Pandemic prompts 40% surge in new Munster websites

Covid-19 has encouraged more businesses to move online, and to adapt much quicker than previously according to the CEO of Ireland’s national registry for online addresses

Over 12,000 new .ie domains were registered with .IE, Ireland’s national registry for online addresses, from Munster based enterprises and individuals in 2020.

The pandemic prompted a near 40% surge in Munster-based companies, communities and services registering for an Irish domain last year.

Over 12,000 new .ie domains were registered with .IE, Ireland’s national registry for online addresses, from Munster based enterprises and individuals in 2020.

Cork comprised the majority of new Munster domains with over 5,000 new .ie registrations last year.

Clare, Limerick, and Tipperary recorded year on year increases in .ie domain registrations in every month of 2020.

Clare reported a whopping 70.5% surge in new website registrations last year, compared to 2019, with Tipperary recording a significant 45.3% increase in registrations.

Kerry also saw a huge year on year increase of 31.7%, while Limerick saw a yearly increase of 29.3%.

David Curtin, CEO of .IE

"It's years and years of future digitalization all being compacted into a couple of months," .IE chief executive David Curtin said.

"Businesses that previously would have said it will take me two years to do that are getting their social media up and their website up in jig time by comparison," he said.

"And they will not snap back when COVID passes. In a year's time, they will have recognized the benefits of digital, and they will have what we call the omni channel, selling online and face-to-face."

According to .IE, new domain registrations peaked in May, six weeks after the closure of non-essential retail. This peak began to drop off in June, as restrictions eased, but rose sharply once more in October, peaking in November following the announcement of a second national lockdown.

Mr Curtin said businesses migrated online, many for the first time, "in direct response to the lockdowns."

“They realised that having an online presence, and in many cases e-commerce capabilities, would at the very least minimise the damage of reduced or non-existent footfall."

“A local .ie web address has therefore been a lifeline; a way to mitigate the worst effects of the physical lockdown, including permanent closure."

"It has also advantageously positioned many businesses and services for a more digitally integrated post-Covid-19 economy," he said.

The total number of .ie addresses on the Irish database now totals 310,000, with the .ie domain accounting for more than half of all sites hosted in Ireland.