Northern Ireland is well known for its rugged coastlines, historic castles, and breathtaking scenery. With the lure of a pint and good craic in traditional pubs across the region, it’s an exciting place to visit.
In addition to being home to the popular TV series Game of Thrones, the country is full of fascinating tidbits that make it an interesting destination. Discover five fun things you may not know about Northern Ireland:
1. The Titanic was built in Belfast
Did you know the famous Titanic ship was built in Belfast, Northern Ireland?
15,000 Irishmen built it at the Harland and Wolff shipyard. Work on the ship began on March 31, 1909, and took over two years to complete. The ship launched on May 31, 1911, with some scepticism from the public, who unfortunately ended up being right when the Titanic sank on its maiden voyage across the Atlantic to New York. Today, you can visit the Titanic Belfast, a visitor attraction where you can learn all about the making of the ship. The Titanic experience also includes statues in memory of those who died.
2. Snakes are rare
Northern Ireland has many different animals, except for snakes. Snakes are quite rare here unless someone decides to keep one as a pet, which means residents and tourists never have to worry about getting bitten by them!
However, one sure place you can find snakes in Northern Ireland is the Belfast zoo.
3. Halloween is believed to have originated here
Halloween, now a popular holiday, is said to have originated in Northern Ireland during the old era. At that time, pagans participated in a festival called Samhain, which ushers in “the dark half of the year.” They believed that the barriers between the physical and spirit worlds were down during Samhain. So, they left offerings outside villages and fields for these beings. They would also dress as animals and monsters so that fairies were not tempted to kidnap them.
By the Middle Ages, the Samhain celebrations started to include carved turnips (Jack-o-lanterns) attached by strings to sticks and embedded with coal. Over time, the Irish switched to pumpkins and began trick-or-treating in the nights leading up to Samhain—putting on costumes, going door-to-door, singing songs to the dead, and receiving cakes as payment. These all eventually became common practices for kids and adults during Halloween.
In fact, Europe’s largest Halloween festival takes place in Derry/LondonDerry, and will be holding from the 28th to the 31st of October 2024.
Derry Halloween promotional video
4. Home to the world’s best golf course
Golf enthusiasts may be surprised to learn that Northern Ireland has the world’s best golf course. Golf Digest has ranked the Royal County Down Championship course as the top for many years. It has two 18-hole links courses, the Championship Course and the challenging Annesley Course.
5. The world’s least forest area
Northern Ireland has the world’s least forest area, mainly due to deforestation and other logging activities. The nation is said to have a tree cover of only 14%.
