Irish Sporting Healthy Sex Appetites

INSATIABLE Irish lovers are buying twice as many erotic toys at Ann Summers as the fun-loving British.
The saucy store's boss has revealed that 'Rampant Rabbits' and open-crotch knickers are among the big sellers in the O'Connell Street shop.

Jacqueline Gold said sales in Ireland are double what they are across the water at the staggering 1,000 Ann Summers parties which take place every month.

Despite highly publicised protests at the opening of the city centre shop, the Irish are stocking up on toys, lotions and undies.

Ann Summers' party turnover is now over €4m a year, and over 300 party organisers are doing a booming business.

Ms Gold admitted she was "surprised" by the former Dublin Corporation's negative attitude to the opening of the shop.

The corporation took her to court, claiming the shop was not appropriate on Dublin's main street, but she won the case.

"I'm used to controversy but I never imagined it would be like this," she said.

"I think it was down to one or two individuals who were against Ann Summers and had never been in one of our shops."

Over 10,000 customers visited the flagship shop on the first day of business five years ago.

Since then, the huge sales in sex toys shows the voracious libidos of the Catholic nation.

Organisers get a quarter in commission for sales at the parties, each of which makes about €360 in sales.

"Not bad for a couple of hours of fun," said Gold.