Both have sisters, and say they don't look similar to either of them

The pair met in real life and although it was 'freaky', they got on very well

A young woman has managed to find her doppelgänger after launching a campaign on Facebook as a social experiment - and their likeness is mind-blowing.

Niamh Geaney, a 26-year-old TV presenter from Dublin, teamed up with two male friends on a project they dubbed Twin Strangers to see who could find their closest lookalike within 28 days, and were soon inundated with submissions from all over the world.

Incredibly, Niamh found her match in Karen Branigan, 29, a fellow Ireland native who lives just an hour down the road, making it easy for the pair to meet in real life and take some eerily twin-like photos together.

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Uncanny: Niamh Geaney, a 26-year-old student from Dublin (left), found her 'twin stranger' in Karen Branigan (right), through a social media campaign she launched with friends

Speaking to MailOnline about her first meeting with Karen, Niamh said: I was ridiculously nervous about how I would react to meeting someone who looks like me.

'For the entire duration of our encounter I pretty much stared at her. I couldn’t get over her face, and some of the expressions she would pull I would think to myself or say aloud, "Oh my God that’s my face."

'I can’t remember the number of times I said "this is so freaky". It was truly amazing.'

Karen, who is currently in between jobs, has five sisters and a brother. Niamh has a brother and two sisters, and both girls agree that none of their siblings look anywhere near as similar to them as they do to one another.

Niamh said the pair got on 'very well' as they both applied make-up before the shoot, swapping beauty tips and marvelling at their similarities.

'For the entire duration of our encounter I pretty much stared at her. I couldn’t get over her face,' said Niamh (left)

They meet! 'I was ridiculously nervous about how I would react to meeting someone who looks like me' Niamh (right) said about Karen (left)

Niamh added, 'I can’t remember the number of times I said "this is so freaky". It was truly amazing'

'I would say Karen is the shyer of the two of us,' Niamh remarked. 'But then you have to remember this was an even more surreal experience for her than it was for me.

'I knew what search I was embarking on. I’m the weirdo that contacted Karen out of the blue and asked her to meet me in person.'

Since meeting, Niamh and Karen - who are both single - say they've been chatting on Facebook 'constantly'.

Karen (right) turned out to be a fellow Ireland native who lived just an hour down the road from Niamh (left), making it easy for the pair to meet in real life and take some eerily twin-like photos together

She added, 'Some of the expressions she would pull I would think to myself or say aloud, "Oh my God that’s my face"'

While Niamh appears to have beaten her fellow Twin Strangers participants, 21-year-old Harry and 22-year-old Terence, hands down, the search isn't over until April 27.

'I think I have a two, maybe three at a push who resemble me. But they're definitely not as close a match as Karen to Niamh,' Harry says.

'I'm trailing further behind,' admits Terence. 'Must be a guy thing. They tend to be a bit too shy to participate. Not sure if being originally from sub-Saharan Africa has anything to do with it!'

Niamh (right) said she and Karen (left) got on 'very well' as they both applied make-up before the shoot, swapping beauty tips and marvelling at their similarities (pictured)

Friends for life? Since meeting, Niamh (right) and Karen (left) - who are both single - say they've been chatting on Facebook 'constantly'

Feedback: Shocked reactions to Karen and Niamh's story have flooded in from far and wide

Challenge: Niamh's (right) fellow Twin Strangers participants, 21-year-old Harry (left) and 22-year-old Terence (centre), are still looking for their doppelgängers, and the search isn't over until April 27

Niamh, who is still promoting the project across social media with Harry and Terence as interest spreads, says there will be no prize for the winner, just 'pride'.

They are inviting others from around the world to join in too now, by adding users' photos to their Facebook album.