US shows interest in Irish properties

ONE IN three Irish-Americans has expressed an interest in buying property in Ireland at some stage this decade, according to a survey.

The survey by Amárach Research/Irishcentral.com also found three-quarters of Irish-American retirees say they would look at spending part of each year based in Ireland.

However, the monthly survey of Irish-American attitudes also reveals that Ireland scores badly as a place to do business and to get things done efficiently. However, it scores well when it comes to hospitality and friendliness.

Market research company Amárach teamed up with media website irishcentral.com last year to develop The Link, an online survey of the Irish in the US and Irish-Americans.

The latest survey of 1,100 people was carried out last week. It finds that while only 3 per cent of Irish-Americans living in the US own property in Ireland, one-third would be interested in purchasing a house in Ireland between now and 2019.

Some 53 per cent said the key motivation for buying would be the prospect of having a personal or family holiday home in Ireland.

More women, 55 per cent, expressed an interested in becoming property owners here than men, at 49 per cent.

Some 61 per cent of those who said they would buy property here expressed an interest in a “house”.

Some 44 per cent would be specifically interested in a “cottage”, while 23 per cent would be interested in a “country house”.

Galway scored highly as the location in which most Irish-Americans would like to buy a property, with 15 per cent giving it first choice.

Next were Kerry and Cork each at 11 per cent; Cork at 11 per cent; and Clare, Donegal and Dublin each at 9 per cent.

Some 59 per cent said they were driven by an instinct to find a location with links to family origins and heritage. Some 55 per cent expressing a preference for a rural over an urban setting.