Fairytale of New York by the Pogues and Kirsty McColl is the most played song on Irish radio every year during the Christmas period.
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The official colour of Ireland is actually blue, not green.
According to Irish folklore, families can prevent an argument over Christmas by placing their shoes side by side on Christmas Eve.
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In the 18th century, a Dubliner invented the word ’quiz’ as part of a bet. In order prove he could invent a word, he tagged the word ‘quiz’ around the walls of Dublin. Everyone was puzzled and questioned what it meant and it developed into a real word with the meaning it has today.
Co Roscommon has a large Brazilian community with 10% of the population having links to the samba country.
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The Irish for ‘I love you’ is ‘Tá grá agam duit’. This is a formal way.
A more personal, colloquial way would be to say;
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In 1644 Athenry Priory became Ireland’s first university. Less than a decade later, in 1652, Cromwell’s soldiers arrived and wrecked the buildings, and threw out or murdered the Friars. To offend the Church even more, horses were kept in the Priory grounds soiling a place of great learning and devotion.
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