An irrigated tip catheter comprises a catheter body, a tip section, and a porous tip electrode. The catheter body has an outer wall, proximal and distal ends, and a lumen extending therethrough. The tip section comprises a segment of flexible tubing having proximal and distal ends and at least one lumen therethrough. The proximal end of the tip section is fixedly attached to the distal end of the catheter body. The porous tip electrode is fixedly attached to the distal end of the tubing of the tip section. The tip electrode has an outer surface and comprises a body and an insert. The body comprises a porous material through which fluid can pass and has a cavity therein. The insert, which comprises a non-porous material, is contained within the cavity of the shell. The insert has at least one passage extending therethrough in fluid communication with a lumen in the tip section. An infusion tube having proximal and distal ends extends through the central lumen in the catheter body. The distal end of the infusion tube is in fluid communication with the proximal end of the passage in the tip electrode, whereby fluid can flow through the infusion tube, into the passage in the tip electrode and through the porous material of tip electrode to the outer surface of the tip electrode.