“If you haven’t sent anything home to help us through the hard times please do so by Monday,” a spokesman stressed.

He said the emigrants were part of a long tradition of sending home food and money to look after those left behind.

“Times have changed, however,” he said. “This year the iPad, iPhone and Kindle Fire are the items most in demand.”

The Mire can now reveal some of the models in iPad Roleplay that are proving popular here:

iSad allows users to get inside the head of Charlie Bird.

iDad gives users who want it the John Waters experience.

iHad is surprisingly popular as it gives users the sensations felt by Martin Cullen while he is being raped by the media.

iCad and iLad are two Tiger Woods roleplay models proving popular with golfers.

iMad, which offers the Iris Robinson experience, is also popular.

Finally, iFad lets users know what it feels like to be an iPad.

Vote for The Mire as Best Humour and Best Newcomer in the 2010 Irish Blog Awards.