That time has gone. Now, everyone's in on the game.

"Twenty years ago it was Americans, ten years ago it was Europeans, now it's Irish people who are buying Irish islands, " said Dominic Daly, a property consultant from Cork.

"I sell quite a lot of islands all over the country. It is very much a niche market, and we have had some very interesting buyers from all over the world. But the Irish have definitely come on stream since the Celtic Tiger. They have more disposable income now."

Daly said he could not reveal the names of any celebrity island-owners, but that one sale in particular had stayed in his memory.

"We were in contact with an African tribal chief who wanted security, " he said.

"People who buy islands are generally looking for peace, quiet and solitude. But this man wanted to be safe. So he flew me over to Europe to discuss the prospect of investing in an island. Then we flew around Ireland in a helicopter looking at the various options available to him. He didn't buy anything in the end, but he spent a lot of money just searching for his dream island."

Daly said the best island he had ever sold was Garnish Island, just off the coast of Cork.

"It just has everything going for it, as an island, " he said. "It has two nice houses in good period style and particularly lovely gardens. And because the island is under the influence of the Gulf Stream it has a much better climate than most Irish islands."

Among the islands currently for sale in Ireland is the 30-acre Carbery Island, which comes with the adjoining fouracre Cold Island for the price of Euro1.25m.

However, prospective buyers who are more interested in a smaller acquisition could be tempted by the unfortunatelynamed Quarantine Island. With just 1.2 acres, this little plot of land is not suitable for development, but could make an ideal spot for camping. Or just sitting on.

Two islands for �340,000 Farther north, Daly's company is also selling the 30-acre Shore Island in the Shannon estuary for a cool Euro1m.

"The island has lovely ruins on it so you could be able to reconstruct those ruins, " said Daly.

And for buyers interested in joining Louis Walsh off the west coast, two islands have recently come on the market. Bir M�r and Bir Beag comprise 33 acres and sit in Kilkieran Bay off the coast of Connemara. A mere Euro340,000 might secure these two little plots of paradise.