Tourism Ireland has reached one million Facebook fans from around the world, an astonishing online success that makes it the third most popular tourism board, the Irish Examiner reports.

Ireland is third after Australia and Spain on the social networking site, which is an indication of how well thought of it is on the global stage.

Tasked with promoting tourism in Ireland, the organization has actually doubled its Facebook fan base in the past twelve months after a concerted drive drove the numbers up.

In time to promote the Gathering 2013, reaching the one million mark demonstrates its message is reaching a much wider audience on the social networking site through the friends of each person who has liked their page.