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MOVE OVER Madonna, you old cougar you. Irish women aged 40 and older now share your taste for men in their 20s and 30s. One-third of single Irish women in their 40s are prowling for men at least five years younger, according to research by Parship, an internet dating site with 50,000 Irish members, writes KATE HOLMQUIST

“These are savvy, ballsy women in their 40s and 50s who know their own minds,” says Penny Lukats, public relations officer for Parship, which has nine million members throughout Europe. Her latest survey was conducted among 4,500 members in the UK and Ireland, with 900 Irish members participating. The survey found that in the past four years, the proportion of women looking for younger men has quadrupled.