“If this trend continues we will be looking at a record year for overseas visitor numbers,” said Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport, Paschal Donohoe.

Ireland is now in its fifth consecutive year of growth in visitor numbers, with the economic recovery, expanding air routes, a 9pc VAT rate for the sector and marketing initiatives like the Wild Atlantic Way and The Gathering all apparently paying dividends.

2007 was Irish tourism’s busiest year to date, with 7.7m visitors.

“These are very strong figures for the tourism sector and confirm what the industry has been saying to us over the last few months; business is very good and we may be looking at a record year for overseas visitors in 2015,” said Shaun Quinn, CEO of Fáilte Ireland.