Are you ready to test your memory and see just how much you know about the world in 2025? From current events to pop culture, to sports and political earthquakes, answer 100 questions in our annual quiz and you could win this great prize:
The Cliff at Lyons hotel
Ireland’s Blue Book is delighted to offer the winner of the Big Irish Times Quiz of the Year an overnight stay for two with dinner and breakfast in Cliff at Lyons, Co Kildare.
Nestled in the heart of Kildare, Cliff at Lyons is a hotel and country retreat steeped in heritage charm. With its elegantly furnished rooms and cottages, the estate also features the Well in the Garden Spa, period-styled Mill Restaurant and gourmet café The Pantry.
Closing date is Monday, January 5th, 2025, at 5pm GMT. Terms and conditions apply. The winner and quiz answers will be published in The Irish Times Magazine on Saturday, January 17th. Best of luck.
“Not a hope in hell,” “I could not think of anyone more unfit for public office,” and “I would genuinely rather we didn’t have a president at all”: In March, a Sky News survey of politicians found support lacking for whose presidential candidacy?Bertie AhernBob GeldofJoanna DonnellyConor McGregor“I walk by the Oscar Wilde statue in Merrion Square every day. You don’t see people rubbing his crotch for good luck.” In March, student and busker Tilly Cripwell launched a campaign to protect which Dublin landmark from groping?The SpireMolly Malone statuePhil Lynott statueJames Joyce statue“Just as we have always stood ready to support other nations, … is prepared to assist Canada, Mexico, Panama and Greenland against US aggression and terrorism.” In January, who offered to help?Islamic StateIranNorth KoreaOireachtas Golf Society“This is about much more, not just about homosexuality … This is the last moment to stand up for our rights.” In June, up to 200,000 people defied government pressure to attend Pride in which city?MoscowIstanbulBudapestTehran“We spent the weekend feeding US aid into the wood chipper.” In February, who helped cut more than 80 per cent of the United States’ overseas aid programmes?Elon MuskStephen MillerLaura LoomerMarco Rubio“Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.” In July, which singer accidentally outed a couple who appeared on the Jumbotron screen at a concert in Massachusetts?BeyoncéTaylor SwiftBruce SpringsteenChris Martin“He exploited the good nature of others and the goodwill he had accumulated by reason of [being] well known.” In November, whose conduct did Judge Martin Nolan condemn?Justin BaldoniDJ CareyP DiddyAndrew Tate“They’d go rarin’ and tearin’ and fightin’ for love.” In May, Kingfishr topped the Irish singles chart with a song extolling the hurlers of which parish?Killeagh, Co CorkKillaloe, Co ClareKillala, Co MayoKillallon, Co MeathIn October, who unexpectedly spoke about the traumatic memories that their first bong hit triggered?David AttenboroughQueen CamillaAngela MerkelMalala Yousafzai“Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret.” In July, The Wall Street Journal unearthed an embarrassing birthday message that Donald Trump apparently sent whom?Jake PaulBill ClintonJeffrey EpsteinTekashi 6ix9ineIn January, what storm brought wind gusts of up to 184km/h to Ireland, leaving 768,000 premises without power?In June, a week of anti-immigrant rioting in Northern Ireland was sparked by an alleged sexual assault in which town?BallymenaCarrickfergusColeraineLisburnAfter moving his Dáil seat to distance himself from his fellow Independent TD Michael Lowry in March, Barry Heneghan commented: “I may have moved my seat, but I haven’t moved an inch from … ”?My salaryThe mandate I was elected onMy principled opposition to gesture politicsDeciding this moustache was a good ideaIn April, the Government confirmed plans to bring which familiar feature of life in the capital to Cork city, at a cost of more than €2 billion?A SpireA LuasA Beamish StorehouseA second national children’s hospitalWhile canvassing at a Dublin school in October as a presidential candidate, Catherine Connolly demonstrated a surprising