The Irish are known for their wit and sense of humor but also for their love of practical jokes. Who better to turn to than the Irish when April Fool's Day is around the corner.

Over the years the Irish have pulled off some pretty famous and hilarious gags. Some of the stories have been passed down from generation to generation and some have gone viral.

Traditionally in Ireland all pranks must end on April Fool's at midday. In Ireland, there's a come back rhyme to use if you're pranked after noon: "April Fool's is dead and gone. You're the fool for carrying on." However if you're from the United States or elsewhere, feel free to prank all day.

Here are a couple of brilliant Irish practical jokes pulled off with panache: 

The Independent V Caravaggio

In July 2003 the Irish Independentnewspaper reported that Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconihad slammed the Irish Government and demanded the return of Caravaggio's painting "The Taking of Christ" which is housed in the National Gallery, Dublin.

However this wasn't true. It seems that the Independent hadn't taken into account the fact that it was April 1 when they picked the story up from a popular website P45.net. The story made the front page of the newspaper. Four weeks later they apologized for their mistake.

Euro Disney Lenin -

Back in 1995 The Irish Times reported that the Disney Corporations was in negotiation with the Russian government to purchase the body of communist leader Vladimir Ilyich Lenin for the Euro Disney park where it would be given the "full Disney treatment".

The report said they planned to display the embalmed leader's body "under stroboscopic lights which will tone up the pallid face while excerpts from President Reagan's 'evil empire' speech will be played in quadraphonic sound." Lenin t-shirts would be sold and Disney anticipated that it would attract a great number of visitors.

They said that the Russians were in agreement with the sale of the body while liberal groups wanted to keep his mausoleum empty "to symbolize the 'emptiness of the Communist system.'" Russian nationalists wanted to transform it into a memorial to Tsar Nicholas II.

The Train to Drogheda

In the last week in March, 1844, placards appeared around Dublin advertising free train rides to Drogheda, County Louth, on April 1 for anybody who wanted them.

The placards said that the free ride would include a return ticket. On April 1 a large crowd gathered in the station. As the train approached they surged forward. The people were attempting to get on the train to nab their free seats when the conductors and staff told them there were no free rides.

A riot broke out. The next day newspapers reported "The laborers on the road supported the overseers—the victims fought for their places, and the melee was tremendous.“ On April 2 a number of people went to the police station to lodge complaints but their complaints were dismissed in honor of the day.

The following day a number of people went to the police station to lodge official complaints. But the police dismissed all complaints "in honor of the day."

Wikipedia Scammer

“One could say my life itself has been one long soundtrack. Music was my life, music brought me to life, and music is how I will be remembered long after I leave this life. When I die there will be a final waltz playing in my head and that only I can hear…”

These were the words of French composer Maurice Jarre, which were published and republished in various obituaries in newspapers and blogs around the world when he died in March 2009.

However shortly afterwards it emerged that Jarre had never said these words. They were in fact the work of a Dublin student, Shane Fitzgerald, who had posted the quote on his Wikipedia page as an experiment.

Schoolgirl phone call school demolition

A couple of years ago Dublin radio station, 98fm, recruited a cheeky girl called "Little Becky" who made a name for herself on morning radio as a top prankster.

Here's the audio of her phone call to a demolition company looking for a "ball-park figure" on how much it would cost to blow-up her school: