factoids:
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Couples in Ireland could marry legally on St. Brigid's Day (February 1st) in Teltown, County Meath, as recently as the 1920??s by simply walking towards each other. If the marriage failed, they could "divorce'" by walking away from each other at the same spot, on St. Brigid's day the following year. The custom was a holdover from old Irish Brehon laws, which allowed temporary marriage contracts.
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One of the most popular radio shows in rural Ireland is still the weekly broadcast of local obituaries.
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An old legend says that, while Christ will judge all nations on judgment day, St. Patrick will be the judge of the Irish.
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The last witch in Ireland was supposedly Dame Alice Kytler, born in Kilkenny in 1280. All four of her husbands died, and she was accused of poisioning them. Today you can dine at Kytler's Inn in Kilkenny, which operates in her old home.
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The word quiz was allegedly invented in the 1830's by a Dublin theater owner named Richard Daly, who made a bet that he could make a nonsense word known throughout the city in just 48 hours. Legend says that Daly gave his employees cards with the word "quiz" written on them, and told them to write it on walls all over the city. Some historians argue that the word was already in use at this time, but most agree that it did not acquire it's current definition "to question or interrogate" until sometime in the 19th century.
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Catherine Kelly, who died in 1785, was allegedly the smallest Irish woman ever. With a total height of just 34 inches and a weight of 8 pounds, she was known as "The Irish Fairy."
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The first Irish Constitution was signed at Dublin's Shelbourne Hotel. The Shelbourne, a favorite spot for sophisticated travelers to stay or dine, is currently about to reopen after a major facelift.
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Montgomery Street in Dublin was once the largest red light district in all of Europe, with over 1600 prostitutes plying their trade. An old Irish song called "Take Me Up To The Monto" memorializes this era.
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According to some historians, over 40% of all American presidents have had some Irish ancestry.
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The Newgrange passage tomb in County Meath was constructed around 3200 BC, making it more than 600 years older than the Giza Pyramids in Egypt, and 1,000 years older than Stonehenge.
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