Question 1

Where was Saint Patrick actually born?

Accepted Answer

Roman Britain. Saint Patrick was born around 385 AD in Roman Britain, not Ireland. He was kidnapped by Irish raiders at age 16 and held as a slave for six years before escaping and later returning to Ireland as a missionary.

Question 2

On what date is Saint Patrick believed to have died, making it the date of St Patrick's Day?

Accepted Answer

March 17 (around 461 AD). Saint Patrick is believed to have died on March 17, around 461 AD. His feast day has been observed by the Catholic Church since the 9th or 10th century.

Question 3

Why is Saint Patrick the patron saint of Ireland?

Accepted Answer

He is credited with Christianizing the island in the 5th century. Patrick spent decades evangelizing Ireland, baptizing thousands of people, ordaining priests and founding monasteries. He is credited with converting the island to Christianity.

Question 4

What was Saint Patrick's birth name before he became Patrick?

Accepted Answer

Maewyn Succat. Tradition holds that he was born Maewyn Succat and took the name Patricius (Patrick) when he became a priest. The name comes from the Latin 'pater', meaning father.

Question 5

According to legend, Saint Patrick drove all of which animals out of Ireland?

Accepted Answer

Snakes. The famous legend says Saint Patrick chased all the snakes into the sea. In reality, there were never any snakes in post-glacial Ireland, so the story is widely interpreted as an allegory for driving out paganism.

Question 6

What did Saint Patrick reportedly use to explain the Holy Trinity to the Irish?

Accepted Answer

The shamrock (three-leaf clover). According to legend, Saint Patrick used the three leaves of the shamrock to explain how Father, Son and Holy Spirit could be three persons in one God. The shamrock has been associated with him ever since.

Question 7

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

Accepted Answer

1903. Saint Patrick's Day was made an official Irish public holiday in 1903 by the Bank Holiday (Ireland) Act, championed by Member of Parliament James O'Mara.

Question 8

For how many years was Saint Patrick reportedly held as a slave in Ireland?

Accepted Answer

Six years. Kidnapped at 16, Patrick spent six years tending sheep in Ireland before escaping. He returned to Britain, became a priest, and later answered a vision calling him back to Ireland as a missionary.

Question 9

What is the capital city of the Republic of Ireland?

Accepted Answer

Dublin. Dublin sits on the east coast of Ireland at the mouth of the River Liffey. It is home to roughly a quarter of the population of the Republic of Ireland and dates back to a Viking settlement founded in the 9th century.

Question 10

What are the two official languages of the Republic of Ireland?

Accepted Answer

Irish (Gaeilge) and English. Irish is the first official language under the constitution, with English as the second. Irish is taught in schools and used in some western regions (the Gaeltacht), though English is the dominant everyday language.

Question 11

Ireland is famously nicknamed what, due to its lush green landscape?

Accepted Answer

The Emerald Isle. The nickname comes from Ireland's mild, wet climate, which keeps the countryside green year-round. The phrase was popularized by 18th-century Irish poet William Drennan.

Question 12

Roughly how many people live in the Republic of Ireland?

Accepted Answer

About 5 million. The Republic of Ireland's population is around 5 million people. Including Northern Ireland (part of the UK), the entire island of Ireland is home to roughly 7 million people.

Question 13

What is the longest river in Ireland?

Accepted Answer

The River Shannon. The Shannon stretches about 360 kilometers (224 miles) and divides the west of Ireland from the east and south. It runs through 11 of the 32 counties of Ireland.

Question 14

On which coast of Ireland are the famous Cliffs of Moher located?

Accepted Answer

The west coast (County Clare). The Cliffs of Moher rise up to 214 meters (702 feet) above the Atlantic Ocean and are one of the most visited natural attractions in Ireland. They appear in films from "The Princess Bride" to "Harry Potter".

Question 15

What is the name of the famous columnar basalt formation on Ireland's north coast?

