STORIES
Did you know that half of Ireland really belongs with North America? Or that the world’s first giant telescope was built in Co Offaly? Here’s where to find out more about Ireland’s natural wonders, clever discoveries and ingenious inventions.
The World’s Largest Telescope
The biggest telescope the world had seen, enabling astronomers to see further into space than ever before, was built at Birr Castle in Co Offaly in the early 1840s.
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Ireland’s first blood transfusion
Blood is vital stuff. The average adult has about five litres of it inside their body and is constantly making fresh blood to keep stocks high; if you lose too much too quickly you will die.
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Understanding Ireland’s landscapes
It’s hard to believe, but Ireland is actually drifting slowly northwards. Along with the rest of Europe, Ireland is moving at about 5cm a year – that’s as fast as your fingernails grow!
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From alchemy to atom smashing
For thousands of years, people attempted to explain changes in matter in terms of magic, religion and the occult. Or, in a word, Alchemy.
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