermilk to make Irish quick bread rise without yeast?

Baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) is the leavener: the basic recipe is just flour, salt, buttermilk and soda, and the buttermilk's lactic acid reacts with it to form carbon dioxide bubbles.

In which year did Ireland gain independence from the United Kingdom as the Irish Free State?

The Irish Free State was established in 1922 following the Anglo-Irish Treaty. The 1916 Easter Rising was the rebellion, 1937 saw the new constitution renaming the state to Ireland, and 1949 was when Ireland officially became a republic.

What was the Great Famine in Ireland primarily caused by?

The Great Famine (1845-1852) was caused by a potato blight (Phytophthora infestans) that devastated the potato crop, which was the primary food source for much of Ireland's population. It caused roughly 1 million deaths and forced another million to emigrate.

What is the traditional Irish term for a gathering with music, singing, and storytelling?

A ceili (also spelled ceilidh) is a traditional Irish social gathering featuring music, dancing, and storytelling. 'Craic' means fun or entertainment, a 'fleadh' is a festival, and a 'session' is an informal gathering of musicians.

Which province of Ireland includes Dublin?

Dublin is in the province of Leinster, which is on the east coast of Ireland. Ireland has four traditional provinces: Leinster (east), Munster (south), Connacht (west), and Ulster (north).

What is the Claddagh ring, a famous Irish symbol, traditionally used for?

The design originated in Claddagh, County Galway, and its modern form was first produced in the 17th century; the heart stands for love, the crown for loyalty and the clasped hands for friendship.

Which ancient Gaelic festival, beginning on the evening of 31 October, helped shape modern Halloween?

Samhain marked the end of the harvest and the start of winter, the 'darker half' of the year; many American Halloween customs were carried over by Irish and Scottish immigrants.

What famous Irish rock band released 'The Joshua Tree' and 'Achtung Baby'?

U2 formed in Dublin in 1976 with Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr.; The Joshua Tree (1987) and Achtung Baby (1991) are among their best-selling albums.

Which Irish poet won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1923?

William Butler Yeats later served two terms as a senator of the Irish Free State, an unusual second career for a poet.

Roughly how many people worldwide are estimated to claim some Irish descent?

Estimates put the worldwide Irish diaspora at about 80 million people, including more than 30 million Americans who report Irish ancestry, a legacy of centuries of emigration.

What does the Irish phrase 'Erin go Bragh' mean in English?

'Erin go Bragh' anglicises the Irish 'Éire go Brách', meaning 'Ireland forever'; the phrase became a nationalist rallying cry and appears on banners every St. Patrick's Day.

In 1952 the Irish ambassador began a tradition by sending a box of shamrocks to which US president?

Ambassador John Hearne sent the first box of shamrocks to Harry Truman in 1952; the custom grew into the Taoiseach presenting the president with a Waterford Crystal bowl of shamrocks each March.

What instrument appears on Ireland's coat of arms, its euro coins and its passports?

The gold harp with silver strings on the arms is modelled on the medieval 'Brian Boru' harp in Trinity College Dublin; Guinness adopted a harp emblem in 1862 and registered it as a trademark in 1876.

Which 179-km circular tourist route loops around the Iveragh Peninsula in south-western Ireland?

The Ring of Kerry runs clockwise from Killarney along the N71 to Kenmare, then the N70 through Sneem, Waterville and Cahersiveen; the Wild Atlantic Way is a far longer route along the whole west coast.

What natural geological formation of interlocking basalt columns is found in Northern Ireland?

The Giant's Causeway's roughly 40,000 columns in County Antrim came from an ancient volcanic fissure eruption; legend says the giant Fionn mac Cumhaill built it to fight the Scottish giant Benandonner.

Which Irish dish combines mashed potatoes with cabbage or kale?

Colcannon takes its name from the Irish cál ceannann, 'white-headed cabbage'; historian Patrick Weston Joyce defined it as potatoes mashed with butter and milk plus chopped cabbage and pot herbs, often with scallions or leeks.

Which actress starred opposite John Wayne in 'The Quiet Man'?

Maureen O'Hara, born Maureen FitzSimons in the Dublin suburb of Ranelagh in 1920, made five films with John Wayne and was nicknamed 'the Queen of Technicolor'.

How many counties are there in the Republic of Ireland?

The Republic of Ireland has 26 counties. The island of Ireland as a whole has 32 counties, with the remaining 6 making up Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom.

Which sport draws Ireland's biggest crowds, about a third of all sports-event attendance?

Gaelic football tops Irish attendance figures; the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final fills Croke Park's roughly 82,000 seats, with hurling second.

Which Irish national bagpipe is inflated by a bellows strapped to the player's waist and arm?

The bellows feed the bag relatively dry air, which protects the reeds' tuning, and free the player from having to blow.

