Irish: Famous & Historical Trivia

1. This Irish author was born in 1906 and is known for his work offering a bleak outlook on human culture. His most notable works are "Waiting for Godot" and "Endgame." Can you name this author who died in 1989?

From Quiz Famous People from Ireland

Answer: Samuel Beckett

Samuel Beckett was born in Dublin, Ireland and was raised in a middle class, Protestant family. He was sent to the same school as Oscar Wilde at age 14. Beckett was often depressed- he once remarked that he was dead and had no feelings that were human.

From Quiz Ireland: Land of Saints and Scholars

Answer: Downpatrick

Although he was not the first Christian missionary, he was the one to have left the longest-lasting impact on Ireland. Taken as a slave to Ireland, he escaped to study under St Germanus in France. A dream took him back to Ireland in about 432AD and he began a life's work converting nobles and peasants alike to Christianity. Sources differ on the date of his death.

From Quiz 'Tis Irish, To Be Sure!

Answer: Sigmund Freud

And perhaps to back up Sigmund Freud's comment on the Irish is the following, an "Irishman's Philosophy of Life". "In life, there are only two things to worry about, either you are well, or you are sick. If you are well, there is nothing to worry about, but if you are sick, you have two things to worry about; either you will live, or you will die. If you live, there is nothing to worry about, if you die, you have two things to worry about; either you will go to heaven or to hell. If you go to heaven, there is nothing to worry about, but if you go to hell, you'll be so busy shaking hands with your friends, you won't have time to worry!"

From Quiz Calling All My Lovelies

Answer: Agriculture

While a student (1926-1928) Woodhouse was apparently the only woman at Harper Adams Agricultural College in Shropshire, England, attending. She then opened a riding school, giving lessons in horse care and jumping. She was jumping and winning contests on horses since the age of thirteen and said all the teachers hated her because she "always smelled of horses". She married Allan Hill in 1934. Together they broke wild horses and trained them in Argentina until their divorce in about 1939. Harper Adams Agricultural College was established in 1901. The question offered a hint for agriculture: which "field" of study. Or if you know Harper Adams specializes in agriculture.

From Quiz Famous People from Ireland

Answer: Pat McDonagh

Supermac's is a major Irish fast food chain. Pat McDonagh is a former Irish school teacher. The fast food chain first opened in 1978 and currently boasts an average of 320,000 customers a week. Most Supermac's are two story buildings. The restaurant can best be compared to Wendy's in the U.S.

From Quiz 'Tis Irish, To Be Sure!

Answer: Hugh Leonard

Hugh Leonard, aka John Keyes Byrne, was born in 1926 and raised in County Dublin. A playwright, he wrote more than thirty plays, along with many stories and series for television. As an actor he appeared in the film adaptation of his own play 'Da' and also his own novel 'Home Before Night' in 1988 (as a pallbearer).

From Quiz Calling All My Lovelies

Answer: Speaking foreign languages

An enjoyably straightforward and prolific author, Barbara Woodhouse wrote over 30 books, primarily about dogs and horse training, animal health care and solving animal behavioral problems. "No Bad Dogs, the Woodhouse Way" was a best-seller in 1982. She authored "Almost Human" and "How Your Dog Thinks" but also penned works on learning a foreign language--"Talking in Italian", "Talking in Spanish" and "Talking in French". They were marketed for housewives. Some of her many titles include "Training Your Puppy", "Book of Ponies" and an autobiography titled "Just Barbara".

From Quiz Famous People from Ireland

Answer: George Boole

Boolean logic is the basis of modern digital computer logic. George Boole was born into a working class family in 1815. He developed a form of logic combining calculus and algebra that worked in a simple binary form, defining equations as either true or false (0 or 1). Boole's work has led to some developments that even he could not have imagined.

From Quiz 'Tis Irish, To Be Sure!

Answer: John Locke

Englishman John Locke was born in 1632 and died in 1704. He studied, amongst other things, philosophy, Greek, chemistry, meteorology and theology at Oxford and became a personal physician. This quote is from the poem, "The Exile's Return". Some other Locke quotes include; "Reading furnishes the mind only with materials for knowledge; it is thinking that makes what we read ours"; and, "The people cannot delegate to government the power to do anything which would be unlawful for them to do themselves."

From Quiz Calling All My Lovelies

Answer: What's My Line?

In 1955 Barbara Woodhouse made her first dog-training film, "Love Me, Love My Dog". It featured Juno, the Great Dane and was shown in theaters around England. She appeared on "What's My Line?" where she stumped contestants as to her line of work, and made a record album in 1967 with advance sales of 25,000. She sent the BBC a letter saying she'd received so many letters asking her to do a dog training show, they should do it. In 1980 they did. It propelled Mrs. Woodhouse to international celebrity status, and made "walkies"--her command for heel or walk--a household word. She's also known for "leave it" and "wait". In 1982 Woodhouse was voted the nation's favorite lady on TV. She's also been spoofed and mocked on media a fair bit.

