Europe's internet identity became more accessible today as website addresses ending in .eu became available to the public.
A rush of applications was expected from 11am when registration of web addresses in the .eu domain was opened to non-institutional applicants.
For the last four months, businesses and public bodies have been able to secure registration of domain names linked to trade marks and recognised brands.
Since the first wave of applications in January, some 335,000 businesses and institutions have applied to use the .eu tag.
However only 52,000 have been approved, with 180,000 still being studied and 100,000 having been rejected for a variety of reasons, including lack of the correct paperwork.
28.6% of applications came from Germany, while 16.6% were from the Netherlands and 11% from France.
Up to this morning, residents in Ireland had registered 351 out of 26,000 active addresses.
Individuals are able to apply at one of some 1,500 registration centres, which will then pass the information on EURid, the non-profit body in charge of the launch.
A list of accredited registrars is available on EURid's website.
