A Tourist In Dublin Quiz | Europe

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Taking the bus in Dublin can be a real adventure. What do you have to bear in mind when doing so?

Answer: all of these

I don't know how many buses went past me on my first day here... Since there are so many buses, and many of them have parallel routes around the city centre, the bus only stops to pick you up when you explicitly signal the driver to. DublinBus is also operating an Exact Fare policy - if you don't have your EUR 1.35 (that was the fare in 2006, anyway), the driver won't give you any change. You'll get a receipt and have to pick up your change at the service centre.
A Leap Card is a reusable plastic smart card that can be charged with travel credit and be used instead of cash to pay for your fare.
It is considered polite to thank the driver when you get off the bus, and most of the Irish (and tourists) do so.

2. Another bus question: you're waiting for a bus, but the line you need doesn't come - or, even worse, the buses going by are what?

Answer: As seirbh�s

"As seirbh�s" means "Out of service". Sometimes it feels as if every third bus is out of service.
"An l�r" means "City Centre"; the Garda S�och�na is the police, and the Luas is the tram.

3. What is the Garda S�och�na?

Answer: police

Called "Garda" for short. Plural form is "Garda�".

4. You would really like to bring your friends some nice souvenir from Dublin. How about a Guinness hat, or a shamrock-shaped ashtray, or shot glasses with funny little leprechauns on them? Which (virtually omnipresent) Irish gift store would you hit to buy those items?

Answer: Carroll's

Carroll's, the Irish Gift Store, has many shops in and around the city centre. You can buy all sorts of memorabilia there - including t-shirts saying things like, "The Leprechaun made me drink/do/say it!" or "Kiss me, I'm Irish!", or whatever you like.
Eason is a bookstore chain, the Porterhouse is a huge pub just south of the Liffey (there's also the Porterhouse North just up Phibsborough Road), and Dunnes is a department store chain that also sells food (and, yes, also the odd souvenir, but the question should have clued you in on Carroll's).

5. You would really like to see the sea, and people have told you that Howth is the place for you to go. What means of public transport would you reasonably take from Dublin City Centre to Howth?

Answer: DART

Howth is a nice place not too far from Dublin, located directly at the sea, with cliffs and lots of heather and fern :) The DART for Howth leaves at Connolly Station, just a few minutes from O'Connell Street.
DART stands for Dublin Area Rapid Transit. The DART network, operated by Irish Rail (Iarnr�d �ireann) was established for commuters traveling every day into town.
You could, of course, also go by bus or taxi, but a bus would take hours and a taxi would cost a fortune.

6. You're queuing in a shop. When it's your turn, the average Irish clerk will very likely not just say "Hello" but something along the lines of "You okay?" or "Hi, how are you?".

Answer: Yes

It confused me at the beginning because I didn't quite know whether I was expected to give any answer to that.

7. You are going out with your friends on Friday night, first to a pub, then a club, then some late-night food. And all of a sudden, it's two o'clock in the morning. Which DublinBus-operated means of transport can you take at this time of day to go home?

Answer: Nitelink

In 2006, buses used to operate until 11:30 pm. Afterwards, you could either take a taxi home or the Nitelink, which operated twice a night during the week and every 30 minutes between 12.30 and 4.30 a.m. at the weekend. However, you could not use your usual monthly ticket on the Nitelink.
These days, bus services have changed and the Nitelink now operates only on Friday and Saturday night between midnight and 4.00 a.m., but normal bus timetables have extended and some lines run from 4.00 a.m. till after midnight.
The Airlink and City Tour are also operated by DublinBus and, similarly, they cost extra, but they look different from the usual yellow buses. The Nitelink doesn't.

8. Someone you know wants to enjoy a pint and be able to look over the Liffey and O'Connell Street. Which of the following pubs would you recommend?

Answer: J.R. Mahon's Craft Brewery (formerly Messrs. Maguire)

The three-storey pub "Messrs. Mac", as it was called for short, used to be located directly on Burgh Quay, overlooking the city centre. I haven't been back in Dublin since it closed down and was reopened under a new name and owner, but from what I've heard, people still refer to the pub by its old name.
"John M. Keating" is a very interesting pub, too: it's in a former church!

9. The Irish drive on the left.

Answer: True

For any tourist who might forget, there are signs at the airport and the ferry saying, "Drive on the left" in English, Irish, German, and French.

10. Where are you allowed to smoke in Ireland?

Answer: none of these

Ireland was the first European country to introduce a smoking ban in any closed public places. Hence, no more smoking in pubs, bars, restaurants etc. Some pubs provide a smoking area in the form of a terrace or sometimes even a room with the roof missing (the "Temple Bar", for instance). DART, Luas and buses are also strictly non-smoking areas (it is a criminal offense to smoke on a bus). The same goes for cinemas, theaters, etc. I think hotel rooms are the only exception.
Maybe this helped you, maybe it didn't... but I hope you had fun playing this!

Source: Author PearlQ19

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor minch before going online.
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A Tourist In Dublin Trivia Quiz

Since I spent the academic year 2006/07 in Dublin, I figured I might as well share my impressions with you. This quiz is about those little things about Dublin that frequently confuse tourists. Hope it helps :)

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