Irish Animated Films

With a completely unrelated bonus question to start with, this is mainly inspired by my unfamiliarity with the Irish cat poem that has again temporarily slipped my mind…

Questions

The Dublin cultural quarter of Temple Bar is thought to be named for 17th-century Englishman Henry Temple, a logician associated with which division of scholasticism that was named for a French thinker who lost his life during the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre?

RAMISM (After Petrus Ramus)

Having one green iris and one blue iris, the white cat Pangur Bán is a character in which 2009 animated film, which was nominated for an Academy Award in the year when the Best Animated Feature was extended from three to five nominees?

THE SECRET OF KELLS

It is speculated that Sedulius Scotus could have written the poem “Pangur Bán” as its authorship is unknown and it resembles his style. In which ‘Primer’ has this poem about a white cat been preserved, being named for an abbey that makes up part of a European World Heritage Site?

REICHENAU

Both words rhyming with each other, what is the name of the animation studio based in Kilkenny that was founded by Tommy Moore, Nora Twomey and Paul Young, the former two being credited as directors of the Oscar nominated “The Secret of Kells”?

CARTOON SALOON

A poetry genre that developed in the 17th and 18th century, what name is given to a vision poem particularly associated with seeing a mysterious woman? It is honoured by “The Secret of Kells”, which uses it as the name for a fairy-like character in the film.

AISLING

The voice for Abbot Cellach in “The Secret of Kells” is provided by which well known actor, whose other work in this genre includes the Estonian stop motion animation “Captain Morten and the Spider Queen” and the more predictable “Riverdance: The Animated Adventure”?

BRENDAN GLEESON

Although it didn’t take home the top prize, “The Secret of Kells” took home the Audience Award at which International Animation Film Festival that was created in 1960 and is named for a city in France?

ANNECY

Another animation to feature the voicework of Brendan Gleeson was which second film from Tomm Moore’s “Irish Folklore Trilogy”, which features among its cast a mute selkie called Saoirse?

SONG OF THE SEA

The final film in Tomm Moore’s “Irish Folklore Trilogy” following “The Secret of Kells” and “Song of the Sea” is which 2020 animation, with Sean Bean offering his voice to proceedings as the father of Robyn Goodfellowe, a young female apprentice hunter?

THE WOLFWALKERS

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Feature, which 2017 film directed by Nora Twomey is based on a novel by Canadian author Deborah Ellis that also goes by the name of “Parvana”, that alternative title coming from the 11-year old protagonist who lives in Kabul?

THE BREADWINNER

With Ian McShane voicing a gorilla and Chris O’Dowd a macaque, what type of creature is Boris in a 2022 animation directed by Nora Twomey, it being referenced in the title of the film? Not a member of the primate order, it is voiced by Gaten Matarazzo of “Stranger Things” fame.

DRAGON (The film is “My Father’s Dragon”)

A 2014 animated film by Tomm Moore called “The Prophet” is based on which Lebanese author’s work that was first published in 1923, going on to become one of the best-selling books of all time? Another novel by the author called “Broken Wings” inspired the namesake US Billboard no. 1 hit by Mr. Mister.

KAHLIL GIBRAN

Medieval Ireland

Unravelling the lore of Irish drinking is required, but so is the Wikipedia spamming.

Questions

Who has been credited with inventing the Irish coffee at Foynes Airbase flying boat terminal near Shannon Airport in County Clare, having no relationship to the creator of another drink that uses the same surname?

JOE SHERIDAN

Gowran Park in County Kilkenny hosts which horse race known as the ‘Grand National of the South’, with previous winners including Arkle, Hedgehunter and Numbersixvalverde? It is named for a horse that took its name from a king of Olympia who was a son of Pelops, being exiled for murdering his half-brother Chrysippus.

THYESTES CHASE

A title only thought to have existed for a few centuries and having their throne at the Hill of Tara, what term was used for the ruler who claimed to rule all of Ireland, Brian Boru being perhaps the most famous example?

HIGH KING (OF IRELAND)

The High King of Ireland ruled what specific kingdom in addition to his claim over the whole of Ireland, including in its territory parts of Dublin, Kildare and Offaly among others?

MEATH

What is the Early Irish law also known as, its name coming from the judges who made decisions guided by an entirely oral tradition?

