We are world's third most romantic
WHO said romantic Ireland is dead and gone?
Irish people were ranked third for romance in a new survey, beaten only by the French and Italians.
The survey revealed, not surprisingly, that French people were viewed as the most romantic, followed by Italians, who are also well renowned for their romantic flair. But the Irish made a surprise appearance in the top three.
Publishers of the poll, Mills & Boon, which is famed for its slushy novels, commissioned the study to celebrate 100 years of romantic fiction.
As Valentine's Day approaches, the research found that 32pc of those surveyed felt the French to be the most romantic nation, followed by the Italians on 22pc and the Irish on 18pc.
The survey showed that 82pc of Irish respondents described themselves as romantic, while 21pc claimed they were very romantic.
Some eastern European countries fared badly, with just 1pc saying Poland was the most romantic nation.
More than 33pc of respondents said showing affection is the most significant characteristic of romance. But as we prepared to splash the cash for February 14, a lowly 20pc believed the most significant gesture was flowers and chocolates.
Romance was rated more important that success and money, while 30pc claimed staying faithful to your partner was key to a romantic relationship. Some 26pc rated romance as extremely important, while 19pc felt the same about their career.
The survey found that 36pc of respondents usually read non-fiction, while 22pc went for crime fiction. Some 53pc of crime fiction fans were female. Of the 11pc who read romance novels, 97pc were women.
- Cormac Murphy
