Did you know?

Hi Everyone!

How do you feel about a series where we tell you all about those random and beautiful facts about Ireland and its people?

Let start with one which is suited for today - Limerick Day, of course!

So why is that form of poetry called a Limerick, is there any connection with the Irish city?
Well, here is the "story" shared by the Limerick Writer's Centre



Now, if you feel like taking your pen and give it a go, please share your talent with us all! 😉

I've heard a few of the ones in the video!

Here goes...

I was crossing a bridge in a dither,
When I tripped and fell in the river,
I went in with a splash,
And jumped out in a flash,
And stood at its side in a shiver.



Where am I?

Hi Everyone!

Did you know that...

🎉 Today is Enya's 60th birthday! 🎉

The grammy award winner is the biggest selling Irish artist of all time.😮

Her home town of Gweedore in County Donegal is just as magical as her music… Sail away, sail away, sail away...

Now, what do you know about Amelia Earhart?

It was exactly 89 years ago that Amelia broke another aviation record - being the first woman to fly solo and non-stop across the Atlantic. 😲

🛩️ She had set off from Newfoundland in Canada, and when she arrived in a small Northern Irish pasture, a farmhand asked her if she had flown far - she replied: "from America." 

She had originally intended to land in Paris, but mechanical problems forced her to undertake an Irish detour and land safely in Ballyarnett.
She received several awards, including one from President Herbert Hoover, and contributed to her lasting fame, which continues today.
(Yes, "she" was in Night of the Museum 2. 😂)

Ireland may not have made it to the final this year but, did you know... 🎤🎶

Ireland holds the record for the most wins at the Eurovision Song Contest with 7 titles.
Ireland also holds the record for the only country to have won 3-in-a-row.

Ireland’s history at the Eurovision Song Contest goes back to 1965 when Butch Moore represented Ireland for the first time. 

Irish winners over the years include Dana, Johnny Logan (twice), Linda Martin, Niamh Kavanagh, Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan, and Eimear Quinn.

More interesting fact on the RTE archive. 

Did you know.. that the Late Late Show was the first RTÉ broadcast that stayed on the air after midnight? 

The first episode of The Late Late Show aired RTÉ on Friday the 6th of July 1962 and was filmed in front of a studio audience and broadcast live. You can watch the show from anywhere around the world here. 

It is holds the record for the second longest-running talk show in the world! :)

Let's talk postcode, or shall we say Eircode!

You may think that postcode or Eircode, as we call it in Ireland, have been there forever, and you might be right for anywhere else but Ireland.

Today marks only the 6th anniversary of the Eircode.

You may ask how on earth the postal workers were able to deliver all the mails before that, particularly in the more remote area?
In Ireland, 35% of premises have non-unique addresses due to an absence of house numbers or names. Before the introduction of a national postcode system (Eircode) in 2015, Postal workers had to remember which family names corresponded to which house in smaller towns and many townlands, and even now, many postal workers still use their old system, as well as many residents, still don't use their Eircode.

Today is someone's birthday!
Ok, it's many people's birthday, but only one man is an Irish Football Legend!

Happy Birthday Roy Keane! ⚽

Roy is originally from Cork and is an Irish football manager and the joint-most successful Irish footballer of all time! 
He won 19 major trophies in his club career. 😮

Did you know Pelé named him in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players in 2004?
He was also ranked at No. 11 on The Times' list of the 50 "hardest" footballers in history in 2007 and was finally inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame in 2021.

Who has been to the Dublin Zoo? 🙋

Did you know that the Zoo was first opened to the public 190years ago, exactly today?

Yes, it's impressive, right?! 😲

Back then, it was called the Zoological Gardens Dublin. It had 46 mammals and 72 birds, all donated by the London Zoo.
Now, utterly transformed, Dublin Zoo’s 28 hectares is attracting over 1 million visitors a year. Officially Ireland’s biggest family attraction not only offers a great day out for all but also a journey of learning and discovery about the world’s precious wildlife.

Any ABBA fans out there? 🙋

Did you know, that on the 15th of November 1979 the Swedish Pop Sensation played one night, and one night only in Dublin?

It was their only ever gig on the island of Ireland, and the final leg of a three-month tour of North America and Europe. Traffic came to a standstill outside the Gresham Hotel where they were staying, as thousands of fans clogged up O’Connell St. trying to catch a glimpse of the super troupers.

Andersson and Ulvaeus recall the last gig of their 1979 European tour, which took place in Dublin’s RDS:
"I remember some of the people in the crew weren’t that sober that night during the performance, that’s what I remember. Someone came on playing the accordion in the middle of the song.”

Read more about how ABBA fondly recalls their only Irish concert here.