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Fun Quiz with Answers for St Patrick's Day or Irish Parties

 This quiz was originally published on Hubpages, in November 2011.


Great for the Pub, Classroom or Social Club!

This fun, free quiz is great for St Patrick's Day or any Irish-themed activity. The questions cover general knowledge, history, folklore, geography and the arts. It is suitable for many social situations—from family parties, classroom settings, club or pub quizzes.

  • You are welcome to use it for any non-profit making venture.
  • The answers can be seen in italics next to each question.
  • Feel free to add your own quiz questions in the Comments box at the end!

  1. Which Irish islands give their names to a type of woolly jumper? Aran Isles.
  2. Which city stands where the Belfast Lough and River Lagan meet? Belfast.
  3. Which city’s name translates from Irish Gaelic into English as ‘dark pool’? Dublin.
  4. Which John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara film was shot in County Mayo? The Quiet Man.
  5. What is a bodhran? A drum, shaped similarly to a tambourine.
  6. By which other name is Dublin’s Ha’penny Bridge also known? The Liffey Bridge.
  7. Which city is also named ‘the city of the tribes’? Galway.
  8. What would you pour on top of an Irish coffee? Cream.
  9. What was the Gaelic name for the Fairy Folk’s eternal home? Tir na Nog.
  10. By which other names were the Fairy Folk also called? The Gentlefolk, the Shining Ones, the Tuatha de Danaan, the Little People, the Lords and Ladies.
  11. What are the Twelve Bens? Mountains.
  12. Which Irish saint is said to have visited America 1000 years before Columbus? Saint Brendan.
  13. What does the circle at the very centre of a Celtic cross represent? The sun.
  14. Before lamb was used, what meat did an Irish stew traditionally contain? Goat.
  15. Kissing the Blarney Stone is believed to confer what? The gift of the gab.
  16. Name the famous Irish author whose best-selling books include “Tara Road”, “Light a Penny Candle“, “Circle of Friends” and “Nights of Rain and Stars.” Meave Binchy.
  17. Name the Irish poet and dramatist who became a driving force behind the Irish literary revival, who founded the Abby Theatre, and who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1923. William Butler Yeats.
  18. Which saint is supposed to have brought Christianity to Ireland in 453 AD? St Patrick.
  19. What did St Patrick supposedly chase out of Ireland? All the snakes.
  20. Which traditional musical instrument was adopted as a logo by Guinness? Harp.
  21. Which famous Irish actor played Lawrence of Arabia? Peter O’Toole.
  22. What kind of fairy screams to warn of impending death and disaster? Banshee.
  23. Name the famous Irish actor who played James Bond. Pierce Brosnan.
  24. Which American brought traditional Irish dancing to a much wider audience? Michael Flatley.
  25. According to the old folksong, what was Molly Malone selling in Dublin? Cockles and mussels.
  26. Name the singer from punk rock band The Boomtown Rats who later campaigned for famine relief with Live Aid. Bob Geldof.
  27. How many leaves does a shamrock have? Three.
  28. Name the influential Irish novelist and poet whose works include “The Dubliners”, “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man,” and “Ulysses.” James Joyce.
  29. Dublin’s Rotunda Hospital pioneered the training of which kind of nurse? Midwives.
  30. Which popular comical TV series was filmed in the Irish village of Avoka? Ballykissangel.
  31. Name the two Catholic fathers in the popular TV series set on the fictional Craggy Island. Fathers Ted and Dougal.
  32. Which breed of terrier does Kerry give its name to? Kerry blue.
  33. What gives the Purple Mountains in Kerry their colour? Heather.
  34. Where is the oldest civic building in Ireland located? Waterford.
  35. Name the famous kind of glass made in southern Ireland? Waterford Glass.
  36. Which well known drink comes from the Old Middleton Distillery in County Cork? Jameson’s Whiskey.
  37. If you were eating a boxty, what would this be? An Irish potato cake.
  38. When did the Irish Potato Famine occur? 1845-49.
  39. What is the word for a seal that can become human as featured in Irish and Orcadian folklore? A selkie.
  40. Which people settled in Ireland during the English king James 1st’s reign? The Scots.
  41. Who was the very first king of Ireland? Brian Boru.
  42. Which fierce warriors invaded Ireland during the 9th and 10th centuries? Vikings.
  43. In which century did the Battle of the Boyne occur? 17th.
  44. Where can you see the Book of Kells displayed? Trinity college, Dublin.
  45. In which language was the Book of Kells written: English, Latin or Irish Gaelic? Latin.
  46. Which famous and controversial figure wrote “The Importance of Being Earnest”, “The Picture of Dorian Grey” and “The House of Pomegranates?” Oscar Wilde.
  47. Which Irish dramatist wrote “Waiting for Godot”, “Malone Dies” and “The Unnameable?” Samuel Beckett.
  48. In which city is Guinness brewed? Dublin.
  49. Which Irish sport is sometimes confused with the Scottish game of shinty? Hurling.
  50. Which instrument is Irish musician James Galway famous for playing? The flute.

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