Ireland - Interesting facts

• 88% of Irish people are Roman Catholic.
• Irish people on an average consume 131.1 litres beer/year-2nd highest/capita next to Czech Republic.
• Ireland costitution guarantees Freedom of worship.
• Everyone above 65 years gets free bus and rail travel in Repulic.
  
• Family name starts with ”Mac” or “O” which means "son-of" or "grandson-of" respectively.
• Ireland has produced 4 winners of Nobel prize for Literature in the 20th century,one among them being George Bernard Shaw.
  
• National Emblem-Harp. Only country to have musical instrument as its emblem.
• No snakes in Ireland'.
• Only country where abortion is still illegal.
• More mobile phones in the country than people over there.
• World's largest exporter of s/w.
• Odd Irish b'day celebration is to lift the b'day child upside down and give his head a few gentle bumps on the ground for good luck. The number of bumps correspond to present age plus 1.