From Quiz Famous People from Ireland

Answer: Arthur Wellesley

Arthur Wellesley was given the nickname the 'Iron Duke' because of his opposition to Parliamentary reform. He is most famous for his defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo, thus ending the Napoleonic Wars.

From Quiz 'Tis Irish, To Be Sure!

Answer: Charles Haughey

Charles Haughey was born in September 1925 in County Mayo. An Irish politician, he rose through the ranks to become Prime Minister in 1979 (to 1981), then again in 1982, and again from 1987 until 1992. Also quoted as saying, "Deep down I'm a very shallow person"; and, "Ireland is where strange tales begin and happy endings are possible."

From Quiz Calling All My Lovelies

Answer: Dominant leader

Barbara Woodhouse taught thousands of dogs using a "dominance" approach, quickly establishing herself in charge. She felt that most dog owners indulge, punish or cause emotional problems in their dogs, so she provided a set of simple, consistent commands for "talking dog'. She stressed kindness and respectful listening, too. Woodhouse said "love is the main and most powerful reward". A similar approach was used by German and US military to train dogs in WWI and WWII: Lead, respect the dog, love the dog. This method is still criticized by those who use a "positive reinforcement" method, which in turn is criticized for harsh verbal intimidation and replacing love with food as a reward. It seems we don't yet have an effective, humane method we can all agree upon.

From Quiz Famous People from Ireland

Answer: Rosanna Davison

The song "For Rosanna" was written by Chris de Burgh, an Argentine-born Irish musician, who was Rosanna's father. She was the first Irishwoman ever to be crowned as Miss World.

From Quiz 'Tis Irish, To Be Sure!

Answer: Irish Times

The "Irish Times" is responsible for these classic headlines!

From Quiz Calling All My Lovelies

Answer: William Shatner

In 1981 Barbara Woodhouse taped her show in Beverly Hills, helping the stars solve doggy problems. Zsa Zsa Gabor had a nervous pooch; David Soul's dog kept jumping into the pool; and she called upon William Shatner's two Doberman's to "lie down". She worked with Dorothy Lamour, Stefanie Powers and even trained a cat for Britt Ekland. Woodhouse often said that people try to take over the lessons and tell her what they know; but she doesn't allow that because it's the pet owner who needs the lessons. She reprimanded Shatner for using the words "stern" and "discipline". She had his dog lying down in seconds. "You see how gentle that is?" she asked Shatner. He stood there on film silenced, his mouth hanging open. Who talks to Captain Kirk like THAT? But then he smiled and gave her a big bear hug.

From Quiz Famous People from Ireland

Answer: Annie Moore

Annie Moore was born in 1874 and, as the first person to be processed through the newly opened Ellis Island Immigration System, was presented with an American $10 gold piece.

From Quiz 'Tis Irish, To Be Sure!

Answer: Reverend Ian Paisley

The Reverend Ian Paisley is probably best described as a man of contradictions. He has been described as follows; "... a Christian minister who incites religious hatred and threatens bloody civil war. He is a constitutional politician who leads coat trailing, sectarian street protests. He claims to believe in democracy yet runs his church like a Protestant pope and his party like a medieval despot."

From Quiz Calling All My Lovelies

Answer: Cows

During WWII Barbara kept Guernsey cows in the gardens of her neighbors as she didn't have a cow shed, and she fed all the babies in the town with the milk. Later she had a farm and kept cows for over twenty years. She was never able to go on vacation, she said, because her cows were hand milked. Determined to vacation, she decided to take the necessary cows with her via train to the seashore. "It was great fun. One of them had a calf and they played on the beach", she said. She also put a saddle on her older cows and took them riding. "Why shouldn't they see the countryside?" She taught the public that cows are excellent jumpers. "Much better than horses".

From Quiz Famous People from Ireland

Answer: Grace O'Malley

Grace was born in Ireland is believed to have been formally educated since she is believed to have spoken in Latin to Queen Elizabeth during their meeting in 1593. Grace sailed to London and met with Elizabeth in an attempt to have her son, who was imprisoned and condemned to death by the English in Ireland, freed. There is no account of what was said in the meeting. Elizabeth granted Grace a private audience with no one in attendance, but it is clear that the two had some connection. Grace left the next morning with orders written in the the Queen's own hand to have Grace's son freed.

From Quiz 'Tis Irish, To Be Sure!

