WHETHER IT IS our veneration of a man who is a humanoid potato in a porkpie hat, or a secret theatre underneath a grimy bus depot, Ireland has no shortage of cultural curiosities.

By way of celebrating some of the weirdest factoids about our small island, here is a quiz on ten of our favourite cultural oddities. Enjoy.

What did the Republic of Ireland briefly legalise in 2015?

Ecstasy and ketamine

Drink-driving

Voter fraud

Impersonating a guard

__________ Special is the name of a soft drink produced in Donegal.

Railroad

Football

Rally

Northern

The shop affectionately known by the LGBTQ community as 'Gay Spar' is situated on the corner of which two Dublin streets?

Camden St and Dame St

Wexford St and Kevin's St

Aungier St and Dame St

George's St and Dame St

What is the official name of the Naas Ball?

The Sphere

Fusion Road

Perpetual Motion

Sacred Orb

Lambay Island is famously home to which creatures?

Wallabies

Bandicoots

Koala bears

Kangaroos

In what month of the year does the Puck Fair take place?

June

July

August

September

A virtually unknown Nirvana famously played Cork's Sir Henry's in 1991, but which band were they supporting?

The Melvins

Sonic Youth

Smashing Pumpkins

Pearl Jam

Obama Plaza opened in 2014, but which ancestor of Obama's emigrated to the United States from Moneygall?

Great-grandfather

Great-great-grandfather

Great-great-great-grandfather

Grandfather

Who became Ireland's first Olympic medallist following independence?

John B Keane

Jack B Yeats

Pat O'Callaghan

John Lavery

Where does Ireland rank when it comes to Nobel Prizes per capita?

1st

8th

18th

28th

Answer all the questions to see your result!

You scored out of !

Congratulations! I'm Douglas Hyde!

You scored out of !

Not bad! I'm Douglas Hyde!

You scored out of !

You have failed me! I'm Douglas Hyde!

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Quiz: How well do you know Ireland's cultural oddities?

Making a difference

A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

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