Which Ballymena-born actor played Oskar Schindler and the title role in Michael Collins?

Liam Neeson, born in Ballymena in 1952, was Oscar-nominated for Best Actor as Schindler; he went on to lead Rob Roy, Les Misérables and the Taken series.

St Patrick's Day always falls inside which Christian season of fasting, lifted for the day?

March 17 always falls within Lent, and the Lenten fast was traditionally relaxed for the feast; that one-day pass on food and drink helped tie the holiday to celebrating in pubs.

In which year did St. Patrick's Day become an official public holiday in Ireland?

St. Patrick's Day became an official public holiday in Ireland under the Bank Holiday (Ireland) Act 1903, a measure introduced at Westminster by the Irish MP James O'Mara.

In which year did Dublin hold its first St. Patrick's Festival?

Dublin's first St. Patrick's Festival was held as a one-day event on 17 March 1996 and expanded to three days the following year, later growing into a multi-day programme.

Besides Ireland, St. Patrick is a patron saint of which African country?

Irish missionaries spread Catholicism in Nigeria from the late nineteenth century, and the Church lists St. Patrick among Nigeria's patron saints; he is also the patron of engineers.

The word 'shamrock' comes from the Irish word 'seamróg'. What does 'seamróg' literally mean?

Elizabethan English writers thought the Irish ate it, possibly confusing seamróg with seamsóg, the word for wood sorrel.

Besides Ireland, on which Caribbean island is St. Patrick's Day a public holiday?

Montserrat, a small island in the Caribbean, also observes St. Patrick's Day as a public holiday, due to its historical Irish population.

In Irish traditional music, the violin is almost always called by what name?

Irish players call the violin a fiddle; many set the bridge flatter than a classical violinist would, making rapid double-stopping and dance rhythms easier.

In his Letter, Patrick excommunicated the soldiers of Coroticus for doing what?

Patrick's Letter to the Soldiers of Coroticus condemns a British warband for raiding Ireland, killing some Christians and enslaving his newly baptised converts; he declares the raiders excommunicated until they repent.

According to legend, what did Patrick light on the Hill of Slane, defying King Laoghaire?

Muirchú's seventh-century Life says Patrick lit an Easter fire on the Hill of Slane before the king's own fire at Tara, defying King Laoghaire's ban and announcing his mission.

Which British monarch founded the Order of St Patrick in 1783?

George III founded the Order of St Patrick on 5 February 1783 as a chivalric order for the Kingdom of Ireland, a counterpart to England's Garter and Scotland's Thistle.

New York City's St Patrick's Day parade traces its history to a first observance held in which year?

New York traces its parade to a St. Patrick's Day gathering in 1762 at the home of John Marshall, an Irish Protestant; a parade by Irish soldiers in the British Army followed in 1766.

What colour is the powder used to turn the Chicago River green each March?

The dye is an orange powder that turns bright green on contact with the water; a plumbers' union crew sprinkles it from small boats on the morning of the city's parade.

In Irish traditional music, a jig is written in which time signature?

A jig is written in 6/8 time, two groups of three quavers per bar; it is second only to the reel in Irish dance music, and its name probably comes from the French giguer, 'to jump'.

Which NHL team was known as the St. Patricks and wore green jerseys from 1919 to 1927?

The Toronto Maple Leafs played as the Toronto St. Patricks in green from 1919 until Conn Smythe's group bought the club in 1927; the team has worn green St. Pats throwbacks in later years.

Who, in Patrick's Confessio, brings him the dream letter 'The Voice of the Irish'?

Patrick's Confessio recounts a night vision in which a man named Victoricus arrives from Ireland with countless letters; one headed 'The Voice of the Irish' begs him to return and walk among them.

Which Irish Catholic fraternal order was founded in New York City in 1836?

The Ancient Order of Hibernians was founded in New York City in 1836 to defend Irish Catholic immigrants and their churches, and for generations it organised the city's St. Patrick's Day parade.

In which Ulster town did Patrick traditionally found his principal church?

Tradition holds that Patrick founded his principal church at Armagh in 445; the town became Ireland's ecclesiastical capital, and both the Catholic and Church of Ireland primates are titled Archbishop of Armagh.

The Irish pancake called boxty is made mainly from which ingredient?

Boxty is a potato pancake from Ireland's north midlands, made from a mix of grated raw potato and mashed potato bound with flour and fried in a pan.

What is the name of the unaccompanied, heavily ornamented style of traditional Irish-language singing?

Sean-nós ('old style') singing is unaccompanied, heavily ornamented and usually in Irish; it is strongest in Gaeltacht areas such as Connemara and is judged at the Oireachtas na Gaeilge festival.

Astronaut Catherine Coleman played a flute and tin whistle in orbit in 2011 borrowed from which Irish band?

