Reckon you know Ireland inside out? These people definitely don’t…

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Tourists from all over the world flock to our little island every day, but it seems us Irish are the ones who need to focus on getting to know the country better.

It turns out that being aware of the ins and outs of Ireland isn't just about swotting up on the best chipper or the cheapest cocktails within a five mile radius. A new survey by the Jurys Inn hotel group revealed that, far from being experts on their homeland, one in three Irish people can't pick out Co. Cavan on a map, with 20% not recognising Mayo and a further 18% not knowing where Tipperary is.

In fact, it looks like we'd all fail Junior Cert Geography these days, as 25% of Irish people cannot name the county that is home to Ben Bulben and one in ten admit they have no idea where the Giant's Causeway is. The answers are Sligo and Antrim, just for the record.

The real test came when participants were asked to guess whether some …unusual… Irish place names were real or fake. A huge 82% of us believe that Doodys Bottoms is a fake name, something the people of Co. Wicklow might not be too happy to hear. As for Bastardstown, Co. Wexford, 64% of Irish people refuse to believe it exists.

The verdict? It's time to get out there and reconnect with Ireland. One in four Irish people say they've seen more tourist attractions abroad than here on the Emerald Isle, so why not choose a staycation this summer instead of forking out for flights?

With the weather finally picking up and a few bank holidays on the way, let's embrace all that our lovely little country has to offer. Any chance of a lift to Doodys Bottoms?

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