Answer: George Bernard Shaw

Born in 1856 and dying in 1950, George Bernard Shaw was an Irish essayist, lecturer, novelist, philosopher, playwright, political activist and revolutionary evolutionist. Some other quotes from Shaw include; "Find enough clever things to say, and you're a Prime Minister; write them down and you're a Shakespeare"; "The things most people want to know about are usually none of their business"; "England and America are two countries divided by a common language"; and, "A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing!"

From Quiz Calling All My Lovelies

Answer: Calling on the phone

Woodhouse was asked to call dogs on the telephone from England to both South Africa and later Australia, to see if dogs receiving the call would obey. In both events the dogs immediately did exactly as Woodhouse asked. Over and over in classes students witnessed a "bad" dog look adoringly at Barbara and obey her commands within minutes of their meeting. Woodhouse liked to say she "hoped" upon meeting a new dog she could train it in basic obedience "within six minutes". Woodhouse made the "Guinness Book of World Records" for most dogs trained, over 20,000. As for horses, she was able to stand at a distance and call a horse, telling it to "walk on", and it walked. She said it was not magic, it was love, a little telepathy, and tone of voice.

From Quiz Famous People from Ireland

Answer: Saint Patrick

Saint Patrick's day is celebrated every March 17. In Ireland, the celebration is somber while it is joyous outside of the country and has even come to be a celebration of Ireland itself. Saint Brigid is also regarded as one of Ireland's patron saints.

From Quiz 'Tis Irish, To Be Sure!

Answer: Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde was born in 1854 and died in 1900. An Irish poet and dramatist, he wrote some of the wittiest and most elegant dramas including 'The Importance of Being Earnest' and wrote a novel, 'The Picture of Dorian Gray'. Some other quotes attributed to Wilde; "Bigamy is having one wife too many. Monogamy is the same"; "Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months"; "I love acting. It is so much more real than life"; and, "It is only the superficial qualities that last. Man's deeper nature is soon found out."

From Quiz Calling All My Lovelies

Answer: Choke collar

The authoritative-yet-kind style of training advocated by Barbara Woodhouse was to establish who is in charge. There was controversy over her use of choke chains and "jerking" in the Woodhouse method, and a belief that "reinforcements" such as giving treats and withholding affection was better. Woodhouse felt food rewards and praise spoiled an animal. Cesar Millan the "Dog Whisperer" operates on the Woodhouse Method. Yet studies between 2009 and 2018 concluded that asserting dominance and shouting or jerking caused anxiety, stress, and sometimes aggression in dogs. Perhaps it is a case of mere mortals unable to reproduce the "leader plus love" abilities of the amazing Woodhouse. She never had to intimidate or force an animal. They happily followed her calling.

From Quiz Famous People from Ireland

Answer: George Johnstone Stoney

Stoney was born in 1826 in the Irish midlands. Stoney attended Trinity College and in 1852, was appointed Professor of Natural Philosophy at the National University of Ireland. Stoney published 75 scientific papers and proposed his "atomic theory" in 1891. He died in 1911 at the age of 85.

From Quiz 'Tis Irish, To Be Sure!

Answer: Brendan Behan

Brendan Behan, born in 1923 and died in 1964, was an Irish dramatist and author who captured the spirit of the Irish in his humourous writings. Some other Behan quotes include; "I have never seen a situation so dismal that a policeman couldn't make it worse"; "I was court-martialed in my absence, and sentenced to death in my absence, so I said they could shoot me in my absence"; and, "Critics are like eunuchs in a harem; they know how it's done, they've seen it done every day, but they're unable to do it themselves."

From Quiz Calling All My Lovelies

Answer: Stroke

A cerebrovascular accident is the medical name for a stroke. In this condition either oxygen fails to flow, or an artery ruptures in the brain. In 1984 Woodhouse was partially paralyzed by a stroke. In July, 1988 at age 78 the world lost quite the colorful, astounding and multi-talented woman, though her legacy lives on. She was survived by her second husband Dr. Michael Woodhouse whom she met at one of her dancing lessons. They married in 1940 and had three children. Said her daughter Judith Walpole, "She didn't suffer fools too gladly" yet she was always about compassionate and deeper human-animal connection.

From Quiz Famous People from Ireland

Answer: George Bernard Shaw

When Shaw won the Nobel Prize for Literature, he wanted to refuse it. He later accepted it and insisted that the monetary award be used to finance translation of Swedish works into English.

From Quiz 'Tis Irish, To Be Sure!

Answer: William Butler Yeats

Born in 1865 and dying in 1939, William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and dramatist who founded the Abbey Theatre in Dublin and won the 1923 Nobel Prize for Literature. Some more quotes attributed to Yeats include; "Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people"; and, "Happiness is neither virtue nor pleasure nor this thing nor that but simply growth. We are happy when we are growing."

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