A total of 33,286 new .ie domains were registered in the first half of this year, an increase of 26% compared to the same period last year, according to the latest figures from the IE Domain Registry.
Over 40% of new registrations in Ireland occurred in the two months of May and June, as businesses reacted to the consequences of the Government's Covid-19 closure orders.
The IE Domain Registry manages and administers Ireland's country domain name .ie.
It said the increase suggests that more companies, self-employed business owners and professionals have gone online since the Covid-19 lockdown to maintain their revenue streams, stay in contact with customers and expand into new markets.
Today's report shows that Co Tyrone recorded the largest increase in new .ie domains (105%) in the first half of 2020 - albeit from a low base. It was followed by Monaghan (83%) and Carlow (75%).
Dublin and Cork recorded the highest (12,504) and second highest (2,734) numbers of new .ie domain registrations during the first six months of the year.
There was a total of 295,794 .ie domains in the .ie database at the end of June, an increase of more than 8% on the same time last year and almost 44% on the same time five years ago.
Today's report also reveals that .ie domains now account for 50.7% of all hosted domains in Ireland, followed by 32.6% for .com, its main competitor.
David Curtin, chief executive of IE Domain Registry, said that 31 of the island of Ireland's 32 counties recorded an increase in new .ie registrations in the first six months of 2020.
"This significant digital expansion suggests that all business owners and entrepreneurs, in cities and in regional parts of the country, understand that having a trusted, uniquely Irish online presence is absolutely crucial in a time of lockdown, when nearly all physical premises are shut and footfall is extremely low or non-existent," David Curtin said.
He said that having an online presence means that these businesses can stay in contact with their customers, build on their relationships, and continue to sell to them through an online store, click-and-collect service, or voucher booking system.
"Irish SMEs' ability to cater to consumer choice and comfort, by providing both an online experience and an in-store shopping experience, will be key to the country's economic recovery in 2020 and beyond," he added.
