Decline in number of dot.ie domain names

The amount of enterprises signing up for a new dot.ie web address dropped by almost 4% — on an annualised basis — in the first half of this year.

According to the IE Domain Registry — the body which manages registration for Irish internet addresses — 16,687 new dot.ie domain names were registered in the six months to the end of June, down by 3.8% on the same period last year. However, the net growth in the registry’s database was 28.3% higher over the same period, owing to the slowed rate of non-renewals (mostly seen via company insolvencies, or domain names being taken for one-off events), which fell from 12,644 to 10,662.

“This emerging trend, if sustained, is welcomed by the registry as volume growth is a key strategic priority,” the company said.