WE HAVE enlisted the help of Guinness World Records to take a look at some of the other less well-known things Ireland and the Irish are famous for.
We have long inspired record attempts - from the largest gathering of people dressed as leprechauns (1,263 participants in Bandon Co. Cork in 2012) to the largest glass of beer in the world - a 1,499 litres glass of Guinness prepared at The Auld Dubliner Irish Pub in Tustin, California on November 21, 2009. The glass itself measured 7 ft 11 in tall.
Here's our top five Irish world records...
1. Dressing up
The largest gathering of people dressed as nuns - 1,436 people - took place on Nunday (a Saturday, in actual fact), in Listowel, Co. Kerry on June 30, 2012. Meanwhile the largest gathering of people dressed as the Hulk was achieved by 574 people at the Muckno Mania Festival in Castleblayney on July 13, 2012.
2. Dancing
The largest Irish dance involved 10,036 people at the Dublin Irish Festival organised by the City of Dublin in Dublin, Ohio, US on August 4, 2007. The most 1-2-3 Irish dance steps in 30 seconds is 43, achieved by Irishman Ben Carolan on the set of 'Elev8' (for RTÉ) in Dublin, Ireland, on August 3, 2012.
3. Rugby
Brian O’Driscoll’s world-breaking 141 international appearances and it doesn't stop there – he also holds the record for most international caps won as captain (84) and most appearances in a Five-Six Nations Championship career (65).
4. Racing
Jockey AP McCoy holds the record for the most times a single jockey has been jump racing Champion Jockey – 19 times between 1996 to 2014.
5. Mass
Tommy Kinsella is the world's longest-serving altar boy. He began to serve at Mass in the Church of the Holy Redeemer, Bray, Co. Wicklow, in April 1917, at the age of 11. He continued working for the same church for 81 years until his death on April 1, 1999.
