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We've spread ourselves out to the four corners of the globe and a quarter of Irish people have visited more landmarks abroad than at home.

But it seems our local geography is poor as a third of Irish people can’t find Co Cavan on the map.

A study by hotel chain Jurys Inn has revealed that our knowledge of the Republic is not up to scratch.

The Aran Islands and the Blarney Stone may be popular with foreign tourists but embarrassingly some 50% of us Irish have never been to either of these stunning locations.

As many as 55% of respondents confessed they have never visited the Aran Islands, home to Father Ted Fest, the smallest church in the world, Teampall Bheanáin, or Dun Aonghasa, a prehistoric stone fort which is part of our national heritage sites.

And while the Irish are famous for having the gift of the gab, 45% of those surveyed have yet to kiss the Blarney Stone in Co Cork . Some of our most well-known sites and locations also remain a mystery to a large proportion of the population.

Despite being shown on TV every year at the solstice, 60% of Irish people have never seen the passage tombs of Newgrange for themselves.

And one in five people are unable to pick out Co Mayo on the map while nearly the same number couldn’t recognise Tipperary.

As for the North, one in 10 of us confessed to having no idea where the Giant’s Causeway is.

The embarrassing survey also revealed that the vast majority of us have never heard of some of the unusual place names in Ireland.

(Image: Getty)

Doodys Bottoms is a quaint townland in Co Wicklow but 82% of those surveyed reckoned it doesn’t exist.

And Bastardtown offers lovely coast sceneries in Co Wexford , yet 64% of participants believed it was a made-up name.

Suzanne Cannon, Group Marketing Manager at Jurys Inn, said: “Ireland has a host of great cities that blend rich history with vibrant culture, from food trails and stunning landscapes, to ‘craic agus ceol’.

“With millions of tourists flocking to Ireland each year to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy the incredible array of attractions, we’re making it our mission to encourage Irish people to explore the landmarks that are right under their nose.”

The study showed that while we don’t know much about Ireland, most of us are keen to explore the country better with 72% insisting they want to discover the hidden gems on our doorstep.