The Irish property market is an increasingly tempting investment to growing numbers of British investors.

Despite the country's economic woes, interest in Irish property remains high, with website searches by Britons for Irish property rising more than 8 percent in recent months.

Cork city had a particularly good month in October, with searches rising almost 32 percent. The American property market also interested Britons, with New York searches up more than 9 percent.

Apart from the Republic, Germany and the USA, the only other countries where property searches increased last month were Australia, Egypt, Canada, Switzerland, Austria and India.

Rightmove, a British property website, told the press: "We expected lifestyle buyers to begin winding down their activity as their thoughts turn to the holiday season, but the increased activity in less obvious destinations could indicate there are investors out there prepared to start dipping their toes in the water again."