Price falls lead to American interest

FALLING house prices and old-fashioned peace and quiet could attract a surge in American interest in Irish property, according to a survey.

One-in-three Irish-Americans are interested in owning an Irish property, while 76% of retired Irish-Americans have said they would consider spending some of the year in this country.

The most popular counties for the diaspora are Galway, Kerry and Cork, with 15% of respondents stating they would buy in the west, followed by 11% each in Kerry and Cork.

The next most popular locations among the 1,100 people surveyed are Clare, Donegal and Dublin, which garnered 9% each.

The survey revealed that just 3% of Irish-Americans living in the US own a home here, but 33% of those surveyed said they would be interested in buying a property here.

As for the reasons for purchasing a house, 59% said they wanted to buy in an area with links to family, while 55% said they wanted to live in the countryside for the perceived tranquility it would offer.

The survey indicates that Ireland is still popular when it comes to culture, hospitality and friendliness, but less so when it comes to business and value for money. According to the survey, just 43% of respondents said Ireland was a good place to do business and 52% said it offered value for money.

It also shows that among Irish-Americans, faith and religion are deemed “hallmarks of Irishness”.

The opinion poll was carried out by Amarach Research in collaboration with irishcentral.com.

Orla Murphy, director of Amarach Research, said the survey indicates that Ireland was failing to properly promote the achievements of the Irish business community and of the country’s sportsmen and women.

* www.irishcentral.com