15 August 2019
By Bryan Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
Munster registered 4,775 new .ie domains in H1 2019, according to IE Domain Registry
273,156 .ie domains in the national database at end of H1 2019; database has grown by almost 40% in the last five years
Over 80% of all .ie domains are registered by companies and the self-employed
IE Domain Registry CEO: “In Ireland and in Cork, .ie remains the digital gold standard for those who want to build or enhance their online presence.”
Companies, self-employed entrepreneurs, private individuals and local organisations in Cork registered 2,109 new. ie domains in the first half of 2019, according to the latest edition of the .ie Domain Profile Report, published today by IE Domain Registry.
New .ie domain registrations in Munster in H1 2019 numbered 4,775. At the end of H1 2019, there was a total of 46,449 .ie domains registered in Munster, up 9.2% year-on-year.
Nationally, the total .ie domain database grew by 8.3% year-on-year, and by nearly 40% compared to the same period five years ago. At the end of H1 2019, there was a total of 273,156 .ie domains.
The .ie domain remains an extremely popular way for Irish businesses to demonstrate their authenticity and trustworthiness to local and international customers: 80.2% of the total .ie database is comprised of companies and self-employed entrepreneurs, up 4% year-on-year.
New .ie registrations by individuals grew by 26.4% year-on-year, which speaks to the growing trend of using websites to build a permanent, personal space on the internet, free from many of the limitations of social networks.
Further illustrating the value of the .ie domain, 240 domains were offered for private sale in H1 2019, up 75% from 137 in the same period last year.
IE Domain Registry insight
IE Domain Registry, the company that manages and maintains .ie, Ireland’s country domain name, says that much of the domain’s recent growth has been powered by a change to registration requirements implemented in March 2018.
While .ie registrants must still prove their connection to Ireland, they no longer need to prove their ‘claim’ to a particular .ie name, which makes the registration process easier and faster, particularly for early-stage start-up businesses.
David Curtin, Chief Executive of IE Domain Registry, said: “In Ireland and in Cork, .ie remains the digital gold standard for businesses, entrepreneurs, communities, and individuals that want to build or enhance their online presence.
“For Irish businesses that sell online, .ie represents authenticity and trustworthiness, factors that are hugely important for e-commerce and consumers’ peace of mind. For individuals, a .ie domain has benefits over a social media presence, particularly in terms of control over content and reach, which many social networks restrict as they continue to change their algorithms.”
Other .ie facts
39.3% of .ie websites had SSL (security) certificates at the end of H1 2019, a 58.5% increase year-on-year. Google now downgrades search results for websites without SSL certs.
39 .ie domain names have a fada, a 39% increase year-on-year.
.ie domains for sale for over €50,000: sl.ie, baby.ie, sunhotels.ie, billionaire.ie, and blockchain.ie.
Deleted or expired .ie domains available for purchase: 1922.ie, Sk8.ie, P45.ie, SlowCooker.ie, FiveMinutesofHeaven.ie, Flog.ie, and ShoppingIreland.ie.
The five most visited .ie domains: Google.ie, Donedeal.ie, Daft.ie, Independent.ie and RTE.ie.
The busiest day ever for new .ie registrations: 699 new .ie domains were registered on 21 March 2018, the day .ie liberalisation was implemented.
