And the Winners Are...

Thanks to everyone who participated in my Rebel County Quiz Contest. I seem to have made it perhaps a shade too difficult so good on you for hunting down the correct answers. I even learned a few things myself from your responses.

The Questions and Answers

Bucking the Trend, Gougane Barra
1. Which 6th Century Saint built a hermitage on the island in the lake of Gougane Barra?
Answer: St. Finbar


Evening, Dun Lough Pier
2. What washed up here on 2 July 2007?

Answer: As Babaloo put it: A LOT of cocaine. This is one of my favourite stories. It was a horrible stormy day and these eejits load up a 15-foot dinghy with over a ton and a half of cocaine. What did they think was going to happen?
My father had the best funny answers for this one: "The shreds of my dignity? A whale who mistakenly mapquested directions for Dunloe pier?"


The Healy Pass, on the Cork-Kerry border
3. When and why was the road through this pass built?
Answer: It started as a public works and relief project during the Famine. But I learned from your answers that it was finished in the 1930s to help kids get to school on the other side of the pass.


Galley Head, Near Clonakilty
4. Which great Irish leader, nicknamed "the Big Fella" and known for his strategy of fighting the British in "flying columns," was born near Clonakilty?
Answer: Michael Collins. I don't think anyone had any trouble with this.

Bonus Question: One of County Cork's nicknames is in the title of this post. Name another nickname for the county.
Answer: The answer that popped into my head was The People's Republic of Cork. Another correct answer would have been the sporting moniker The Leesiders.

The Winners:

Fastest answers: The award for fastest answer goes to Sweet Irene.
Most humourous answers: After disqualifying my father for nepotism and practical reasons (he already has a couple Peter Cox originals hanging in the house), I had to award most humourous to Babaloo for the following bizarre and unexpected answer to the Bonus Question:
The Donkey Aters. I have never heard this before and have no clue where it comes from (did people eat donkeys during the famine?). But Google was kind enough to reveal this one after about half an hour of searching. So I hope it's right.
I've never heard of such a thing, but hey, if Google says it's true.... It's definitely odd and funny.

Random draw winner
The category all the rest of you have been waiting for. All of the correct entries were written down on paper and put in a Marks and Spencer's shopping bag.


Then, our impartial and unbiased judge reached into the bag...


...and selected the winner.


And the winner is...Carrie of Carrie and the Koemstadts.

Congratulations to everyone. I have the prizes sealed up and ready to go. Please send me your snail mail address and I'll get them in the post soon.