IEDR

Rule change prompts 30% increase in .ie domain registrations – IEDR

Domain Profile Report shows growth of regional interest
Trade
David Curtin with Minister of Communications, Climate Action & Environment, Richard Bruton

25 January 2019

According to figures from IE Domain Registry (IEDR), the company responsible for managing the .ie domain, 51,040 new domains were registered in 2018, up 29% on 2017.

According to the latest .ie Domain Profile Report, the total .ie domain database recorded 262,140 active domains at the end of 2018, up 10% on the previous year.

Net growth for 2018, which measures .ie additions and deletions, was up 60% over the same period.

IEDR attributed the growth to the registration rule change implemented last March, which applicants only need to provide one document to prove identity and a connection to Ireland. Returning customers do not need to re-submit any documents and can avail of a new ‘FastPass’ system.

Dublin registered the majority of new .ie domains in 2018 (20,353, or 43%), followed by Cork and Galway.

In border, midlands and east region counties, new .ie domain registration growth was higher than in Dublin. Leitrim recorded the highest overall year-on-year percentage growth in the country (65.5%). Laois experienced growth of 43% and Roscommon at 33%.

The report also identified a number of domains available on the open market for large sums. For example. music.ie, baby.ie, creation.ie, files.ie, and internet.ie are all for sale for €50,000.

David Curtin, chief executive, IEDR (pictured), said: “2018 was a record-breaking year for .ie, and much of that success is owed to the registration rule change. In short, the change has worked, and last year’s figures bear that out. We’ve made it easier and faster for people and organisations to register a .ie domain while still maintaining the most integral aspect of the brand – the need to prove a connection to the island of Ireland.

“Last year, we achieved net growth of 60%, powered by a surge of registrations at home and abroad. Businesses and the self-employed continue to use their .ie websites to reach out and sell to new customers, and now increasingly individuals are registering their own .ie domain to secure, develop and build their own personal brand.

“Importantly, much of .ie’s growth is happening outside of Dublin, including the Border, Midlands and West region. There, many counties actually achieved higher overall growth in .ie registrations than the capital. As many of these .ie domains are registered by businesses, this upwards trend is also a good indicator of regional economic growth.

“The .ie brand remains distinct on the local and world stages. It is a managed space that is identifiably, authentically Irish. In an era where people’s trust in the online world is more important than ever, that reliability is crucial.”

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