Taken from The Great Little Book of Fun Things You Probably Don't Know About Ireland! by Robert Sullivan
"Couples in Ireland could marry legally on St. Brigid's Day (February 1st) in Teltown, County Meath, as recently as the 1920's by simply walking towards each other. If the marriage failed, they could "divorce" by walking away from each other at the same spot, on St Brigid's day the following year. The custom was a holdover from old Irish Brehon laws, which allowed temporary marriage contracts."
"An odd Irish birthday tradition is to lift the birthday child upside down and give his head a few gentle bumps on the floor for good luck. The number of bumps should allegedly equal the child's age plus one."
"All windmills in Ireland turn in a clockwise direction, while the rest of the windmills in the world turn counter-clockwise."
"In olden days, a pig was often allowed to live in the house with the family on an Irish farm. He (or she) was commonly referred to as "the gentleman who pays the rent."
"Aran Island sweaters have a variety of 'family weaves.' The were developed because when a fisherman drowned, his sweater would often be the only thing washed up on shore. The distinctive weave would tell a family their loved one had been lost."
"Irish Child Naming Patterns:"
"In case you're wondering which relative to name your kids after, here are the traditional naming patterns from old Ireland:
1st son: named after father's father/1st daughter after mother's mother;
2nd son: named after mother's father/2nd daughter after father's mother;
3rd son: named after the father/3rd daughter after the mother;
4th son: named after father's eldest brother/4th daughter after mother's eldest sister"
"The Republic of Ireland is about the same size as West Virginia."
1 comment:
Ooh love these facts. I don't think Sissy will take to be held upside down and bumped on her head but I would totally go for a "gentleman who pays the rent"
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