Click here to see a photogallery of Irish female politicans.

Ireland’s Toireasa Ferris, a Sinn Fein councilor from County Kerry, has been voted the seventh sexiest politician in the world.

The 28-year-old even came ahead of sexpot Sarah Palin, who was at 24th, and stunning Segolene Royal from France, at 36th. 

Toireasa Ferris, who is a law graduate with a master's degree from Queen's University, Belfast, comes from a political family. Her father, Martin, is a Sinn Fein Member of Parliament, who served 10 years in prison from trying to smuggle weapons into Ireland for the IRA. 

She first hit the headlines in a big way three years ago when she appeared on the Irish chat-show, “The Late, Late Show” and had what could be termed as a “wardrobe malfunction.” Her knee-length skirt wouldn’t quite sit right, and she displayed a considerable amount of flesh. Some viewers found this upsetting – but presumably not all. 

She easily survived a motion of no confidence in her council shortly after this, tabled by a rival political party who objected to her refusing to condemn the IRA murder of an Irish policeman in 1996. 

Her wardrobe malfunction certainly didn’t damage her political ambitions: she was chosen by Sinn Fein to run in the forthcoming European Parliament elections. 

There are a couple of other Irish politicians who could consider themselves unlucky at not making the list. 

Lucinda Creighton, a 29-year-old Fine Gael Member of Parliament, picked up a few votes in last year’s election because of her looks. Liz O’Donnell, a former politican with a now defunct right-wing party called the Progressive Democrats, was also known as being one of the most glamorous and beautiful Irish politicians. Sadly, she retired from politics in 2007. 

Peruvian politics is apparently dominated by pretty ladies. It has the hottest politician, Luciana Leon, 30, a member of parliament, who was described by one online reader as “'a beauty with the face of an angel,” and by another as 'the eighth wonder of the world.” In second place was another Peruvian, 47-year-old Mercedes Araoz. 

Pols from 30 countries, including Israel, Afghanistan, Angola and New Zealand, were voted for in the online survey. The survey was noticeable for the complete absence of any British politician.