30 December 2024
By Bryan McCarthy
bryan@TheCork.ie
December News Review
Viewing death notices in Cork will still be free, but placing notices will cost money – due to a change in the business model of leading website RIP.ie
Ireland’s main death notice website RIP.ie will introduce a fee for funeral directors for submitting death notices to the platform from January. The service is currently free for almost all death notices. The fees will support the development and enhancement of the RIP.ie service.
The site is one of the most-visited in Ireland, enjoying an impressive 3.3m views in November alone. Earlier in 2024, The Irish Times Group acquired the website.
RIP.ie has reassured the public that it has no plans to introduce a charge to users of the site
A number of Irish funeral directors have raised concerns about the new charge, which will ultimately be passed on to customers, who are typically bereaving families.
The Irish Association of Funeral Directors (IAFD) said “When suppliers set prices beyond the control of the IAFD, which could affect our members and their clients, the Association strives to voice any concerns on their behalf, as we aim to promote best practice and deliver value to both our members and their clients.”
Currently RIP.ie only charge fees for death notices where no Irish-based funeral director is involved.
The most recent Companies Registration Office filed accounts for the company behind RIP.ie showed accumulated profits of €1.695m. The company had an after tax profit of €264,912 for the 12 months to the end of December 2023. It had only 4 employees.