Some 35,225 .ie domains were registered in 2015, or 96 a day, a 13% increase on 2014 and the highest annual number since 2011 according to the latest report from the IE Internet Domain Registry released today.
Net registrations (new .ie domain registrations less non-renewed .ie domains) were 12,929 in 2015 – the highest recorded number since 2011, and a 48% increase on 2014. Last year’s .ie registrations bring the total number of .ie domains to 210,839. Counties Dublin, Cork and Galway accounted for 58% of all new .ie registrations in 2015. The report also found that in 2015, private and public limited companies made up nearly 50% of all new .ie registrations, followed by sole traders at 25%.
Dublin, with 71, has the highest number of .ie domains per 1,000 people, followed by Carlow (52) and Wicklow (48). Donegal, with 18 .ie domains per 1,000 people, has the lowest rate in the Republic of Ireland.
Almost two thirds (64%) of new .ie domains in 2015 were registered in Leinster, followed by 17% in Munster; 8% in Connacht; and 4% in Ulster. Only 7% were registered overseas.
David Curtin, chief executive, IEDR, said: “Considering almost 75% of all new .ie domain registrations in 2015 were by companies and sole traders, this rise correlates with positive trends in the wider economy and represents a positive leading indicator of business confidence.
“For Irish businesses, there are significant benefits and advantages to registering a .ie domain name. With .ie, a business or organisation is immediately ‘identifiably Irish’. For businesses trading at home, it signals trust and familiarity; for those advertising abroad, it promises Irish authenticity. As IEDR actively manages the .ie domain database, we ask each business or individual to provide a tangible link or connection to Ireland, so .ie domains are by default safer and more trustworthy.
“There is room for improvement, however. While there has been a slight increase in the number of .ie domains per 1,000 people since the second half of 2015, Ireland still ranks behind many of its EU peers, and significantly behind those with similar population sizes, like Norway and Denmark.
“There are also clear regional disparities in .ie uptake within Ireland. The three big cities dominate the .ie domain space, with rural Munster, Connacht and Ulster lagging behind, quite substantially in some counties. Ongoing infrastructural problems, like a lack of broadband and access to digital enterprise programmes, are stifling growth and innovation.
“Government and industry must continue to work together to get rural Ireland online, building websites and engaging in e-commerce. Access to the global digital economy has transformative effects on business. Reflecting our commitment in this regard, IEDR runs the annual Optimise Fund which awards €150,000 worth of services to fifteen Irish SMEs and micro-enterprises keen to improve their digital presence and engage in e-commerce.”
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