Say it with authority and no one will doubt it.

It's true, most facts are just bullshit disguised with an authorative tone. I do it all the time. However you don't expect the website of the Taoiseach's office to come up with bullshit like this:

(From the "Did you know..." section of www.taoiseach.gov.ie's Youth Zone):

26. Michael Collins was the first Irishman in space, he remained in lunar orbit while his Apollo 11 colleagues, Edwin Aldrin and Neil Armstrong walked on the moon( 21st July 1969)

How exactly was he Irish bar the obvious name? Born in Italy and (according to his wikipedia entry) "during the 17 years in which Michael Collins lived at home, he would call Rome, Oklahoma, Governors Island, Puerto Rico and Alexandria, Virginia home."

It's a stretch too far, not exactly the granny rule is it?