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St Patrick's Day quiz

15 questions on St Patrick's Day, Ireland's national day on 17 March (a Wednesday in 2027): the saint and what is known of his life, the shamrock, the colour blue and the colour green, the first parades in Boston and Waterford, the Dublin parade, and the bank holiday in Northern Ireland. Legends are marked as legends. One question at a time, the explanation and a source link after each answer, and your score at the end. For adults (18+). Free, no account. Works offline once loaded.

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  1. Read the question and tap one of four answers.
  2. You see at once whether you were right, with the explanation and a link to the source.
  3. After 15 questions you get your score and a result to copy and share. To play in a group, read the questions below aloud and open the answers when everyone has decided.

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Spending St Patrick's Day away from home?

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Sources

All 15 questions

  1. 1. On which date is St Patrick's Day, the national day of Ireland's patron saint?

    1. 1 March
    2. 21 March
    3. 17 March
    4. 23 April
    Show answer

    C. 17 March

    Ireland.com, the Tourism Ireland site, explains that the date, 17 March, marks the saint's death. Both Ireland.com and the St Patrick's Festival call the day Ireland's national holiday.

    Source: https://www.ireland.com/en-gb/things-to-do/themes/culture/st-patricks-day/

  2. 2. On what day of the week does St Patrick's Day fall in 2027?

    1. Tuesday
    2. Wednesday
    3. Thursday
    4. Friday
    Show answer

    B. Wednesday

    17 March 2027 is a Wednesday. The St Patrick's Festival says the National St Patrick's Day Parade begins at 12pm on Wednesday 17 March 2027, and that its 2027 programme runs from Saturday 13 to Wednesday 17 March.

    Source: https://stpatricksfestival.ie/st-patricks-day-parade/

  3. 3. In which part of the United Kingdom is 17 March 2027 an official bank holiday?

    1. England
    2. Scotland
    3. Wales
    4. Northern Ireland
    Show answer

    D. Northern Ireland

    The official GOV.UK bank holiday data for 2027 lists St Patrick's Day on 17 March for Northern Ireland only. The 2027 lists for England and Wales and for Scotland have no entry for that date.

    Source: https://www.gov.uk/bank-holidays.json

  4. 4. In which county of Northern Ireland did St Patrick die, according to Ireland.com?

    1. County Down
    2. County Antrim
    3. County Armagh
    4. County Tyrone
    Show answer

    A. County Down

    Ireland.com says Patrick died in 461 in Saul, County Down, and is buried in the grounds of Down Cathedral in Downpatrick, also in County Down. Elsewhere it words the burial more carefully: Patrick is "believed to be buried" in the graveyard there.

    Source: https://www.ireland.com/en-gb/things-to-do/themes/culture/st-patricks-day/

  5. 5. Was St Patrick born in Ireland?

    1. Yes, in County Down
    2. Yes, in Dublin
    3. No, he is thought to have come from Wales or Scotland
    4. No, he is thought to have come from Rome
    Show answer

    C. No, he is thought to have come from Wales or Scotland

    Ireland.com answers "No, he wasn't born here": St Patrick was thought to have originally come from either Wales or Scotland.

    Source: https://www.ireland.com/en-gb/things-to-do/themes/culture/st-patricks-day/

  6. 6. According to the story Ireland.com tells, what did the young Patrick do on Slemish Mountain, after being captured and taken to Ireland as a slave?

    1. He built a small church
    2. He tended sheep
    3. He guarded a king's treasure
    4. He fished in the lough
    Show answer

    B. He tended sheep

    Ireland.com tells it in a section called "Behind the myth": as a boy he was captured and sent to Slemish Mountain in County Antrim as a slave, where he tended sheep before escaping home. It also calls Slemish the "legendary home" of Saint Patrick, so treat the details as tradition.

    Source: https://www.ireland.com/en-gb/things-to-do/themes/culture/st-patricks-day/

  7. 7. According to legend, what did St Patrick use the shamrock to explain when he first introduced Christianity to Ireland?

