Fact and stats junkies will be delighted to know that the 1999 Irish Almanac and Yearbook of Facts is now available in shops. "Our only aim is to provide up-to-date information on Ireland, giving a snapshot of all of Ireland in the year 1998," says Helen Curley, of Artcam Ireland Ltd, the publishing company, based in Inishowen, Co Donegal, which was formed just two years ago.

According to book distributors, this almanac has become the market leader in reference books in Ireland. Now, this year Artcam Ireland has also produced The Big, Big Quizbook of Ireland 1999 with some 2,600 questions on all things Irish, covering topics such as current affairs, history, geography, people, science and entertainment. It has also brought out

The Irish Sports Almanac 1999, which contains more than one million facts about Irish sport. The reference book is £8.95, the quiz book is £6.96 and the sports book is £8.50.