♣ Are you crazy about U2? Well, New York City and its Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, are. According to RTE, to coincide with U2′s appearance on ‘The Late Show with David Letterman,’ the Mayor has renamed a Manhattan street to U2 Way in the band’s honor. Of course, the renaming is just temporary! Source

♣ St. Patrick is not only the patron saint of Ireland but also the patron saint of engineers.

♣ Ireland is totally surrounded by water, but not all the same Ocean. There are five bodies of water surrounding the Island and they include: The Irish Sea, Atlantic Ocean, North Channel, St George’s Channel, and the Celtic Sea. Source

♣ Dublin’s Phoenix Park is the largest urban park in Europe. It covers an area of 1752 acres! No joke – There are even herds of deer running through the park. Trust me, my dog has tried to fight them! (She lost.)

♣ A pair of 400 year old shoes were found recently in the wall of an Armagh pub. Why were shoes buried in the wall? Apparently, it was a tradition do so at the time. The shoes are now displayed in a glass case in the 200 year old O’Tooles pub owned by Bronagh O’Toole, a descendent of the owner of the shoes. Source

♣ Pol an Ionáin, a cave near Doolin in Clare, boasts the largest free-hanging stalactite in the world at nearly 25 feet (≈ 8 meters). A stalactite by the way is a “a deposit, usually of calcium carbonate, shaped like an icicle, hanging from the roof of a cave or the like, and formed by the dripping of percolating calcareous water.” Source

Lough Gur, Co. Limerick

♣ Lough Gur in Co. Limerick has been tipped to be named by UNSECO as one the earth’s most valuable heritage sites. The Irish Herald notes that the lake has a “rich history, dating back 4,500 years, with stone circles, ancient burial chambers, cairns, Neolithic houses and standing stones.” Source

To read previous Ireland: Did You Know? posts, click here.

U2 Way Image Source; Deer Image Source; Lough Gur Image Source;

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