    1. The four seasons
    2. The four provinces of Ireland
    3. The twelve apostles
    4. The Holy Trinity
    Show answer

    D. The Holy Trinity

    Ireland.com says that, according to legend, St Patrick used the shamrock as a metaphor for the Holy Trinity. It is a legend, not a documented event.

    Source: https://www.ireland.com/en-gb/things-to-do/themes/culture/st-patricks-day/

  8. 8. Until the 19th century, which colour was associated with St Patrick rather than green?

    1. Blue
    2. Red
    3. White
    4. Gold
    Show answer

    A. Blue

    Ireland.com says green is now synonymous with St Patrick's Day and Irish pride, but until the 19th century the colour associated with St Patrick was actually blue.

    Source: https://www.ireland.com/en-gb/things-to-do/themes/culture/st-patricks-day/

  9. 9. Where did the first St Patrick's Day parade take place, in 1737?

    1. Dublin
    2. New York
    3. Boston
    4. Waterford
    Show answer

    C. Boston

    Ireland.com says the first St Patrick's Day parade actually took place in Boston, in the United States, in 1737.

    Source: https://www.ireland.com/en-gb/things-to-do/themes/culture/st-patricks-day/

  10. 10. In which Irish city was Ireland's first St Patrick's Day parade held, in 1903?

    1. Dublin
    2. Cork
    3. Belfast
    4. Waterford
    Show answer

    D. Waterford

    Ireland.com says Ireland's first parade was held in Waterford in 1903, more than 160 years after the Boston parade of 1737.

    Source: https://www.ireland.com/en-gb/things-to-do/themes/culture/st-patricks-day/

  11. 11. In what year was St Patrick's Festival in Dublin established?

    1. 1903
    2. 1996
    3. 1737
    4. 2011
    Show answer

    B. 1996

    The festival's About Us page says it was established in 1996 and has grown from a single day to a five-day event. Its 2027 programme runs from 13 to 17 March.

    Source: https://stpatricksfestival.ie/about-us/

  12. 12. Where does the National St Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin start?

    1. Parnell Square
    2. Phoenix Park
    3. Trinity College
    4. St Stephen's Green
    Show answer

    A. Parnell Square

    The festival says the parade begins at 12pm at Parnell Square in the north of the city, goes down O'Connell Street and over O'Connell Bridge, and ends at the Cuffe Street/Kevin Street junction.

    Source: https://stpatricksfestival.ie/the-parade-map-and-route/

  13. 13. Do you need a ticket to watch the Dublin parade from the street?

    1. Yes, for every spot on the route
    2. Only for the section on O'Connell Street
    3. Only for visitors from abroad
    4. No, only the grandstand seats are ticketed
    Show answer

    D. No, only the grandstand seats are ticketed

    The festival says no tickets are required to attend the parade: pick a spot along the route. A limited number of grandstand seats can be bought. It also says over 3,000 participants take part.

    Source: https://stpatricksfestival.ie/st-patricks-day-parade/

  14. 14. Croagh Patrick, a mountain and site of pilgrimage linked with the saint, is in which county?

    1. Kerry
    2. Mayo
    3. Tipperary
    4. Meath
    Show answer

    B. Mayo

    Ireland.com places the breathtaking peak of Croagh Patrick in County Mayo and calls it a site of pilgrimage for many. Its listing says the climb rewards you with views across Clew Bay.

    Source: https://www.ireland.com/en-gb/things-to-do/themes/culture/st-patricks-day/

  15. 15. Which Northern Irish city, with two cathedrals dedicated to Patrick, hosts the Home of St Patrick Festival?

    1. Armagh
    2. Derry
    3. Lisburn
    4. Newry
    Show answer

    A. Armagh

    Ireland.com says Armagh has two cathedrals dedicated to Patrick, and that the Home of St Patrick Festival there celebrates the saint's roots in Northern Ireland with culture, comedy, music and dance.

    Source: https://www.ireland.com/en-gb/things-to-do/themes/culture/st-patricks-day/

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