The top-level domain (TLD) for IE originates from the country Ireland. Top-level domains are the last part of a domain name. They are generally classified into two types: generic TLDs and country-specific TLDs. The IE TLD is registered and controlled by the IEDR (Irish Domain Registry).
The IE domain is strictly controlled. To register an IE domain, one of the requirements is that you need a connection with Ireland like a business presence, copyright or trademark to establish that you have a legal claim over your preferred domain name. This strong regulation results in many benefits; one of them is that, compared to other TLDs, the IE domain has a significantly lower risk of cybercrime. This is supported by a 2018 report from the Anti-Phishing Working Group that the IE domain is one of the safest in the world (IEDR Annual Report, 2018).
Businesses in Ireland frequently use the IE TLD as it is a powerful tool for demonstrating their Irish identity online. Using an IE domain name can increase the trust of the audience and make businesses more appealing to local consumers. An example of a successful business using the IE domain is www.dunnesstores.ie, a leading Irish multinational retail chain.
There are instances where IE domain is also used for domain hacks, where the domain and the subdomain together make up a word or a phrase. An example of this is Google’s URL shortener, g.co which directs to the main site www.google.com.
According to CENTR (Council of European National Top-Level Domain Registries), as of Q1, 2021, there were around 303,000 registered .IE domains, showing a significant growth compared to the previous year, reinforcing that these domains are popular.
For more information on the usage and registration of IE domains, the “Domain Profile Report” produced by IEDR can be particularly useful.
In summary, the top-level domain (TLD) IE refers to the domain assigned to Ireland. Due to its strong regulation by the IEDR, it is considered one of the safest domains globally and is used predominantly by businesses to emphasize their Irish identity.
Sources:
1. IEDR.ie – Irish Domain Registry
2. CENTR.org – DomainWire Stat Report 2021
3. IEDR.ie – Dot IE Domain Profile Report 2020
4. Anti-Phishing Working Group – Global Phishing Report 2018
5. Dunnesstores.ie – Dunnes Stores Website.