Accepted Answer

The Giant's Causeway. The Giant's Causeway is a UNESCO World Heritage site in Northern Ireland made up of around 40,000 interlocking basalt columns. According to legend, it was built by the giant Finn McCool.

Question 16

What currency is used in the Republic of Ireland?

Accepted Answer

The Euro. Ireland adopted the Euro in 1999 and switched to physical Euro coins and notes in 2002. Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, uses the British pound sterling.

Question 17

In Irish folklore, what type of fairy creature is a leprechaun usually depicted as?

Accepted Answer

A small, mischievous shoemaker. In Irish folklore the leprechaun is a solitary fairy man, traditionally a shoemaker, said to hide a pot of gold. The modern green-suited leprechaun is largely a 20th-century invention.

Question 18

Where is the leprechaun said to keep his treasure?

Accepted Answer

At the end of a rainbow. The popular legend says a leprechaun hides his pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. If you catch a leprechaun, he must lead you to the gold, although he's likely to trick you on the way.

Question 19

Roughly what are the odds of finding a four-leaf clover in nature?

Accepted Answer

About 1 in 10,000. A four-leaf clover is a rare mutation of the common three-leaf white clover. The four leaves are said to represent faith, hope, love and luck.

Question 20

How is a shamrock different from a four-leaf clover?

Accepted Answer

A shamrock has three leaves; a four-leaf clover has four. The shamrock is the traditional three-leaf clover that Saint Patrick used to explain the Trinity. The four-leaf clover is a rare variant associated with general good luck, not religion.

Question 21

Why is green so strongly associated with St Patrick's Day today?

Accepted Answer

It represents Ireland (the Emerald Isle), shamrocks and Irish nationalism. Green has been associated with Ireland's nationalist movement since the 18th century. Interestingly, Saint Patrick was originally associated with blue, but green won out due to its links with the shamrock and Irish identity.

Question 22

What is the name of the interlaced Irish decorative design seen on jewelry and tattoos?

Accepted Answer

The Celtic knot. Celtic knots are intricate, endless interlaced patterns dating back to early medieval Ireland. They appear in illuminated manuscripts like the Book of Kells and in stone carvings on Celtic crosses.

Question 23

What do the three elements of a Claddagh ring (heart, hands and crown) symbolize?

Accepted Answer

Love, friendship and loyalty. The Claddagh ring originated in the Irish fishing village of Claddagh, near Galway. Worn one way it shows you are single; worn the other way it shows you are spoken for or married.

Question 24

According to superstition, what should you wear to avoid being pinched on St Patrick's Day?

Accepted Answer

Green. The pinching tradition is largely American. The idea is that wearing green makes you invisible to leprechauns, who would otherwise pinch anyone they could see.

Question 25

Who founded the Guinness brewery in Dublin in 1759?

Accepted Answer

Arthur Guinness. Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000-year lease for the St James's Gate Brewery in Dublin in 1759, paying 45 pounds a year. Guinness stout remains one of the most famous beers in the world.

Question 26

Name one of the major Irish whiskey brands.

Accepted Answer

Jameson (or Bushmills, Tullamore Dew, Powers, Redbreast). Jameson, founded in 1780, is the best-selling Irish whiskey in the world. Bushmills, established in 1608 in County Antrim, is one of the oldest licensed distilleries on the planet.

Question 27

Is the corned beef and cabbage tradition actually Irish, or Irish-American?

Accepted Answer

Irish-American. In Ireland, bacon and cabbage was the more common dish. Irish immigrants in New York and Boston substituted corned beef bought from Jewish butchers in the 19th century, creating an Irish-American classic.

Question 28

What is the name of the traditional unleavened Irish bread made with buttermilk and baking soda?

Accepted Answer

Soda bread. Irish soda bread became popular in the 19th century because the soft Irish wheat was better suited to baking soda than yeast. Traditional recipes use just flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk.

Question 29

What meat is traditionally used in authentic Irish stew?