talent for what?Shadow puppetryYo-yo tricksWheeliesKeepy-uppiesIn March, the TikToker Garron Noone deactivated his social media accounts following criticism about comments he made on which issue?ImmigrationGender identityVaccinesThe new Taylor Swift albumOn St Patrick’s Day, who made a surprise appearance at the White House with press secretary Karoline Leavitt?Rory McIlroyKimberly GuilfoyleConan O’BrienConor McGregorIn August, the Co Mayo missionary Gena Heraty was among eight people kidnapped from an orphanage close to the capital of which country?HaitiEl SalvadorSyriaNigerIn March, following a contentious debate over standing orders, what hand gesture was Independent TD Michael Lowry filmed making towards People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy?Jazz handsAir quotesTwo fingersDevil hornsIn January, which technical group of TDs sought to speak from opposition benches in the Dáil despite including four members who supported the new Government?Rural Independent AllianceRegional Independent GroupCountryside People’s CollectiveAgrarian Solidarity FrontIn January, which country became the first in southeast Asia to host legal same-sex weddings?PhilippinesSingaporeThailandVietnamIn September, who were caught on a hot mic discussing the possibility of living forever?Liam and Noel GallagherDavid Attenborough and Dick Van DykeXi Jinping and Vladimir PutinMartha Stewart and Snoop DoggIn June, the American B-2 bombers that struck Iran’s nuclear facilities took off from an airbase with what Trump-friendly name?Golf Green Command Centre, CyprusRed Hat Airstrip, GermanyWhiteman Air Force Base, MissouriSmall Hands Forward Operating Base, QatarIn February, the areas where Germany’s far-right AfD party topped the polls in federal elections corresponded closely to the territory of which former political entity?PrussiaEast GermanyWeimar RepublicSudetenlandIn May, what did Chicago man John Prevost tell WMAQ-TV his younger brother, now Pope Leo XIV, had done before the conclave to ready himself?Took Latin lessons on DuolingoBought a Lego Vatican set to “study the layout”Watched the movie ConclaveChecked out the book Pope-ing for DummiesIn March, an Israeli military attack on a convoy of humanitarian vehicles in Rafah left 15 aid workers dead. Later independent investigations suggested what?The vehicles lacked proper identificationThe convoy ignored repeated warnings to stopSome of the victims were armedSome of the victims’ bodies showed evidence consistent with execution-style killingsIn July, an Australian court found 50-year-old Erin Patterson guilty of murdering three people after poisoning them with what food?MushroomsElderberriesPuffer fishA petrol station sushi platterIn May, the New York Times reported that, while he was one of Donald Trump’s closest advisers, Elon Musk was a regular user of what?The White House Netflix passwordPrivate messaging apps such as SignalThe Lincoln bedroomKetamine, ecstasy and psychedelic mushroomsIn March, what did Mark Carney renounce when he became prime minister of Canada?His British and Irish citizenshipsA hereditary peerageA lucrative contract to write the next three James Bond novelsCanada’s historic territorial claim to the British West IndiesIn September, a Nepalese government ban on what sparked riots that left 19 people dead?BitcoinInterfaith marriageTattoosSocial mediaIn February, who posted on social media that they were “having beers with some Zulus”?Prince HarryFaye Louise BrennanLeo VaradkarJoe RoganIn January, who made the baseless claim that their predecessor spent “$100 million on condoms to Hamas”?Binyamin NetanyahuBari WeissPope Leo XIVDonald TrumpIn February, why did the phrase “on all fours on O’Connell Street” appear in the headlines?A Fine Gael Senator was arrested for public drunkenness on Dublin’s O’Connell StreetTom Waits recorded a new version of Tom Traubert’s Blues at the Ambassador TheatreFive thousand transition year students set a new world record playing Twister outside the GPOPerformance artist Marina Abramovic debuted a new art installation exploring themes of submission and