The recording later appeared as 'The Chieftains in Orbit' on the band's 2012 album Voice of Ages.

Which free-reed instrument, with bellows and buttons on both ends, is a staple of Irish traditional sessions?

The Anglo concertina survived the instrument's early-20th-century decline largely because Irish traditional players kept it going.

The world's shortest St Patrick's Day parade was held in Dripsey in which Irish county?

Dripsey, County Cork, staged a 23.4-metre parade between the village's two pubs from 1999; it ended when one pub closed, and Hot Springs, Arkansas, later claimed the shortest-parade title with its 98-foot Bridge Street.

What is the name of the ancient Celtic writing system sometimes seen in Irish art and monuments?

Ogham is an early medieval alphabet, used from about the 4th century to write Primitive Irish, its strokes carved along the edges of standing stones in Ireland and western Britain.

The uilleann pipes, Ireland's national bagpipe, take their name from the Irish word for which body part?

Uilleann means 'of the elbow': the bag is filled by a bellows worked under the player's elbow rather than by blowing, so some pipers can sing or chat while playing.

What name does Irish folklore give to its fish-tailed sea-women?

Merrow anglicises the Irish murúch; Thomas Crofton Croker read it as muir (sea) plus oigh (maid), and both Croker and Yeats collected merrow tales, though the word can also mean a sea monster.

What famous illuminated manuscript is housed in Trinity College Dublin?

The Book of Kells is a richly decorated manuscript Gospel book, created by Celtic monks around 800 AD, and is a major tourist attraction in Dublin.

Which Gaelic team sport is played with a small ball called a sliotar?

Hurling is an outdoor Gaelic team game of ancient origin, played with a wooden stick called a hurley; a good strike can send the sliotar over 150 km/h, and the women's version is camogie.

The Irish drinking toast 'Sláinte!' literally means what?

The proper reply is 'sláinte agatsa', roughly 'to your health as well'.

Which spirit of Irish folklore is said to wail at night to foretell a death?

The banshee, from the Irish bean sí ('woman of the fairy mound'), is a female spirit whose keening wail is said to foretell a death, traditionally in the old Gaelic families.

Which Irish highwayman song was a 1973 hit for Thin Lizzy and later covered by Metallica?

'Whiskey in the Jar' was a signature song of the Dubliners in the 1960s before Thin Lizzy's 1973 hit and Metallica's 1998 cover; its plot resembles a broadside ballad about highwayman Patrick Fleming, executed in 1650.

What is the name for the traditional Irish drum, played with a stick called a 'tipper'?

The bodhrán is a traditional Irish frame drum, played with a small wooden stick called a 'tipper' or 'beater'.

Which Irish county is known as the 'Garden of Ireland'?

Wicklow, with its mountains, glens and estates such as Powerscourt, earned the nickname 'Garden of Ireland'; its name comes from the Old Norse Víkingaló, 'Vikings' Meadow'.

What trade are leprechauns traditionally said to practise in Irish folklore?

They mend shoes, especially their own well-worn pair, which is why you supposedly hear the tap of a tiny hammer before you see one.

Before the 20th century, what colour was a leprechaun generally said to wear?

Red coats and cocked hats were how Yeats and other 19th-century writers described leprechauns; the all-green outfit is a modern popularisation.

The Old Irish root of the word leprechaun, luchorpán, is usually taken to mean what?

Luchorpán is usually read as lú plus corp, 'small body'; a rival theory derives it from the Roman Luperci. Leprechaun-like beings barely appear in early Irish mythology and only became prominent in later folklore.

In the earliest leprechaun tale, Echtra Fergus mac Léti, what does King Fergus get for freeing the creatures?

In the eighth-century Echtra Fergus mac Léti, Fergus captures the lúchorpáin and frees them in return for three wishes, among them the power to travel under water; the 'catch a leprechaun, get your wishes' idea begins there.

W. B. Yeats put the leprechaun in which category of Irish supernatural being?

Solitary fairy was Yeats's class for the leprechaun, distinct from the trooping Aos Sí; different Irish counties described their own local varieties.

In folklore, what happens if you take your eyes off a captured leprechaun?

Folklore holds that once its captor looks away, it vanishes: the leprechaun escapes before handing over its gold, so keeping your eyes fixed on it is the only way to hold it.

Which cousin of the leprechaun in Irish folklore is said to be perpetually drunk?

The clurichaun, which Yeats treated as a leprechaun variant, is said to be perpetually drunk, haunting wine cellars and riding sheep or dogs about the countryside by night.

Which Canadian city has held a St. Patrick's Day parade since 1824?

Montreal's St. Patrick's Day parade dates from 1824, one of the oldest in North America; the city's flag carries a shamrock representing its Irish community.