Accepted Answer

Lamb or mutton. Authentic Irish stew is made with mutton or lamb, potatoes, onions and parsley. Beef stew is sometimes confused with Irish stew, but lamb is the traditional choice.

Question 30

In which decade did the Great Irish Famine (the Potato Famine) begin?

Accepted Answer

The 1840s (1845). The Great Famine lasted from 1845 to 1852 and was caused by a potato blight that destroyed Ireland's staple crop. Roughly one million people died and another million emigrated, mostly to North America.

Question 31

Which Irish cream liqueur was launched in 1974 and became a worldwide bestseller?

Accepted Answer

Baileys Irish Cream. Baileys Original Irish Cream combines Irish whiskey, cream and chocolate flavoring. Launched in Dublin in 1974, it was the first Irish cream liqueur on the market and remains the dominant brand.

Question 32

What is the name of the Irish-American breakfast that includes bacon, sausage, eggs, beans and black pudding?

Accepted Answer

The Full Irish Breakfast (or Ulster Fry). The Full Irish Breakfast typically includes bacon, sausages, eggs, baked beans, grilled tomato, fried mushrooms, black pudding, white pudding and soda or potato bread. It is a hearty start to a March 17 morning.

Question 33

In which year did Chicago start dyeing its river green for St Patrick's Day?

Accepted Answer

1962. Chicago has dyed the Chicago River bright green every St Patrick's Day since 1962. The tradition started when a plumbers' union used dye to detect pollution sources and noticed the dramatic green color.

Question 34

In which year was the first New York City St Patrick's Day Parade held?

Accepted Answer

1762. New York's St Patrick's Day Parade is older than the United States itself. It was first held in 1762 by Irish soldiers serving in the British Army and has run annually ever since, making it the world's oldest.

Question 35

Which Asian island nation hosts a famously large St Patrick's Day parade in its main city?

Accepted Answer

Singapore (or Japan; both have major parades). Singapore has hosted a St Patrick's Day parade for decades along Orchard Road. Tokyo also hosts one of the largest St Patrick's parades in Asia. Sydney, Buenos Aires and Munich are other major non-Irish parade cities.

Question 36

Which other major American city has a long-running St Patrick's Day parade besides New York and Chicago?

Accepted Answer

Boston (or Savannah, Georgia). Boston has held a Saint Patrick's Day parade since 1737, making it among the oldest in the world. Savannah, Georgia hosts one of the largest in the South, with crowds of over 500,000 in some years.

Question 37

In which year did McDonald's first introduce the Shamrock Shake?

Accepted Answer

1970. McDonald's introduced the Shamrock Shake nationally in 1970. The mint-flavored green shake has been a March staple ever since and helped fund the first Ronald McDonald House in 1974.

Question 38

The phrase "Kiss Me I'm Irish" likely originated from which Irish legend?

Accepted Answer

The Blarney Stone (kissing it brings luck and the gift of gab). Kissing the Blarney Stone in Cork, Ireland is said to bestow eloquence. The 'Kiss Me I'm Irish' phrase is generally interpreted as kissing an Irish person being the next-best thing if you can't make the trip to Blarney Castle.

Question 39

Which famous London landmark turns green on St Patrick's Day each year?

Accepted Answer

The London Eye. The London Eye, the Empire State Building, the Sydney Opera House, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and dozens of other famous landmarks turn green on March 17 as part of Tourism Ireland's 'Global Greening' initiative.

Question 40

In which country was St Patrick's Day historically a quieter, more religious holiday until the 1990s?

Accepted Answer

Ireland. Until 1995, Irish pubs were actually closed by law on St Patrick's Day. The Irish government launched the modern Saint Patrick's Festival in Dublin in 1996 to turn the holiday into a major tourism event.

St Patrick's Day Trivia Questions and Answers

Saint Patrick and Irish History

Ireland Geography and Culture

Irish Traditions and Symbols

Irish Food and Drink

St Patrick's Day Around the World

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