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The Great Book of Ireland: Interesting Stories, Irish History & Random Facts About Ireland
How much do you know about Ireland? There’s so much to learn about the Emerald Isle that even its residents don’t know. In this trivia book, you’ll learn more about Ireland’s history, pop culture, folklore, and so much more!
In The Great Book of Ireland, you’ll
And so much more!
This book is packed with trivia facts about Ireland. Some of the facts you’ll learn in this book are shocking, some are tragic, and others will leave you with goosebumps. But they’re all interesting!
Whether you’re just learning about Ireland or you already think you’re an expert on the state, you’ll learn something you didn’t know in every chapter. Your history teacher will be interesting at all of your newfound knowledge.
So what are you waiting for? Get started to learn more about Ireland!
In The Great Book of Ireland, you’ll
And so much more!
This book is packed with trivia facts about Ireland. Some of the facts you’ll learn in this book are shocking, some are tragic, and others will leave you with goosebumps. But they’re all interesting!
Whether you’re just learning about Ireland or you already think you’re an expert on the state, you’ll learn something you didn’t know in every chapter. Your history teacher will be interesting at all of your newfound knowledge.
So what are you waiting for? Get started to learn more about Ireland!
176 pages, Paperback
Published March 3, 2019
487 people are currently reading
133 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
October 16, 2025
i was gifted this book in preparation for a trip to ireland. the trivia is fun, but the lack of editing is horrific. misused words, missing words, misspellings, unclosed parentheses, and other glaring errors - it's so distracting. i cannot fathom having the opportunity to have your work published without giving it even a quick proofread.
in addition, i found that this book left me with more questions than answers. interesting topics are briefly mentioned, but not really explored. i think it's best used as a jumping off point - find topics of interest here, and do further research for more in-depth information. the section on irish folklore, unsolved mysteries, and other oddities was my favorite!!
in addition, i found that this book left me with more questions than answers. interesting topics are briefly mentioned, but not really explored. i think it's best used as a jumping off point - find topics of interest here, and do further research for more in-depth information. the section on irish folklore, unsolved mysteries, and other oddities was my favorite!!
March 31, 2023
Well organized but poorly written. There were countless typos and wording that made me cringe throughout the book. The cover is horrendous, and were this book was not gifted to me I never would have picked it from a shelf. Despite all this it was still educational.
March 11, 2019
Author Bill O’Neill has a definite proficiency when it comes to compiling the myriad of useful and educational trivia books he’s published so far. While all of them have been meticulously organized to enhance the reading experience, his Great Book of the various states series I feel is his best since they each epitomizes how great America already is.
In each of his Great State books the author sticks to a proven format which consists of the following six chapters [albeit the order might be somewhat different]:
In each of the six chapters this book contains:
1- State’s History
2- State’s Pop Culture
3- State’s Attractions
4- State’s Inventions, Ideas and More
5- State’s Biggest Haunts, Supernatural and Other Weird Facts
6- State’s Sports
Mr. O’Neill begins each chapter by taking an item regarding its topic and gives his readers a brief, yet informative description of about it, this is followed by some random facts, which is then culminated by his giving some questions related to the information which the chapter has just given, naturally the answers are given as well.
With six states already written, Mr. O’Neill has decided to move on to writing books on an International level; and what country had he chosen to write about first. I believe, he has befittingly chosen to write about the country of his apparent ancestry, that of Ireland; and in doing so, has chosen to stick to this same format. And to get an idea of the multitude of items the author has written about, all one needs to do is to read the author’s own description, or better yet, peruse the preview pages for a complete listing of the topics being discussed in the pages of this book.
For given his readers and myself, an enlightening trivia book about the country and people of Ireland, without giving any blarney in the process, I’m happy to give the author, Bill O’Neill, the 5 STAR he’s receiving.
In each of his Great State books the author sticks to a proven format which consists of the following six chapters [albeit the order might be somewhat different]:
In each of the six chapters this book contains:
1- State’s History
2- State’s Pop Culture
3- State’s Attractions
4- State’s Inventions, Ideas and More
5- State’s Biggest Haunts, Supernatural and Other Weird Facts
6- State’s Sports
Mr. O’Neill begins each chapter by taking an item regarding its topic and gives his readers a brief, yet informative description of about it, this is followed by some random facts, which is then culminated by his giving some questions related to the information which the chapter has just given, naturally the answers are given as well.
