Famous People from Ireland Trivia Quiz

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.