A total of 7,347 new .ie domains were registered in Munster in 2017, an increase of 19% on the previous year – according to new figures in the latest edition of the dot ie Domain Profile Report, published by IE Domain Registry (IEDR), the company that manages and maintains Ireland’s official country domain name, .ie.
In Cork alone, 3,280 new .ie domains were registered in 2017, an increase of 16% on the previous year.
Limerick registered 1,168 (30% YOY increase), Tipperary 712 (28% increase) and Waterford 701 (15%).
2017 was the strongest year on record for the .ie database overall, with 39,523 new .ie domains registered, a 14% increase on 2016. There are now 237,412 .ie domains in the database, a 7% increase on the previous year end and an almost 30% increase on five years ago.
IEDR anticipates continued growth nationwide in 2018 as registration of .ie online addresses becomes easier and faster.
After March 2018, any individual or business with a provable connection to Ireland will be able to register any available .ie online address on a first-come, first-served basis.
Businesses, townlands, parishes and clubs are expected to be interested in the changes. Citizens will be able to register nicknames and short names for the first time.