With six states already written, Mr. O’Neill has decided to move on to writing books on an International level; and what country had he chosen to write about first. I believe, he has befittingly chosen to write about the country of his apparent ancestry, that of Ireland; and in doing so, has chosen to stick to this same format. And to get an idea of the multitude of items the author has written about, all one needs to do is to read the author’s own description, or better yet, peruse the preview pages for a complete listing of the topics being discussed in the pages of this book.
For given his readers and myself, an enlightening trivia book about the country and people of Ireland, without giving any blarney in the process, I’m happy to give the author, Bill O’Neill, the 5 STAR he’s receiving.
April 5, 2019
Great book full of lots of interesting and fascinating facts about the Emerald Isle. The book is well-organized, filled with lots of useful trivia. The writing was plain and straight-forward written, which I did enjoy, though some might think it was written at a too level for them. I did not. I do not like being overwhelmed with esoteric facts, phrases or vocabulary, which I have to stop to puzzle over. One thing that did distract me were the many grammatical and copy writing errors, which makes me wonder why the author did not use an editor for his book—or find someone to go through it with a fine-tooth comb to clean up some of the errors. My own background is not Irish, but my husband’s background is, so I took this opportunity to share some of the information I gleaned with the grand-kids and their parents on St. Patrick’s Day. In my opinion, it made the day just a little bit better. I hope to keep the book and use it whenever I am looking for something different, or whenever I am trying to help the family learn more about their heritage. I received this from Library Thing to read and review.
December 28, 2023
my brother gave me this as a christmas gift (because i'm going on study abroad to dublin in 15 days) and it's a light, fact-filled short book that i enjoyed :)
March 23, 2024
This is a fun book of random facts about Ireland ... quite a few are common knowledge, but also quite a few were brand new to me. Fun reading.
March 8, 2019
‘Faith and Begorrah’ – a St. Patrick’s Day Special
Author Bill O’Neill loves to explore all manner of subjects from reiku to trivia. His previous Book 1 of War Books covered World War II, and that was followed by his controversial Trivia Book on the Vietnam War. Bill O’Neill has authored many books on trivia and random facts and stands as somewhat of an expert in this field! His topics include movies, football, baseball, rock music, simply random trivia facts of the states of NEW YORK, TEXAS, CALIFORNIA and FLORIDA, and now he steps foot outside the US and offers us a fun assortment of fun facts and history of IRELAND.
Bill's sense of humor is evident in his Introduction – ‘What do you know about Ireland? Sure, you know about leprechauns. You know that you’re supposed to wear green on St. Patrick’s Day. But do you know where the phrase “Kiss me, I’m Irish” came from? Do you know what leprechauns have to do with St. Patrick’s Day? What do you really know about St’ Patrick himself? Do you know if he was really a saint? You know Ireland is full of greenery, but do you know how the country got the nickname “The Emerald Isle”? Do you know who gave the city of Dublin its name and why? Do you know which American holiday got its origins form Ireland? Hint: I’m not talking about St’ Patrick’s Day. Do you know which products, foods or inventions came from Ireland? If you have ever wondered about the answers to these or other questions about Ireland, then you’ve come to the right place…Once you’ve finished reading, you’ll know so much about Ireland that you’ll even impress your friends on trivia night!’
The book is divided into fascinating sections – How did Ireland get its name?, Why is it know as the Emerald Isle?, Who was St. Patrick really?, What do leprechauns and shamrocks have to do with St. Patrick’s Day?, Which famous English game actually started out in Ireland?, How was Bailey’s Irish Cream invented?, Which Irish Company had a 9,000-year lease?, What is Ireland’s top attraction?, Which movies have been filmed in Ireland?, What famous novel may have been based on an Irish myth?, Which legends did the Irish believe in? and more.
Not only is the book entertaining – it is also very instructive for every reader. Have fun, learn, and be ready for the next gathering of very smart friends! You’ll be on top.
Author Bill O’Neill loves to explore all manner of subjects from reiku to trivia. His previous Book 1 of War Books covered World War II, and that was followed by his controversial Trivia Book on the Vietnam War. Bill O’Neill has authored many books on trivia and random facts and stands as somewhat of an expert in this field! His topics include movies, football, baseball, rock music, simply random trivia facts of the states of NEW YORK, TEXAS, CALIFORNIA and FLORIDA, and now he steps foot outside the US and offers us a fun assortment of fun facts and history of IRELAND.
