An Irish Geography Primer: Paper Two Quiz

Answer: Dingle Peninsula

The most westerly point on the mainland is Garraun Point, County Kerry.

If you want to go farther, the most westerly point under Irish jurisdiction is Tearaght Island in the Atlantic Ocean 12.5 km west of Dingle Peninsula.

Answer: Dublin

The 2016 Census gave Co. Dublin a population of 1.345m.

About 553,000 of that population lived in Dublin City, the capital of the Republic of Ireland.

Answer: Ards Peninsula

The most easterly point on the mainland is Burr Point, Ards Peninsula, County Down, just southeast of the village of Ballyhalbert.

If you want to swim a bit, the absolute most easterly point is Big Bow Meel Island, a rock 900 metres off the Ards Peninsula.

Answer: Torr Head, County Antrim

Torr Head is just 23km (14 miles) from the Mull of Kintyre in Scotland.

On a clear day you can see one from the other.

Due to the closeness of Northern Ireland and Scotland, it has long been speculated that the two should be joined by tunnel, much as England and France were joined.

However, that does not take account of the more difficult seabed conditions. The North Channel has many deep canyons, into which the allied forces unhelpfully tipped unneeded but potentially effective bombs and artillery shells at the end of World War Two.

Answer: Achill Island

Achill Island has an area of an area of 148 km² (57 miles²). It is off the mainland coast of County Mayo.

Achill Island is popular as a sporting and holiday venue. About 3,000 people live there all year round.

The island has been settled since about 4,000 BC.

This is a question often posed in pub quizzes. There is always some wag who thinks they were the first to come up with the answer that Great Britain is the biggest island off the coast of Ireland.

Answer: Donegal

Slieve League has a drop of 601 metres (1,972 feet) into the Atlantic. That is almost twice the height of the Eiffel Tower.

No extra points for knowing that neither Tyrone nor Fermanagh has a coastline.

Answer: Co Derry

The "Ponderosa Bar" is located close to the Glenshane Pass on the main road between Northern Ireland's two largest cities, Belfast and Derry-Londonderry.

Ordnance Survey maps give the bar and restaurant a height above sea level of 946 ft.

A note on the name of the county: some maps give it as "Londonderry" - as in the city. However, the charter that granted the "London" to the existing place name "Derry" applied only to the city.

Answer: Powerscourt Falls

At Powerscourt Falls in County Wicklow, the water drops 121 metres (398 feet).

The falls are on a private estate near the town of Enniskerry, but may be visited by the public at certain times of the year.

Answer: Fastnet Rock

Fastnet Rock lies in the Atlantic Ocean 11.3 km south of mainland County Cork.

On the island of Ireland, itself, the most southerly point is Brow Head, County Cork.

That may surprise some people, because Mizen Head is often said to be the most southerly point on the island.

For the record, Fastnet Rock is at 51.3889° N.

However, Brow Head lies at 51.43ºN and Mizen Head at 51.45ºN.

Answer: North Slob

Okay, I have made up the three wrong answers (I think).

North Slob is an area of mudflats at the estuary of the River Slaney at Wexford Harbour.
It is a reclaimed area of land, that followed from the construction of a sea wall in the mid 19th Century.

It is home to a nature reserve and winter home for 10,000 white-fronted geese. Don't go looking for them in summer: they will be in Canada.