Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Answers to Advanced Irish Trivia!

1. What are the names of the members of the Irish rock band U2?
Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr.

2. What does "Erin go Bragh" mean? (For extra credit: What language is it?)
Ireland forever. (Extra credit answer: Gaelic.)

3. What is the alternative title of the song "Danny Boy"?
Londonderry Air. The lyrics were written by an English lawyer named Fred Weatherly to a traditional tune.

4. What are the colors of the flag of Ireland?
Green representing Roman Catholics, orange representing Protestants and white in between representing living together in peace.

5. What were the shapes of the marshmallow pieces in the original Lucky Charms cereal? (For extra credit: What does the leprechaun say as a sales pitch for the cereal?)
Hearts, moons, stars and clovers. Shapes added to later versions of the cereal included horseshoes, pots of gold, rainbows and red balloons. (Extra credit answer: "They're always after 'me Lucky Charms." Or, "They're magically delicious.")

6. In the song "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling," what can you hear in the lilt of Irish laughter?
You can hear the angels sing. The lyrics are: "When Irish eyes are smiling, sure 'tis like the morn in spring. In the lilt of Irish laughter, you can hear the angels sing. When Irish hearts are happy, all the world seems bright and gay. And when Irish eyes are smiling, sure they steal your heart away."

7. “Notre Dame” derives from what language?
French. Notre Dame means "Our Lady" in French.

8. What is the name of the Irish priest depicted by Spencer Tracy in the 1938 classic movie "Boys Town"? (For extra credit: What is the Boys Town motto?)
Father Flanagan. (Extra credit answer: "There is no such thing as a bad boy.")

9. Before baking Irish soda bread, why is a cross traditionally slashed in the top of the loaf?
To scare away the devil. (I was watching Food Network's Bobby Flay in Ireland special and they said that scaring away the devil was the superstitious reason, but really it just makes the bread easier to break apart!)

10. What is the minimum number of years that Irish whiskey is aged?
Four. The usual distilling age is 7 to 8 years. Premium Irish whiskies are aged many more years

11. What Irish singer tore up a picture of the Pope on live television?
Sinead O'Connor.

12. In Irish folklore, what is the traditional profession of a leprechaun?
A cobbler or shoemaker.

13. In the song "I'm Looking Over A Four-Leaf Clover," what does the fourth leaf represent?
Somebody I adore. The lyrics are: "I'm looking over a four-leaf clover that I overlooked before. One leaf is sunshine, the second is rain, third is the roses that grow in the lane. No need explaining, the one remaining is somebody I adore. I'm looking over a four-leaf clover that I overlooked before."

14. In early television commercials for Irish Spring soap, a woman expresses her approval of the product by saying what phrase?
"Manly, yes, but I like it too."

15. Movie idol Clark Gable was miscast in a 1936 movie portraying what Irish patriot?
Charles Parnell in a movie titled "Parnell."

16. What is the historical root definition of the word "whiskey"?
Water of life. It is a shortened version of the Irish word uisgebeatha. Uisge means water and beatha means life.

17. What type of meat goes into a traditional Irish stew?
Lamb or mutton chops.

18. What is the title of the final novel by Irish writer James Joyce which is known for its experimental language and free associations?
Finnegans Wake.

19. Where would you start looking for Irish moss?
In the water. It is a seaweed found along the west coast of Ireland. Also called carrageen, it is used as a thickener in puddings, soups, ice creams, cosmetics and medicines.

20. What were the years of the Irish potato famine?
1845 to 1849.

Questions and answers from this website.