The number of overseas visitors to Ireland increased by 7.1% to more than 2.5m in the three months to November, when compared with the same period in 2016.

New figures from the Central Statistics Office also show there was very little change in the number of trips here by British residents, with the number of visits for the three-month period standing at 947,300.

However, for the year to November the number of British visits to Ireland is nearly 200,000 lower than it was in 2016.

Tourism Ireland CEO Niall Gibbons said: "The decline in visitor numbers from Britain continues to be a concern, down -5.2% for the January to November period.

"The fall in the value of sterling has made holidays and short breaks here more expensive for British visitors and has made Britain more affordable for visitors from many of our top markets.

"In 2018, Tourism Ireland will continue to place a greater focus on our 'culturally curious' audience, who are less impacted by currency fluctuations. However, competitiveness and the value for money message remain more important than ever in Britain right now."

Meanwhile, trips by residents from other European countries to Ireland rose by 12.3% to 884,200 over the same comparative timeframe.

The number of North American visits also continued its recent surge, with an annual 13.5% rise between September and November to over 562,000 visits.

On the American-based growth, Mr Gibbons said: "We have seen exceptional results from North America this year - almost two million visitors so far, up +16.6% on January to November last year."

The CSO data also show the total number of overseas trips made by Irish residents during the period increased by 2.8% to 1,910,900.