BREHON LAWS

Sent by Pope Celestine I, which Bishop of Ireland arrived on the Emerald Isle shortly before the much more famous St. Patrick, with the deeds of the two possibly becoming conflated?

PALLADIUS

Called the ‘most astonishing person of the ninth century’ by Bertrand Russell, which Irish neoplatonist philosopher wrote “The Division of Nature”, called the ‘final achievement’ of ancient philosophy?

JOHN SCOTUS ERIUGENA / JOHANNES ERIUGENA

One of a colony of Irish teachers at Liège during the reign of Emperor Lothair, who is known for the poem “The Scholars of Clonard”?

SEDULIUS SCOTUS / SEDULIUS THE YOUNGER

Ireland

Somehow I ended up looking at anemometers. Just because this starts as a thread with an Irish link, doesn’t mean it will stay that way.

Questions

Which Japanese biochemist shared the 2015 Nobel Prize in Medicine with Irish parasitologist William C Campbell, with both making significant contributions to the discovery of ivermectins? He is known for the discovery of naturally occurring products, particularly from microorganisms.

(SATOSHI) OMURA

Despite Italy’s lack of success in the Guinness Six Nations,  which Argentinian-born player of theirs holds the record for most caps in that tournament with 69?

SERGIO PARISSE

Unlike the 180 members of the Dáil Éireann who are all elected, the 60 seats that make up what upper house of the Irish parliament consists of members chosen through various methods, with their powers being much less than those in the lower house?

SEANAD (ÉIREANN)

Consisting of the Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann, what word is used for Ireland’s bicameral parliament, translating as something like ‘assembled freemen’?

OIREACHTAS

Located on Kildare Street in central Dublin, the houses of the Oireachtas sit in which 18th century ducal palace?

LEINSTER HOUSE

Having written books of poetry including “The Betrayal” and “The Season of Fire”, who has been Irish president since 2011, a largely ceremonial position?

MICHAEL D. HIGGINS

Reporting to the Taoiseach, what is the deputy head of the Irish government, a role that was occupied by Leo Varadkar from 2020 to 2022 as part of a planned rotation with Micheál Martin?

THE TÁNAISTE

Firing two shots, one of which grazed the nose and one that missed, who did Irish woman Violet Gibson try to assassinate in 1926? Because the nose was able to be bandaged, this person was able to continue with their parade.

BENITO MUSSOLINI

Its name being derived from a Norman French family, which cove at the westernmost point of the Dingle peninsula in County Kerry has the earliest evidence for farming in Great Britain and Ireland?

FERRITER’S COVE

Preserved beneath a blanket of peat, which County Mayo neolithic site that is on UNESCO’s tentative list is claimed to contain the oldest known field systems globally?

CÉIDE FIELDS

As seen on “The Dying Gaul”, a Roman statue now in Rome’s Capitoline Museums, around which part of your body would you wear a torc?

NECK

Named for two objects, which two-word alliterative culture that spread to Ireland is named for the shape of its vessels?

BELL BEAKER

Sometimes called the ‘Celtic tree alphabet’, what script is an early medieval alphabet uses to write early Irish language inscriptions on stone monuments?

OGHAM

The collection of poems and prose narratives known as the “Lebor Gabála Érenn” is known by what English title, with it being considered history until the 19th century?

BOOK OF INVASIONS

The traditional seat of the Kings of Munster, the castle known as the Rock of Cashel is situated on a hill in which Irish county, whose largest town is Clonmel?

TIPPERARY

Dunluce Castle in County Antrim was used as the “Game of Thrones” setting for Pyke Castle of which house?

GREYJOY

Born in Dublin and a friend of Charles Babbage, which Irishman is known as the inventor of the 4-cup anemometer, with previous luminaries making an attempt at a wind measuring device including Leon Battista Alberti and Robert Hooke?

THOMAS ROMNEY ROBINSON

4-cup anemometer inventor Thomas Romney Robinson was a director at which Astronomical Observatory in Northern Ireland, which has included among its astronomers Estonian Ernst Öpik, who sometimes finds his name added to the Oort Cloud?

ARMAGH

The anemometer designed by Thomas Romney Robinson was of the familiar vane type, where wind will send it spinning allowing a measurement to be made. What other type of anemometer is there, which involves the said object being cooled by a fluid passing around it, with increased flow lowering the temperature even more?

HOT WIRE ANEMOMETER