Welcome to the Emerald Isle Trivia Quiz

Answer: Meath

The tiny town of Trim, home of the largest Cambro-Norman castle in Ireland, was once the capital of County Meath, although that honor now falls to Navan. Centrally located on the eastern side of the island, County Meath is the 14th-largest of the 32 Irish counties and the second-largest in the province of Leinster.
Ulster comprises the Republic of Ireland counties of Cavan, Donegal and Monaghan plus the six counties that make up Northern Ireland.

Answer: River Boyne

The River Boyne is steeped in history and folklore. The 1690 Battle of the Boyne, fought during the Williamite Wars, took place along its banks near the medieval city of Drogheda. It passes by the Hill of Tara, an archaeological complex containing ancient monuments to a period when this was the seat of the High King of Ireland. On its banks too can be found 'Brú na Bóinne' (the Archaeological Ensemble of the Bend of the Boyne), a complex of megalithic sites dating to the Neolithic period that was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.

The river itself, though, is a mere 70 miles in length. Ireland's four rivers that exceed 100 miles in length are the Shannon (224 miles), the Barrow (119 miles), the Suir (115 miles) and the Munster Blackwater (105 miles). (There is another River Blackwater too, in Ulster, but that one is only 57 miles long.)

Answer: Waterford

The county is named after its largest city, which in turn deriving from its original Old Norse name, 'Vedrafjörður' (meaning "ram fjord"). The Gaelic name, 'Port Láirge', meaning simply "Lárag's port".
Located on the south-eastern coast of the island, Waterford is part of the province of Munster. With an area of 717 square miles, County Waterford is slightly less than half the size of the smallest U.S. state, Rhode Island.
The county is home to Ireland's third-longest and fourth-longest rivers as well as two mountain ranges, the Knockmealdown Mountains and the Comeragh Mountains.
The coastal town of Dungarven was the county seat until June 2014, when the county council merged with the Waterford City Council and Waterford became the county capital.
The photograph shows the product for which the county is famous worldwide, Waterford Crystal.
Of the alternatives, all three are named after their capital city. The Gaelic name of County Roscommon is 'Ros Comáin', of Wicklow is 'Cill Mhantáin', and of Wexford is 'Loch Garman'.

Answer: County Down

The Gaelic name for the town of Downpatrick, the county seat of County Down, is 'Dún Pádraig', which translates to "Patrick's stronghold". Located near the east coast of North Ireland just 20 miles south of Belfast, Downpatrick dates back to at least the second-Century -- Ptolemy included it in his list of Irish towns in 130 A.D..

The town took its original name from the 'dun' (fort) that once stood on the hill overlooking the town, where the cathedral now stands. Saint Patrick was buried alongside Saint Bridget in 461 A.D., long before the 12th-Century cathedral was built on the site, although the inscribed Mourne granite stone that marks his grave today dates back only to 1900.

Answer: Limerick

Founded in 812 A.D., Limerick is home to some 95,000 people (2011 Census), making it the Republic's third-largest city after Dublin and Cork. A native of the city is called a 'Limerickman'. Limerick was Ireland's first "National City of Culture" in 2014.
The photograph shows King John's Castle, one the best-preserved Norman castles in Europe. King's Island was occupied by the Vikings in the early 10th-Century. The castle overlooking the River Shannon was built on the orders of King John in 1200.

Answer: Leinster

Founded in 1879, the Leinster rugby union team nicknamed 'Les Bleus' or "Boys in Blue" won their first European Champions Cup in 2009 and made it three wins in four years with victory over Ulster in the first all-Irish final in 2012. They play some home games at the state-of-the-art Aviva Stadium, which opened in 2010 on the site of the former Lansdowne Road ground in Dublin. The stadium accommodates 51,700 for rugby or soccer and 65,000 for concerts.
Clontarf Castle on the outskirts of Dublin stands on the site of a famous 11th-Century battle. A castle has stood here since 1172 and the current building dates back to 1837. Clontarf Cricket Club's ground is one of three venues for international matches in Ireland.
Founded in 1924. Longford Town (nicknamed "De Town") joined the League of Ireland in 1984. They were promoted back to the Premier League in 2014 after seven years in the First Division. They have won the FAI Cup twice (in 2003 and 2004) and represented Ireland in the UEFA Cup three times.

Answer: Clare

Anglicized as Ennis, the Gaelic name of 'Inis Cluain Ramh Fhada' means "island of the long rowing meadow". Located south of Galway and northwest of Limerick, Ennis is the seat of County Clare.
County Clare, the seventh-largest county on the island, covers an area of 1,300 square miles, about 80% the size of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It is nicknamed 'The Banner County' and its motto is 'Dílis d'ar nOidreacht. meaning "True to our heritage").
The photograph shows the 12th-Century Franciscan Friary around which the town of Ennis grew.
Of the alternatives, Tralee is the capital of County Kerry, Tullamore is the capital of County Offaly, and Nenagh is the capital of County Tipperary.

Answer: County Cork

A major transatlantic shipping route passes just to the south of Mizen Head so, for many sea-going folk this was the first (or last) thing they saw of the British Isles.
Mizen Head is located on a peninsula near to the villages of Ballydehob, Crookhaven, Goleen, and Schull in County Cork. Although many books measure the length of Ireland from north to south as "Fair Head to Mizen Head", nearby Brow Point is actually the island's southernmost point.

Answer: County Tyrone

Founded in 1610, Omagh was burned to the ground by the forces of William II, Prince of Orange in 1689, the same year as the famous Battle of the Boyne. Less than a century later, in 1768, it replace Dungannon as the capital of County Tyrone.
The photograph shows the Sacred Heart Catholic church in the center of Omagh.
The largest of the six counties in Northern Ireland, County Tyrone borders the southwestern shore of Ireland's largest lake, Lough Neagh. At the 2011 Census, County Tyrone was home to some 175,000 and was one of four counties in Northern Ireland with a Catholic majority.

Answer: County Kildare

World-class golfers produced by Ireland in recent years include two-time Open Championship winner Pádraig Harrington, Paul McGinley, Darren Clarke and, from the North, Rory McIlroy and Graeme MacDowell. The first three of those named above were all members of the European team that successfully defended the Ryder Cup on home soil at the "K Club" in 2006, winning by a record-equaling 18.5-9.5 margin. The name "K Club" is actually short for "Kildare Hotel and Golf Club".

It is located in the village of Straffan, some 15 miles from Dublin in County Kildare.

A parkland course on the banks of the River Liffey, The "K Club" boasts two courses designed by the legendary Arnold Palmer. The 36th Ryder Cup was held on "the Palmer Course", also sometimes called the Old Course or the North Course.