31-year-old electrical engineer Patrick Carthy has been named Ireland’s Smartest after the nation’s most intelligent quizzers were put through their paces over the past 10 weeks.

The series finale presented by quizmaster Claire Byrne aired on Sunday June 4th on RTÉ One.

The other two finalists were 56-year-old Brian Craythorne, a civil servant from Belfast and 44-year-old Niall Duddy, a maths teacher from Galway.

Presenter Claire Byrne said: “What a rollercoaster it has been on the road to the final and each contestant has certainly earned their place in the top three! The questions became tougher with each round and the competition was stiffer as we moved from the heats to the final. Patrick kept his nerve the whole way through and has truly proved himself to be Ireland’s Smartest. It was a privilege to meet all of the players who were brave enough to face off against some of the best and brightest in the country to shoot for the grand title, but what a worthy winner we have found in Patrick Carthy who was calm and focussed to the last second of the game. Congratulations Patrick – you truly are, Ireland’s Smartest!”

Winner Patrick Carthy said: “I was delighted to win the series particularly against such excellent opponents. Like in our first-round match, the final round against Brian was incredibly close and could have gone either way. It was great to get the opportunity to take part in Ireland’s Smartest as I’ve always enjoyed watching television quizzes. The format was fun to play even with the added pressure of the studio lights and cameras. There has been great support throughout the series from friends, neighbours, work colleagues and family, in particular my mother Mary.”

Below please find some of the questions and answers that helped Patrick secure his win.

QUESTIONS + ANSWERS

Q: Donald Trump beat which Democratic nominee to win the 2016 US presidential election?

A: Hillary Clinton

Q: Which fish, pickled in vinegar and wrapped around a filling, is traditionally used to make the dish called ‘Rollmops’?

A: Herring

Q: Which novel by Aldous Huxley is set in the year AF 632?

A: Brave New World

Q: At which film festival is the Palme d’Or awarded?

A: Cannes Film Festival

Q: Marsala is a fortified wine from which Italian island?

A; Sicily

Q: Which author created the husband and wife detective duo, Tommy and Tuppence Beresford?

A: Agatha Christie

Q: Named after Herman Frasch, the ‘Frasch Process’ is a method of extracting which chemical element from underground deposits?

A: Sulphur

Q: KLM is the flag carrier airline of which country?

A: Netherlands

Q: Who won the first Nobel Prize for Physics for his discovery of X-rays?

A: Wilhelm Roentgen

Q: Based on a play by Alexander Pushkin, the 1874 opera ‘Boris Godunov’ is by which Russian composer?

A: Mussorgsky

Q: First held in 1970, ‘Earth Day’ is celebrated in which month of the year?

A; April

Q: Which French feminist and existentialist wrote the 1949 treatise, ‘The Second Sex’?

A: Simone de Beauvoir

Q: In astrology, the zodiac sign Cancer is usually represented by which creature?

A: Crab

The ten-part series started on Sunday, April 2nd and the finale aired Sunday June 4th on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player. All 10 episodes of the series are available on RTÉ Player.