Bill's sense of humor is evident in his Introduction – ‘What do you know about Ireland? Sure, you know about leprechauns. You know that you’re supposed to wear green on St. Patrick’s Day. But do you know where the phrase “Kiss me, I’m Irish” came from? Do you know what leprechauns have to do with St. Patrick’s Day? What do you really know about St’ Patrick himself? Do you know if he was really a saint? You know Ireland is full of greenery, but do you know how the country got the nickname “The Emerald Isle”? Do you know who gave the city of Dublin its name and why? Do you know which American holiday got its origins form Ireland? Hint: I’m not talking about St’ Patrick’s Day. Do you know which products, foods or inventions came from Ireland? If you have ever wondered about the answers to these or other questions about Ireland, then you’ve come to the right place…Once you’ve finished reading, you’ll know so much about Ireland that you’ll even impress your friends on trivia night!’
The book is divided into fascinating sections – How did Ireland get its name?, Why is it know as the Emerald Isle?, Who was St. Patrick really?, What do leprechauns and shamrocks have to do with St. Patrick’s Day?, Which famous English game actually started out in Ireland?, How was Bailey’s Irish Cream invented?, Which Irish Company had a 9,000-year lease?, What is Ireland’s top attraction?, Which movies have been filmed in Ireland?, What famous novel may have been based on an Irish myth?, Which legends did the Irish believe in? and more.
Not only is the book entertaining – it is also very instructive for every reader. Have fun, learn, and be ready for the next gathering of very smart friends! You’ll be on top.
June 10, 2025
I got this book in preparation for a trip to Ireland. The book consists of 6 chapters chock full of interesting facts, history and cultural information about Ireland. The author is known as a trivia geek and has written several different educational books in the same style.
There are many amazing facts about Ireland and Irish culture in this book. This includes learning about some Irish traditions that actually were started elsewhere and were later adapted by Ireland. We learn that the traditional St. Patrick’s Day meal of corned beef does not contain any corn and came from Jewish delis in New York City. It was an affordable meal for Irish emigrants at the time. People in Ireland were more likely to eat pork for their traditional meal. The first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place in America and was only adopted much later in Ireland.
The book is an enjoyable read, full of Irish culture, history and pop culture.
There are many amazing facts about Ireland and Irish culture in this book. This includes learning about some Irish traditions that actually were started elsewhere and were later adapted by Ireland. We learn that the traditional St. Patrick’s Day meal of corned beef does not contain any corn and came from Jewish delis in New York City. It was an affordable meal for Irish emigrants at the time. People in Ireland were more likely to eat pork for their traditional meal. The first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place in America and was only adopted much later in Ireland.
The book is an enjoyable read, full of Irish culture, history and pop culture.
June 11, 2019
This is a really neat book which covers all sorts of things about Ireland. It goes into the history of Ireland and how it 'started,' events like the Easter Rebellion of 1916, the English control of Ireland and why there actually are two Irelands.
The Irish Potato Famine is discussed and how some million people died from that and how another million or so left Ireland, many coming to America (where they met some strong racism such as signs in store windows such as 'No Irish Need Apply.')
Saint Valentine (or maybe a saint) is covered along with Irish people who have made important contributions to such things as the White House and music (such as U2). Irish folklore is covered and also subjects such as Ireland having the very first witch trial back in 1324.
If you have any interest at all in Ireland this is a good book that covers a lot of different topics in a very readable fashion.
The Irish Potato Famine is discussed and how some million people died from that and how another million or so left Ireland, many coming to America (where they met some strong racism such as signs in store windows such as 'No Irish Need Apply.')
Saint Valentine (or maybe a saint) is covered along with Irish people who have made important contributions to such things as the White House and music (such as U2). Irish folklore is covered and also subjects such as Ireland having the very first witch trial back in 1324.
If you have any interest at all in Ireland this is a good book that covers a lot of different topics in a very readable fashion.
August 5, 2019
When I first saw this book I thought why read this book I know so much already it will be a waste of time. Well I was wrong and right. I did know a lot about Ireland but I also learned so much. Bill O'Neil has a wonderful way of organizing all this info and delivering it so you remember it and enjoy learning it too. The narrator Scott Miller does a wonderful job with the narration of this book. Between the book being well written and Scott's style of narration it is a really great read. I was lucky to have been gifted this book and this is my honest review. Honestly if you are interested in Ireland at all you must read this book.
March 13, 2019
Interesting ite.a on Ireland
This book will get you in the mood for St.Patrick's Day. I discovered many things about Ireland I didn't know. My only problem with this book was a few editing errors, but they didn't take away from the book overall just slowed my reading down in about three or four spots. One thing that this book did was give me a glance into the rich history of Ireland and make me want to go there for a visit. I think I will enjoy St. Patrick's day a little bit more this year.
