IRELAND IS ON THE CUSP of a second baby boom in two years, according to new figures from directory enquiries firm 11850, which says it saw callers look for numbers for dating agencies 27 times more often in the autumn months.

Releasing its Autumn calls index, the company said it has seen calls for dating agencies increase by a whopping 2650%, while there was also a jump of 44% in callers looking for jewellery designers, 31% for calls looking for details on priests and clergy, and a 45% jump in callers looking for wedding cars.

There was also a 79% jump in callers looking for the contact details of pre-marriage counselling services – and, perhaps predictably given the cold weather, a 10% rise in the volume of inquiries for lingerie shops.

Analogous to that, calls for family planning services were up by 50%, with calls for baby shops and supplies up by 169%, and maternity wear up by 68%.

11850′s chief marketing officer Colin Lewis said the figures offered an “interesting window into the next stage in the lives of Irish people.

“When the nation makes a big decision, they come to us to get the numbers they need to call to get their plans rolling.”

Speculation that the stats might ring true are also given weight by the findings of recruitment company Sigmar, which polled 100 firms and found that an average of 16% of employees didn’t make it to work at all this week, given the cold weather.

Ireland is already experiencing a rise in new births following the particularly cold weather in December 2009 and January 2010. The current cold snap is likely to have further heightened any amorous intentions of Irish lovers in the recent days.

Notoriously, Ireland experienced a baby boom nine months after the visit of Pope John Paul II in 1979.