urban decay outside Dr Quirkey’s Good Time EmporiumIn January, what event inspired the New Republic to run the memorable headline “… sends idiot son on futile mission”?Will Smith sent Jaden to acting schoolDavid Beckham sent Brooklyn to Las Vegas to learn the casino businessKing Charles sent Prince William on a goodwill tour of the CaribbeanDonald Trump sent Donald jnr to Greenland with a view to buying itIn June, a Clare Champion headline announced “Locals stand up following” … what?Back painBench removalBig name comedian’s cancellation of local gigA CD playing the national anthem getting stuck on repeatIn the Oval Office in January, Donald Trump repeatedly scolded which world leader with the words “You don’t have the cards”?Mette FrederiksenClaudia SheinbaumJustin TrudeauVolodymyr ZelenskiyAfter Troy Parrott scored twice in the Ireland soccer team’s 2-0 defeat of Portugal in November, headlines in all Irish newspapers followed a theme. Which was The Irish Times’ literary-inspired effort?Troy wonderSecond TroyTroy to the worldTroy and troy againIn May, Highland Radio’s website declared that “more Irish people have been to Spain” than what?Have sat their Leaving CertKnow how to boil an eggParticipate in organised religionHave been to DonegalIn October, who did the Labour Party accuse of choosing “Ronald McDonald over Joe and Joan Murphy”?Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeillFormer minister for finance Paschal DonohoeMcDonald’s mascot selection boardJoe and Joan’s estranged son Derek“Not a record but a highly unusual occurrence”: In February, Dublin Airport recorded seven straight days without what?ArrivalsDeparturesSunshineMichael O’Leary saying something controversialIn September, Shane Lowry sank the winning putt to secure a European Ryder Cup victory in front of boisterous crowds at which venue?Bethpage Black, New YorkHazeltine National, MinnesotaPGA National, FloridaValhalla, KentuckyIn May, the Munster camogie final between Cork and Waterford was postponed after both sides refused to wear what?HelmetsGumshieldsBlack armbandsSkortsIn November, in what minute did Troy Parrott’s winner against Hungary in Budapest send the Republic of Ireland into the Fifa World Cup playoffs?In September, Kate O’Connor of Ireland won a silver medal in the heptathlon at the World Athletics Championships in which country?In July, which Irish Olympian took part in an impromptu road race at 6.45am on the streets of Thurles after Tipperary hurlers’ All-Ireland homecoming?Rhasidat AdelekeSophie BeckerPhil HealySharlene MawdsleyIn October, Dublin-born Roberto Lopes of Shamrock Rovers helped which tiny African nation qualify for next year’s Fifa World Cup?SeychellesCape VerdeSão Tomé and PríncipeDjiboutiIn July, what was historic about Katie Taylor’s majority-decision victory over Amanda Serrano at Madison Square Garden?It was the venue’s first all-female ticketIt was the first women’s fight to go 12 rounds at the venueIt was the first fight at the venue to use instant replay for scoringIt was the first professional title fight broadcast exclusively on YouTubeIn April, the Dublin men’s senior football team suffered their first Leinster Championship defeat in 15 years when they lost to which county?In July, Chloe Kelly of Arsenal scored the decisive penalty as England defeated which country to win the Uefa Women’s Euro 2025 title in Basel?GermanyItalySpainNetherlandsIn February, the London Times praised the performances of Jamison Gibson-Park, James Lowe, Mack Hansen and Bundee Aki in Ireland’s Six Nations rugby match against England, noting that Ireland “were also well served by the odd …”Dubious refereeing decisionEnglish defensive errorFortunate bounce of the ballIrish-born player“People are starving, children are starving and dying of malnutrition. We are seeing an unfolding famine and an unfolding genocide, and it is not acceptable.” In August, Mary Robinson visited Gaza’s Rafah border crossing with which former prime minister?Helen Clark of New ZealandSanna Marin of FinlandKaja Kallas of EstoniaLiz Truss of the United Kingdom“There hasn’t been much despair. There hasn’t been much ‘Why me? Why me?’ I don’t know why.” Author and broadcaster Manchán Magan, who died of cancer in October, built a straw-bale house in which county?LeitrimCavanWestmeathCarlow“I will be a president who listens, who reflects and who speaks when it’s necessary, and a voice for peace … I will raise my voice.” In October, which was the only constituency not to vote for Catherine Connolly as president of Ireland?Carlow-KilkennyCavan-MonaghanDún LaoghaireDublin Bay South“Andrew Mountbatten Windsor shall no longer be entitled to hold and enjoy the style, title or attribute of ‘Royal Highness’ and the titular dignity of ‘Prince’.” In November, which publication announced King Charles’ decision?The GazetteThe Privy Seal RecordThe Lord Chamberlain’s QuarterlyMajesty magazineIn March, who or what was badmouthed in a leaked Signal exchange between Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, and JD Vance, the vice-president? “I just hate bailing _____ out again.” “I fully share your loathing of _____’s free-loading. It’s PATHETIC.”“Over the course of 50 years, 894 people have hosted Saturday Night Live. And only two of them have committed murder.” In February, who was John Mulaney most likely referring to when he co-hosted the show’s 50th-anniversary special?Sid Vicious and Robert DurstPhil Spector and Charles MansonOJ Simpson and Robert BlakeOscar Pistorius and Don King“I think I’ve got a burn on my finger from holding my phone which overheated.” In June, why was “Helen from Wales” hailed as a hero at Glastonbury?She used her phone’s flashlight to help security locate a fan who fainted during Olivia Rodrigo’s performance.She livestreamed Kneecap’s entire set on TikTok after the BBC refused to air it.She uploaded a slow-motion video, later turned into a meme, of Matty Healy of The 1975 slipping in mud.She used her phone’s compass to guide Lana Del Rey back to her home planet.“Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.” In August, Taylor Swift announced her engagement to whom?Salt Lake City police chief Randy JenkinsKansas City Chiefs tight end Travis KelceSan Francisco tech start-up chief executive Kyle BakerPortland public library archivist Derek WalkerComplete February’s Irish Times headline: “Southerners and northern nationalists dislike … more than …”King Charles more than Queen ElizabethCommonwealth more than NatoUHT milk more than partitionJamie Dornan’s accent in Wild Mountain Thyme more than Tom Cruise’s in Far and AwayIn January, the January 6th rioter Jacob Chansley celebrated his pardoning by Donald Trump by tweeting, “Now I am gonna buy some motha fu**in … !!!”Art suppliesMeditation cushionsJournals for personal reflectionGunsWho presented The Traitors Ireland, which was a ratings hit for RTÉ in September?Doireann GarrihySiobhán McSweeneyVogue WilliamsJennifer ZamparelliIn September, Domhnall Gleeson starred as the editor of which fictional small-town newspaper in NBC’s The Office spin-off The Paper?Dayton Daily DispatchFlint Free PressToledo Truth TellerMilwaukee Morning MessengerIn September, Chase Infiniti starred as the daughter of former revolutionaries in which critically acclaimed screwball adventure movie?28 Years LaterOne Battle After AnotherThe Smashing MachineKPop Demon HuntersIn April, Keir Starmer, the UK prime minister, welcomed the creators of which TV show to a meeting that discussed issues it raised?AdolescenceSuspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de MenezesCelebrity Bear HuntNews at TenIn September, why did a Deadline Hollywood story claiming talent agents were poised to sign the actor Tilly Norwood stir controversy?She is AI generatedShe has been blacklisted by Sag-Aftra for crossing a picket lineShe is notoriously difficult to work withShe is the daughter of two rival studio heads, making her a “dual nepo baby”In November, Tim Davie stepped down as director general of the BBC after allegations that which show aired misleadingly edited footage of Donald Trump’s speech on January 6th, 2021?PanoramaNews at TenStoryvilleMatch of the DayThe hit Netflix series