A country loved for its beauty, culture and people, a visit to Ireland features on many people’s wish list. It’s no surprise that the capital Dublin welcomes millions of tourists each and every year, and makes the ultimate base for your trip here. In a toast to Ireland, here are 8 interesting facts that you probably didn’t know:
- Speak to a local and you might hear them referring to the city as either Baile Atha Cliath meaning “Ford of the Reed Hurdles” or Dubh Linn, which in Old Irish Gaelic means “Black Pool”.
- Although I personally never understand how “twinned cities” work exactly, you might like to know that Dublin is also twinned with Barcelona, Liverpool and San Jose in California!
- If you read anything that mentions Dublin’s mountains, don’t get too excited. The highest, the Sugarloaf, measures in at just 423.5m above sea level, meaning it doesn’t actually reach the criteria height to claim mountain status.
- Ireland is well known for its drinking culture; walk around any city in the Western World and you will find at least one Irish Pub or Bar. Surprisingly however, Dublin has fewer pubs per head than any other European Capital!
- That said, Dublin is home to the oldest pub in Ireland and one of the oldest in the world! The Brazen Head, located just a short walk from the Guinness Brewery and Christchurch Cathedral, dates all the way back to 1198 so stop here for a pint of Guinness and step back in time at this authentic 12th century coach house.
- The curious O’Connell Bridge is as wide as it is long. Built in 1863, it spans the Liffey River and it’s the only European bridge of its kind. Before the current bridge was built, travellers were forced to cross the river on a small wooden bridge that could only hold the weight of one person at a time.
- With an average temperature of 5°C in January and 17°C in July, plus an estimated 50% of the population under 25 years old, it’s advisable to dress warmly and party hard on your trip here.
- Book lovers roll up as Dublin is the fourth UNESCO listed city of Literature in the World. Celebrated names such as playwright, poet and novelist Oscar Wilde, writer and poet James Joyce, Dracula creator Bram Stoker and George Bernard Shaw, the only person in the world to have won both a Nobel Prize and an Oscar, all hail from here.
Do you have some interesting facts about Dublin that you’d like to share? Feel free and add them in the comments section below!
