Mothercare entered the Irish market in 1991 and already has 12 high street stores, ranging in size from 1,800 sq ft in Tralee, Co Kerry, to 5,700 sq ft in the Jervis Shopping Centre in Dublin.

The British out-of-town stores, which are 'one stop' mother and baby shops, are measured in tens of thousands of feet.

A spokesman for Mothercare declined to comment on specific plans for the Irish market but confirmed that the chain is "actively searching for more opportunities" in Ireland. The market is very "attractive" to the company, he said.

The preliminary Irish census figures released last week indicate why the country's demographic profile would be a magnet for Mothercare.

Ireland's population aged between 25 and 35 is growing by almost 6% annually, 20 times faster than in the rest of Europe.

The commuter towns around Dublin accounted for one-third of the 8.1% increase in Ireland's population since the last census in 2002.

Mothercare is on an international expansion push. It opened 24 stores in the past 15 weeks, bringing the total number of stores to 290. Last week, the company revealed in its agm statement that international sales had increased by 28.9% in the past year, compared with 3% growth in Britain. It does not break out its sales figures by territory, and the spokesman declined to comment on performance in Ireland.