Hundreds of Irish people have signed up to a US-based dating website which specialises in giving older women, or 'cougars', access to younger, single men – and vice versa.

The website, called Dateacougar.com, is currently displaying more than 550 advertisements from men and women who say they are either based in Dublin or within a 100-mile radius. It bills itself as the "premier cougar dating site for single guys looking to meet a rich older cougar who likes young guys and sex".

'Cougar' is an American slang term for older women who seek out much younger men.

A hit television show, starring former Friends actress Courteney Cox, charts a recently divorced woman's re-entry to a dating scene filled with younger men.

Cougar Town is currently showing on Monday night on RTE Two.

Logging onto the site under an assumed name, the Sunday Tribune searched for 'cougars' aged between 30 and 65, living within 100 miles of Dublin.

We then repeated the exercise by posing as a 'cougar' searching for younger men (or cubs/males as they are known on the website) aged between 20 and 35.

Among the typical profiles and pictures posted was one from a 50-year-old woman calling herself "young at heart".

In her personal statement, she says she is "attractive, intelligent, honest, enthusiastic, assertive, independent, straight talker, looks young for my age & loving it".

Elsewhere, a 38-year-old divorc­ed Irishwoman describ­es herself as a "fit brunette [who] likes younger guys".

"Divorced lady... looking for some sexual fun… I prefer fit guys younger than me as they can keep up with me!! I am very fit, extremely attractive and would like similar," she adds.

Another 41-year-old woman describes herself as a "Christian woman seeking younger man" for a relationship.

"Life is for living!" is the tagline given by the oldest Irish "cougar", a 65-year-old woman who says she is a "tall dark, attractive, sexy & classy looking lady".

However, the majority of Irish posts on the website are from men wanting to meet 'cougars'. These include a 27-year-old man who says he is "single and craving an older woman".

He "not only finds older women more attractive but loves their company", he writes.

Meanwhile, another post from a 34-year-old calling himself "curious guy" states that he is an "average guy looking for a good time with an older lady".

A spokesperson for the website did not respond to queries about its Irish membership from this newspaper. It is licensed to a Florida- based company called First Beat media.