Flash-sale retailer Gilt Groupe announced this week that it is establishing its first European foothold via two facilities in Ireland.

The retailer, No. 140 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide, will establish its overseas headquarters as well as a software development center, in Dublin. It will also open a customer support center in Limerick, the country’s third-largest city, by September. Gilt’s corporate headquarters remain in New York City.

In total, Gilt Groupe says it plans to create up 200 jobs, which will be split equally between the two cities. The retailer says it has begun recruiting for senior software engineering and technology positions in Dublin.

“As a rapidly growing company we were attracted to Ireland because of its multilingual business and technical skills base, the growing digital media and e-commerce cluster and the pro-business operating environment,” says Kevin Ryan, Gilt Groupe CEO.

Among the elements making Ireland business-friendly is its low corporate tax rate. Ireland’s rate of 12.5% is among the lowest in the Europe, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Gilt Groupe is rapidly growing. Internet Retailer estimates that its 2009 sales totaled $97.0 million, a 66.6% jump from $58.2 million in 2008. Learn more about recent trends in European e-commerce by clicking here.