Tourists made just over 2.5 million visits to Ireland between July and September this year, a new report has shown.
The figures from the Central Statistics Office survey are an increase of 9 per cent compared with the same period last year.
They show that visitor numbers from Europe increased by 14 per cent while those from Britain were 4 per cent higher.
The number of tourists visiting Ireland from North America also increased by 14 per cent.
The research also showed that visitors were spending longer in this country, with the number of bednights per passenger rising 9 per cent in the third quarter. The Ryder Cup was held in Ireland during this period.
During the same period the number of Irish visits abroad also grew, rising 9 per cent to 2.1 million, with visits to mainland Europe growing in popularity. According to the figures travel to continental destinations grew 15 per cent while visits to the United Kingdom fell by 3 per cent.
The figures also show that Irish people spent €68 million more abroad in the period than the visitors to Ireland.