Customer Reviews

I Never Knew that About Ireland

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This is a different kind of travel book. Not a guidebook in the Frommer's or Lonely Planet tradition, but just as valuable for learning more about the country of Ireland. This book covers the four province of Ireland: Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster. Each county within the four provinces are featured. At the end of each section there is an "I Never Knew That..." section. Some things that I bet you never knew about Ireland:

-- In 1822, Richard Martin put through Parliament the first Animal Rights Bill and two years later founded the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

-- Rosslare has an average of 4 hours and 20 minutes of sunshine every day. (Living in Washington State, that sounds like paradise!)

-- You have heard of Stonehenge but did you know that the Grange Stone Circle is made up of 113 stones and is the largest prehistoric stone circle in Ireland (it dates from around 2000 BC).

-- The DeLorean (the famous car from Back to the Future) was built in Ireland and caught the eye of Hollywood producers.

--Sophie Pierce was the first woman to make a parachute jump, the first person in the world to fly solo from Cape Town to London and the first woman in Ireland and Britain to gain a commercial pilot's license. Unfortunately she fell out of a tram and was killed.

Winn has written a book with a warm personable tone. I felt as if I were listening to a fun friend who loved Ireland and knew neat trivia about each region. There is something for everyone as there are facts and stories about famous people, true crime, myths and inventions. Although color photos would have been nice, the numerous black and white sketches add charm to this book.

Winn is a writer, quiz master and producer for theater and television. He has also written I Never Knew That books about England, Scotland, Wales and London.

Armchair Interviews says: A wonderful book for trivia buffs and armchair travelers!

2006's "I Never Knew That About Ireland" is a charming collection of anecdotes, stories, and a few tall tales about the Emerald Isle, by Christopher Winn. Ireland's long cultural continuity, its varied terrain, and its remarkable people are a source of all kinds of interesting items, ranging from stone tombs dating back to the dawn of Europe to some of the finest churches of the Middle Ages to some surprisingly modern firsts.

Winn breaks up his items by geographic area and further subdivides by county. The effect is a sort of travelogue around Ireland that visitors and tourists may find very useful in augmenting the regular travel guides. The book is nicely illustrated with sketches of some of the featured locations or items.

The effects of the Irish diaspora are on display here. U.S. Presidents Andrew Jackson, Andrew Johnson, U.S. Grant, Chester Arthur, Grover Cleveland, William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, and John F. Kennedy had relatives born in Ireland, as did Buffalo Bill Cody.

Some other samples: Belfast was once the home of the premier shipyards in the world (the Titanic was built there). The first trans Atlantic airplane flight ended with a crashlanding in Western Ireland, ironically, near the antennas that provided the first trans Atlantic telegraph service. Amelia Earheart completed her solo transatlantic flight in Ireland (to her surprise; apparently she expected to land in France).

This small volume is highly recommended as an entertaining and educational read for visitors, travelers, and friends of Ireland.

Actually bought this as a gift, but did take time and read about places I had been in Ireland, think I will have to borrow it back after Christmas.

I am actually from Ireland, and I purchased these for my children and grandchildren. I learned so much information that I didnt know, this book is an excellent gift.

This was a Christmas gift for my Father and it has a bunch of neat little facts in it....we were both really impressed. Happy with this purchase!!

I SAW THIS BOOK IN A "NOVELTY GIFT" MAGAZINE. SINCE "AMAZON'S" STRONG SUIT IS BOOKS...I CHECKED WITH THEM. THE BOOK WAS 20% LESS EXPENSIVE AND I HAD IT I A COUPLE DAYS...PAIN FREE!! "AMAZON" WILL BE MY FIRST CHOICE, FOR BOOKS, FROM NOW ON!

Irish Trivia on Tap : 600 Questions to Measure Your IQ (Irish Quotient)

Another interesting relatively(pun intended)unknown fact, except to Irish and Polish is that: More Irish marry Polish, and more Polish marry the Irish more than any other peoples - outside of Poland and Ireland, of course. There is a better than 50% chance that every Irish name you hear or see, probably has some Polish uncle or connection, as is the same with any Irish name you see or hear has some Polish aunt or connection. The Polish Trivia Book and Irish Trivia..

The connection seems to stem from a Catholic people who have both been to hell and back in their histories. Both the Irish and Polish tend to not sit around and, will always, fight back when needed,i.e., both very proud Catholic cultures. Both Irish and Polish are very proud of culture and country and willing to die for their freedoms. The English to the Irish are like the Russian Communists to the Polish. Ireland and Poland has stood up to both and survived. God's Playground: A History of Poland, Vol. 2 and The Polish Way: A Thousand-Year History of the Poles and Their Culture and The Everything Irish History & Heritage Book: From Brian Boru and St. Patrick to Sinn Fein and the Troubles, All You Need to Know About the Emerald Isle (Everything Series).

Dia Duit!; (hello/pleased to meet you, in Gaelic) - Cheshch!; (hello/good-bye, in Polish).

Poles and Irish marry the Italians the 2nd most and thirdly the Germans/Austrians/Cubans.