Do you know these fun facts about Ireland?Getty Images
Here are some fun and strange facts about the Irish and Ireland.
St. Patrick's Day is finally upon us and to celebrate, here are some fun facts about Ireland and the Irish! How much of this Irish trivia did you know?
The average height of an Irish man is 5' 8".
Irish Farmer's Mr January, Michael Cronin, from County Cork.
The average height of Irish women is 5'5".
(Getty Images)
90% of Irish nationals are Catholic, but only 30% ever attend church.
The majority of Irish are Catholic, but only 30% commit to attending the church.
The Irish report the lowest annual number of UFO sightings in Europe.
The annual number of UFO sightings reported in Ireland is the lowest in Europe.
73% of Americans are unable to locate Ireland on a map bereft of country names.
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Finding Ireland on a map without country names is a major challenge for 73% of Americans.
Only 9% of the Irish population are natural redheads.
Natural red hair is quite rare - only nine percent of Irish have it.
May is generally the driest month of the year in Ireland.
It doesn't always rain in Ireland - May is generally the driest month.
RTE's "The Late Late Show" is the world's second-longest-running talk show.
(The Late Late Show, YouTube.)
57% of Irish people wear glasses or contact lenses.
Michael D. Higgins, the President of Ireland. (RollingNews.ie)
Cats now outnumber dogs by two to one as Ireland's most popular pet.
Cats reign supreme - they outnumber dogs by two to one as Ireland's most popular pet.
Dublin boasts one pub for every 100 head of population.
Temple Bar in Dublin. (Getty Images)
Irish marriages last an average of 13 years.
(Getty Images)
A song only needs to sell 5,000 copies to top the Irish music charts.
(Getty Images)
A book only needs to sell 3,000 copies to top the Irish bestseller list.
To top the Irish bestseller list, a book needs to sell 3,000 copies.
The Canary Islands is the most popular sunshine holiday destination with retired Irish citizens.
Retired Irish citizens love to spend their holidays in the Canary Islands.
The River Shannon is the longest river in Ireland or Britain.
The River Shannon, the longest Irish river, is 360 km (224 miles).
* Originally published in January 2014. Updated in March 2022.