Ireland: A Trivial Gallimaufry Quiz

Answer: Third

The island of Ireland extends to about 32,500 square miles. Only Great Britain (circa 81,000 square miles) and Iceland (c39,700 square miles) are bigger.

Answer: Civil Servant

O'Nolan (1911-1966) wrote in both Irish and English and his satirical columns in the Irish Times were widely read. His best-known novels include 'An Béal Bocht' ('The Poor Mouth'), 'At Swim-Two-Birds' and 'The Third Policeman' (which was published after his death). Among those to praise O'Nolan were James Joyce and Anthony Burgess.

Answer: He died from complications after falling from a horse.

The Battle of the Boyne is often portrayed as a turning point in Irish, and indeed British history, and effectively ended the hopes of the Catholic King James II of regaining the British throne. While it is sometimes portrayed as a simple battle between Catholicism and Protestantism, it was but one piece of a larger European jigsaw.

The battle is commemorated annually by the Orange Order. William was of Dutch extraction and was crowned King William III in 1689 after James II (his father-in-law) was deposed.

He is often depicted crossing the River Boyne on a white horse. Some historians contend this is an erroneous image and that he actually rode a brown horse. What is not contentious is that William died in 1702 as a result of injuries he sustained after falling from a horse.

Answer: £20

O'Connell (1775-1847) was a trained barrister and a renowned orator. His methods were non-violent, but he is generally credited as having helped to ensure Catholic emancipation. He was depicted on the Bank Of Ireland £20 note between 1992 and 2000.

Answer: Ford

Woodrow Wilson and Ulysses S. Grant both traced their family roots back to Co Tyrone and J F Kennedy to Co Wexford. At least 15 US presidents have claimed to be of Irish descent - more specifically to the counties that now make up Northern Ireland - and eight others to claim links with Ireland. Bill Clinton was the first serving president to visit Northern Ireland in 1995. Gerald Ford was the 38th president of the USA (from 1974 to 1977), and took office after Richard Nixon resigned after the Watergate scandal.

Born in Nebraska in July 1913, Ford died in December 2006. Ford was his stepfather's name (his mother and natural father were divorced). In Ford's family tree are great, great grandparents, Alexander Gardiner and Mary Brodie who were born in Scotland in 1782 and 1786 respectively.

They married in Scotland in 1805.

Answer: Limerick, Co Limerick

Greyhound racing is a popular sport in Ireland. Bord na gCon is the regulatory authority at 17 tracks in the Republic of Ireland. Three other tracks operate in Northern Ireland. The three incorrect answers are also locations for greyhound tracks.

Answer: To fight a Scottish giant.

Attractive though the myth may be, scientists say the six-sided basalt rock formation is the result of volcanic activity. The causeway, which is on the north coast, is one of Northern Ireland's most popular tourist attractions and is a UNESCO World Heritage site

Answer: Omagh, Co Tyrone

The operators estimated that, at full capacity, the site could produce 30,000 ounces each year. The gold is exported to be processed and turned into jewellery. Substantial other deposits - estimated by the owners at one million ounces - have been found in the nearby Sperrin Mountains, but have yet to be exploited.

Answer: Brian Friel

Friel's family was originally from Co Donegal and that is the setting for several of his plays. 'Philadelphia, Here I Come!' was his first major success (in 1964), while 'Dancing at Lughnasa' received three Tony Awards in 1992 and was made into a film in 1998, with Meryl Streep in a leading role. Friel helped found the Field Day Theatre Company and his plays are staples of amateur dramatics festivals throughout Ireland.

Answer: Officially he was the first US troop to land in Belfast during WWII

In the years between the USA entering the Second World War after the attack on Pearl Harbor and the Normandy invasion, many US troops were sent to Northern Ireland. The Republic Of Ireland was a neutral state. Henke was selected by superior officers to be a symbolic first GI in Belfast in January 1942.

He survived the war and returned to Northern Ireland in 1994 for the rededication of a memorial to US troops.