|
Post by maolsheachlann on Jan 17, 2018 19:30:30 GMT
(This is something I posted on the Irish Conservatives Forum, the Other Place, and that was quite popular. I thought I might post it here, too...both because people might enjoy it, and because I'm interested in reading any responses.)
My geography is terrible-- truly terrible. In the last couple of months, I've been trying to improve my knowledge of Irish geography by taking this quiz regularly. I've now reached the stage where I usually get 13 or 15 out of 15. That's after MONTHS of trying!
Taking the quiz made me aware how little I know about some counties, and made me think of the associations I have with the various counties of Ireland. I thought it would be fun to see what I associate with each county name. Maybe others would like to try the same exercise, just for fun. I suggest you do it before reading my list (or any subsequent ones), so you're not influenced by my associations. The list is below. I'll give my own responses in the next post. Try not to overthink it, just give the first association that comes to your mind.
Antrim Armagh Carlow Cavan Clare Cork Derry Donegal Down Dublin Fermanagh Galway Kerry Kildare Kilkenny Laois Leitrim Limerick Longford Louth Mayo Meath Monaghan Offaly Roscommon Sligo Tipperary Tyrone Waterford Westmeath Wexford Wicklow
|
|
|
Post by maolsheachlann on Jan 17, 2018 19:31:03 GMT
Antrim: the glens of Antrim. All I know is the phrase.
Armagh: the Primate of All-Ireland resides there.
Carlow: The Carlow Nationalist newspaper.
Cavan: People saying Caaa-van as a joke.
Clare: The "banner county" is its nickname, though I've no idea why.
Cork: Cork Dry Gin.
Derry: The song "I wish I was back home in Derry".
Donegal: Former Irish soccer international Packie Bonner.
Down: "The Star of the County Down" song.
Dublin: The centre of the universe.
Fermanagh: "The dreary steeples of Fermanagh and Tyrone", phrase famously used by Winston Churchill to describe Ulster politics.
Galway: The Saw Doctors.
Kerry: Dick Spring, and the Kerry accent.
Kildare: The "Lily Whites" nickname for GAA teams.
Kilkenny: D.J. Carey.
Laois: Portlaoise-- a town that everyone I know who lived there describes as being awful.
Leitrim: Myles Na Gopaleen, writing a mock obituary of a stereotypical Irish folklorist, described him as marrying "A Leitrim lady".
Limerick: Stab city.
Longford: Albert Reynolds.
Louth: Smallest county in Ireland.
Mayo: Saw Doctors, again. They have a song called "The Green and Red of Mayo".
Meath: The Dublin-Meath rivalry in GAA.
Monaghan: Patrick Kavanagh.
Offaly: Birr Castle and its famous telescope. I was there but I didn't see the telescope.
Roscommon: Drawing a blank for Roscommon. The blue and yellow colours of its GAA teams.
Sligo: W.B. Yeats.
Tipperary: Tipperary Crystal.
Tyrone: Hugh O'Neill, the Earl of Tyrone.
Waterford: Waterford Crystal.
Westmeath: J.P. Donleavy lived there.
Wexford: Took a while. "The Boys of Wexford" ballad. I don't even know the ballad, only the title.
Wicklow: Wicklow mountains.
|
|
|
Post by hibernicus on Jan 17, 2018 21:07:08 GMT
Depends to some extent on whether you have actually visited the relevant county (and where). What struck me about Derry City, for example, is how small the walled city actually is; and nobody who has been to Fermanagh will forget the lakes, especially if they overflow and you have to wade through them.
|
|