Rules governing the .ie Internet domain have been relaxed so individuals can register their own names for the first time.
Until now .ie addresses have been restricted to businesses, sole traders, professionals, politicians and trademark holders.
The .ie domain registry says it is easing the rules because of the increased popularity of social networking sites, the rise of personal blogging and the growing number of Irish people using the internet.
Individuals can now register a .ie domain once they can authenticate a claim to the name and prove they have a real and substantive connection to the island of Ireland.
Those wishing to register their names must provide a copy of a utility bill or driving licence and the name on the document has to exactly match the domain name being applied for.
People can check if their domain name at a dedicated IEDR site for personal applications here.
