According to the Department of Foreign Affairs, in the first six months of 2005 there were 3,843 first-time applications by UK citizens for Irish passports. This compares to 8,896 applications in the first six months of this year.

There has also been a sharp increase in the number of Irish passport renewals among those born in the UK, with that figure rising from 7,861 in the first half of last year to 19,497 in the first half of this year.

The rapid rise has occurred in the period since the July 7 London bombings made it clear to British citizens that they were the target of alQaeda sympathisers.

The UK increase may also be attributable to recent changes which allow people living in Northern Ireland to apply for Irish passports directly through post offices.

Figures released last month showed that applications for Irish passports by US citizens have tripled in the five years since the 11 September attacks.

Several websites from the United States have begun advertising the benefits of travelling on an Irish passport, pointing out that Ireland's long-established neutrality is a better guarantee of safety.

"With an Irish passport you are at lower risk when travelling in areas of the world that are hostile to Americans, " says ancestry. com. "Terrorists are far less likely to kidnap or attack an Irish citizen than an American."