House of Guinness, which premiered in September, was principally filmed in which city?DublinBelfastLiverpoolTorontoIn his acceptance speech for the best supporting actor award in March, Kieran Culkin revealed his wife, Jazz Charton, had promised him what if he won the Oscar?Breakfast in bedA hall pass to pursue a relationship with Gerri from SuccessionHalf of her Bitcoin fortuneA fourth childIn May, it was announced that fans can now buy a limited-edition soap made from whose bathwater?Gwyneth Paltrow’sJacob Elordi’sSydney Sweeney’sTilly Norwood’s“The movie will feature no actors you’ve ever heard of, the dialogue will be in a language no one speaks and the film will make $700 million.” In October, which movie sequel was Jimmy Kimmel eagerly anticipating?Joker vs PaddingtonJerry Maguire 2: Show Me the CryptoOppenheimer 2: Electric BugalooThe Resurrection of the Christ: Part OneOn the Joe Rogan Experience podcast in January, who praised “masculine energy”, claiming that diversity, equity and inclusion policies had “culturally neutered” a lot of the American corporate world?Bill GatesMark ZuckerbergBonoSam AltmanIn June, the viral TikTok dance dubbed the Woke Macarena was inspired by which track?Beautiful Things, by Benson BooneManchild, by Sabrina CarpenterTake a Sexy Picture of Me, by CMATLeave Me Alone, by Reneé RappIn July, who sat for an interview with the YouTube pranksters the Nelk Boys to face such hard-hitting questions as whether they prefer Burger King or McDonald’s?Thomas PynchonJudith ButlerAyatollah KhameneiBinyamin NetanyahuIn February, the Irish YouTuber Tadhg Hickey was an invited guest at what event?Carnival in Rio de JaneiroThe Met Gala in New YorkThe Grand Prix in MonacoThe funeral of the Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah in BeirutIn March, Prince William revealed that he posts anonymously on online forums about what topic and “can be on there for ages”?Dialectical materialismProblematic family dynamicsAston Villa FCBritain’s colonial legacy in the CaribbeanIn June, where did Jeff Bezos, the Amazon founder, and the journalist Lauren Sánchez marry, at a reported cost of at least $20 million?IstanbulLisbonSan FranciscoVeniceIn July, a Reddit user posted footage of OpenAI’s ChatGPT agent casually doing what?Rewriting its own safety protocolsSubmitting a patent application for “self-awareness”Clicking through an “I am not a robot” verification testEditing Wikipedia to remove critical commentary about itselfIn January, which prominent British podcast host got into a heated debate on X with JD Vance, the US vice-president, about the nature of Christian love?Fearne CottonStephen FryGary LinekerRory StewartIn April, Lucy Guo unseated Taylor Swift as the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire. What does the company she co-founded specialise in?AICryptoWearable fitness techDriverless carsIn April, the biggest meme of 2025 concerned who would win in a fight between what?Ten hamsters and a toddlerTen toddlers and a manA hundred men and a gorillaA hundred gorillas and a VelociraptorIn July, fans of which act drank more than 250,000 pints a night at Wembley Stadium – twice as many as Coldplay fans, and six times as many as Taylor Swift fans?Bruce SpringsteenOasisBeyoncéHarry StylesIn January, in the London Review of Books, which Irish writer recounted their near brush with the Los Angeles wildfires?Colm TóibínAnne EnrightJohn BoyneEmma DonoghueIn March, in an effort to deal with “colonial legacies”, Trinity College Dublin renamed its Berkeley Library after which poet?Eavan BolandDerek WalcottRudyard KiplingEdmund SpenserIn August, which actor starred in a revival of Conor McPherson’s play The Weir, which ran at the 3Olympia Theatre in Dublin before transferring to the West End of London?Brendan GleesonPaul MescalCillian MurphySaoirse RonanIn July, which artist pushed back on Instagram after The Irish Times described their Dublin show, which featured a hologram of themselves, as “by far the strangest performance the Aviva has hosted”?Justin TimberlakeLana Del ReyLil Nas XDua LipaIn September, why was