As we reported recently, the .IRISH domain has been acquired by the Donuts registry and transitioned to their system on March 1. Now, to celebrate St Patrick’s Day, we’ve slashed the prices for first-year registration on dot-IRISH domain names, to just €1.99!
At Blacknight, we’re known for being proudly Irish: Irish-owned; Irish-based; Irish infrastructure – you get the picture. We tend to toot our Irishness all year round – not just on Patrick’s Day. But we also believe that Irishness is bigger than geography or nationality, and we know that St Patrick’s Day is the one time in the year when people all over the world celebrate Irish heritage, Irish experience and Irish influence.
Being Irish doesn’t make us better than anyone else – or worse for that matter. It’s something to be shared.
One of the important features of the dot-IRISH domain is that it is 100% open to all. You can be as .IRISH as you feel, and we won’t ask you for any documentation to prove it. It’s first-come, first-served. If no one has claimed the name you want, it’s yours for the taking!
Now with our Patrick’s Day dot-IRISH Domain Sale, it costs almost nothing to try on a dot-IRISH domain name for size. Wear it for a year and see how it fits. With the re-launch of the dot-IRISH domain, the regular price has also been reduced to only €13.99, so it will continue to represent great value, even after our Paddy’s Day Deal!
Why Use a dot-Irish Domain Name?
Who can benefit from using a dot-IRISH domain name? Essentially, anyone for whom Irishness is part of their brand or message.
A great example is TheWildGeese.Irish, an online community dedicated to sharing stories of the Irish emigrant experience. If you know your Irish history, the term ‘Wild Geese’ will resonate instantly. Since the 17th Century it has been a metaphor for the Irish diaspora, in particular those who served as soldiers of fortune in foreign wars, and it became a well-known motif in art and literature.
But as co-founder Gerry Regan explains, the metaphor was lost on many people who were unaware of the literary and historical reference, despite having an interest in Irish heritage.
“We came to realise that a lot of people didn’t realise what was ‘Irish’ about ‘The Wild Geese’. Some people were thinking that we were some kind of bird-lovers’ site!”
When dot-IRISH domains became available, Gerry and his friends found an elegant way to name their site with a more meaningful extension, to get the message across that the site was about the Irish experience, and still keep the poetic name.
Dár ndóigh, tá brí ar leith leis an bhfocal ‘Irish’ i gcomhthéacs na teanga Gaeilge, agus níl an teanga teoranta do oileán na hÉireann ach oiread le h-aon ghné eile dár n-oidhreacht. Tá breis agus 20,000 cainteoir Gaeilge sna Stáit Aontaithe, mar shampla, agus tá éileamh mór ar acmhainní foghlama Gaeilge ar an idirlíon. I measc na seirbhísí atá ag freastal ar an bpobal sin, tá Bitesize.Irish.
Bitesize.Irish is a website which offers learners of the Irish language a course of lessons in bite-size, manageable pieces.
Digital.Irish is a business network promoting Irish startups in North America.
From an SEO point of view, a dot-Irish domain name is a great way to identify a website with the global Irish community, without tying it down to the geographical restriction of Ireland itself.
To find out more about different ways to take advantage of a dot-IRISH domain name, visit the Trailblazers.Irish podcast site. This is a series of radio interviews we conducted with some of the pioneer users of dot-IRISH domain names. And don’t forget our Paddy’s Day Dot-IRISH Deal! Only €1.99 until March 19!
Beannachtaí na Féile! Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!