I found that disabling cookies made my attempt to get google.com default to google.ie. If I allow cookies I can get straight to google.com.

I found that disabling cookies made my attempt to get google.com default to google.ie. If I allow cookies I get straight through to google.com.

Google.ie anf Google.com actully do not show the same result often at all. Goolge.ie will usually find something more relevant to Irish visitor for any phrase than within the .com space.

The question what is the '.com space' is what I always wondered about. Is it the US? Is it the 'Pages in English' as most search engines call it?

Anyway, here is a funny example for the page:

Ireland Jobs & EmployIreland.com, Jobs In Ireland and Irish Jobs

Both the Goolge.ie and Google.com show it on top of the search result for the phrase that matches the domain name 'Ireland Jobs':

ireland jobs - Google Search
ireland jobs - Google Search

Does it mean that haveing a domain name close or identical helps you in the reanking in both Google.com and Google.ie - my take is - most likely. Identical is of course allways better, since the slight change in the search prase will send your result to the bottom of the page ('job instead of 'jobs'):
ireland job - Google Search

One of my sites is hosted in the states but it still does waaay better in Ireland. Which is mad.... google knows all....

Maybe it's just because there's slightly less competition for the SERPs here in my niche... as in no competition...