Description
Book SynopsisAmazing and Extraordinary Facts: Ireland takes you on an absorbing journey around Ireland to unearth the adventures, inventions, legends, firsts and birthplaces that have shaped the unique history of Ireland.
From Baltimore to Barbary, Titanic to Shergar, and even the myth of the Aran jumper, this intriguing compendium of facts and stories will give you a captivating insight into The Emerald Isle, and the ideas and events that have shaped the individual identity of this remarkable country.
Brief, accessible and entertaining pieces on a wide variety of subjects makes it the perfect book to dip in to. The amazing and extraordinary facts series presents interesting, surprising and little-known facts and stories about a wide range of topics which are guaranteed to inform, absorb and entertain in equal measure.
Table of Contents1 The Emerald Isle 12
2 Giant steps and baby steps 13
3 Older than the Pyramids! 15
4 Veni, vidi, vici! Or maybe not... 17
5 Natural preservatives 19
6 Land of the little people 20
7 Here, boy! 21
8 May the blessings of Saint Patrick behold you 24
9 A medieval treasure 26
10 A long time ago, on an island far, far away... 28
11 Battle of the boozers 29
12 Urbs Intacta: the Untaken City 31
13 From Castle to Kingdom 33
14 The gift of the gab 36
15 Who run the world? Girls! 38
16 Ireland's most famous head-case 39
17 Soldiers in petticoats 41
18 From Baltimore to Barbary 44
19 Parklife 46
20 A pint of the black stuff 48
21 Bliain ai air: the year of the slaughter 50
22 To the White House 53
23 Probably the most famous glass in the world 56
24 Stand up and be counted 58
25 Monster meetings! 58
26 Ireland's national necropolis 61
27 The Unsung Hero 64
28 Keogh's Last Stand 67
29 Green, white and orange 68
30 'Til death do us part... 70
31 'We are Alcock and Brown. Yesterday we were in America.' 72
32 Watch the tram car please 74
33 Boycott! 77
34 Stranger than fiction 80
35 Death of a language 82
36 There's no such thing as fairies 84
37 Knit one, purl one 86
38 Leave your jewels and gold wands in the bank and buy a revolver 89
39 But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you... 91
40 SOS Titanic calling Harland & Wolff and The RMS Titanic 93
41 We declare the right of the people of Ireland to the ownership of Ireland... 97
42 Down with this sort of thing! 100
43 The men of Ireland were hurling when the Gods of Greece were young 102
44 If you built it, they will come 104
45 The Field 106
46 Those magnificent men in their flying machines 108
47 She was lovely and fair like the rose of the summer 110
48 The case for humanity 111
49 The Taking of Christ 113
50 'Ladies and Gentlemen, to whom it concerns, it's The Late Late Show...' 115
51 Who stole the horse? 117
52 I did it the Wild Atlantic Way 119
53 Yes Equality! 122
54 Like a bridge over Liffey waters 125
55 From feen to Ford 129
56 We all stand together! 130
57 Between the jigs and the reels 131