Sally Rooney unable to accept an award for her novel Intermezzo in person at a ceremony in London?She had CovidShe had jury dutyShe was stuck in a revolving doorShe believed she might be arrested if she entered the UKIn January, what surprising revelation did Ringo Starr make during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live?He has never tasted pizzaHe has never listened to a Beatles recordHe chews and swallows 35 pieces of gum a dayHis wife once threatened to divorce him if he didn’t stop playing Mambo No 5 at homeIn July, an investigation by The Observer newspaper raised serious questions about the truthfulness of which bestselling memoir?Nobody’s Girl, by Virginia Roberts GiuffreI’m Glad My Mom Died, by Jennette McCurdyPoor, by Katriona O’SullivanThe Salt Path by Raynor WinnReleased to rave reviews in January, what does the title of Bad Bunny’s album Debí Tirar Más Fotos mean in English?Debbie Tires of PhotosDebbie, Throw Me More PhotosThe Day I Tore More PhotosI Should Have Taken More PhotosIn May, RTÉ asked the European Broadcasting Union for a full breakdown of Eurovision voting amid suspicions about the performance of which country in the public vote?GermanyIsraelSpainUnited KingdomIn December 2024, State Papers described who as “exquisitely embarrassed” in September 1994?Gerry Adams when the first IRA ceasefire broke down Jack Charlton when he discovered Ireland’s World Cup side would receive an official homecoming reception despite poor performances Russian ambassador Nikolai Kozyrev after Boris Yeltsin failed to alight from his plane in Shannon Gay Byrne when he discovered that Boyzone, his musical guests on The Late Late Show, could neither sing nor play instruments In October, a debt from 2009 owed to a former tenant emerged that derailed Jim Gavin’s presidential campaign. How much was it for?€2,200€3,300€4,400€5,500In September, Peter Mandelson was sacked as the UK’s ambassador to the United States after a note released by a US congressional committee revealed he called whom his “best pal” in 2008?Bernie MadoffRosemary WestCharles MansonJeffrey EpsteinIn September, an RTÉ documentary by David McCullagh questioned whether who ever existed?The sailor logged in Tom Crean’s expedition papers as his bunkmateThe actor named on Maureen O’Hara’s first film poster as her costarThe fashionista listed in Fianna Fáil’s accounts as Bertie Ahern’s stylistThe man named on Éamon de Valera’s birth certificate as his fatherIn May, the rapper Kid Cudi testified that, in December 2011, P Diddy broke into his house and did what?Put cling film over his toilet bowlOpened Christmas presentsSwapped the sugar and salt containersDrew moustaches on all his family photographsIn July, what explanation did the artist David Rooney provide for the anachronistic appearance of a TV aerial in a postage stamp commemorating Daniel O’Connell?It was an error by the printerIt was actually a chimney sweep’s brushIt was in recognition of O’Connell’s skills as a communicatorThe illustration was created by AIIn a letter to United States senators in January, what did former first daughter Caroline Kennedy claim that her cousin Robert F Kennedy jnr did as a young man in the 1970s?Danced under a mirrored disco ball with his shirt unbuttoned to the navelPractised Led Zeppelin riffs in the family garage until the neighbours complainedBuilt elaborate model aircraft on a shag carpet while listening to short wave radioPut baby chickens and mice into a blender to feed his pet hawksReleased in July, the lyrics of CMAT’s song Euro-Country sparked a debate about what phenomenon in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crash?EmigrationEU agricultural subsidiesMale suicideThe rise of craft beerIn May, a map drawn in 1907, during the French colonial era, became central to a violent border dispute between which two countries?Vietnam and LaosSenegal and MaliCambodia and ThailandAlgeria and MoroccoIn a video that resurfaced in September, who claimed to have been assaulted on the street during a visit to Ireland in 2007?JD VancePope Leo XIVPrince HarryBinyamin Netanyahu