This book will get you in the mood for St.Patrick's Day. I discovered many things about Ireland I didn't know. My only problem with this book was a few editing errors, but they didn't take away from the book overall just slowed my reading down in about three or four spots. One thing that this book did was give me a glance into the rich history of Ireland and make me want to go there for a visit. I think I will enjoy St. Patrick's day a little bit more this year.
September 28, 2024
Je conseille ce livre si vous voyagez en Irelande. Beaucoup de choses sont véridiques que nous avons nous-mêmes constaté lors de notre voyage, vraiment nice!
Ce n’est pas tous les chapitres du livre que j’ai aimé lire, mais il en vaut quand même la peine!!
Je l’ai lu pendant que nous faisions le voyage, je recommanderais juste avant de partir, car des fois, nous lisions quelque chose et nous étions déjà passés… c’était triste!
Ce n’est pas tous les chapitres du livre que j’ai aimé lire, mais il en vaut quand même la peine!!
Je l’ai lu pendant que nous faisions le voyage, je recommanderais juste avant de partir, car des fois, nous lisions quelque chose et nous étions déjà passés… c’était triste!
January 30, 2025
This text is written in accessible language and contains some interesting trivia about Ireland. That being said, I had hoped to learn more comprehensive information about Irish history, and I was taken aback by the number of grammatical and formatting errors as well as the lack of citations. Regardless, I feel it is a solid quick read for children or someone with little background on the area who will be visiting the country soon.
March 14, 2019
I have read most of Bill O'Neill's trivia books. The first ones were not well proofread and contained occasional factual errors. They have gotten much better since then. This book reads well, especially if you are interested in Ireland.
April 7, 2019
Interesting
I enjoyed reading about Irish trivia. I thought I know quite a lot, but this book went into areas I had not considered. I wish more had been written about western Ireland because of family connections, but at least my curiosity is primed for research on my own.
I enjoyed reading about Irish trivia. I thought I know quite a lot, but this book went into areas I had not considered. I wish more had been written about western Ireland because of family connections, but at least my curiosity is primed for research on my own.
August 12, 2019
A compendium of anecdotal information
Trivia galore. Some facts; some legends; some opinions. The Audible narration was not that of a storyteller, but more that of a TV advertisement.
Trivia galore. Some facts; some legends; some opinions. The Audible narration was not that of a storyteller, but more that of a TV advertisement.
March 4, 2020
I read this book in preparation for an upcoming trip to Ireland. The information about the history as well as trivia will help understand the culture more readily. The format makes it easy to skim for specific topics as well as leading to more thorough research about tourist spots to explore.
June 16, 2024
Bad, bad, bad. Lots of misinformation here. For example, Northern Ireland and Ireland are not the same country. And Charles Lindbergh did not “discover” Europe. I’m sure some of the history and stories in the book are accurate, but with errors like these, I wouldn’t trust any of it.
March 26, 2019
Very timely.
This came right at St. Patrick 's Day. It is full of fun facts and interesting stories. I love it.
This came right at St. Patrick 's Day. It is full of fun facts and interesting stories. I love it.
December 19, 2019
Audibe:I enjoyed this book.It was fun.Scott Miller was a fine narrator.I was given this book by the author,narrator or publisher and freely give my honest review.
August 3, 2020
I really enjoyed reading this book, it wasn’t just dry facts but it was written in a very interesting way. I love Ireland, so I found myself interested in everything in this book.
December 1, 2020
By no means a definitive reference volume.
Quick read, poorly researched in spots. Would not rely on it as a reference volume, but somewhat entertaining at times.
Quick read, poorly researched in spots. Would not rely on it as a reference volume, but somewhat entertaining at times.
December 12, 2020
An interesting summary of facts and fantasy about The Emerald Isle.
March 11, 2021
Fun, easy book on Ireland.
February 1, 2022
Ireland and its History
Great to know the history of such an interesting island including its folklore! I would recommend this book to anyone of Irish heritage.
Great to know the history of such an interesting island including its folklore! I would recommend this book to anyone of Irish heritage.
May 18, 2022
good book for trivia quiz!
March 7, 2023
Lots of interesting trivia about Ireland.
April 4, 2023
Fun book to read in preparation for our tour of the Emerald Isle. So many myths and legends attached to Irish culture, it’s good to get exposure to them pre-trip.
May 31, 2023
A quick read and fun presentation of Irish history, culture, and folklore. It was fun.
February 26, 2024
Fun facts
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews