Ireland

The government surplus or deficit of Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece, United Kingdom, and Spain against the European Union and Eurozone 2002–2009

Ireland in the first quarter of 2008 reported a contraction in GDP of 1.5 percent, its first economic contraction since it began reporting by quarter and first recorded contraction since 1983.^[1] However, Ireland's Central Statistics Office reported growth in GNP of about 0.8 percent, Ireland's government considers GNP a better measure of the economy.

Commonwealth observance

Boxing Day in the UK is traditionally a day for sporting activity, originally fox hunting, but in modern times football and horseracing.

Snap-Apple Night by Daniel Maclise portrays a Halloween party in Blarney, Ireland, in 1832. The young people on the left side play various divination games, while children on the right bob for apples. A couple in the center play "Snap-Apple", which involves retrieving an apple hanging from a string

The origins of chess is one of the most controversial areas of board gaming history. While it is generally thought that chess originated from India, the evidence for this theory is weak, although stronger than the evidence for most other theories.

The countries which, at one time or the other, have been associated with invention of chess have included China, India, Egypt, Greece, Assyria, Persia, Arabia, Ireland and Uzbekistan.