RIP.ie Faces New Rivals as €100 Death Notice Fee Sparks Online Battle

A wave of new websites is emerging to challenge RIP.ie’s dominance in online death notices after the platform introduced a €100 charge per notice.

The move,implemented by RIP.ie’s new owners, the Irish Times Group, has sparked outrage among some funeral directors who view the fee as excessive.

“This website doesn’t have to make us a lot of money,” said Danny Morning, a Donegal-based funeral supplier who is launching Condolence.ie as a free option.”It will help promote our own products.”

Morning estimates that up to half of Ireland’s funeral directors have already registered to use his site.

Other contenders include Funeral Notices Ireland, a free platform spearheaded by galway funeral director Gerry Burns, and Depart.ie,a Dublin-based site charging a flat monthly fee of €25 to funeral directors.

“RIP.ie needs to have some sort of competition, otherwise where do the costs stop?” said Cormac Barry, a Dundalk web designer behind DeathNotices.Irish.

Barry plans to cover costs through add-on services like condolence books, while Patrick Quinn, the engineer behind Depart.ie, believes only one competitor will ultimately succeed in challenging RIP.ie’s market share.

“I predict that only one of them will become a successful alternative and could even overtake RIP.ie as a household name within the next three years,” Quinn said.

RIP.ie maintains that the new charging system, announced well in advance, has not impacted listing numbers.

“In common with many other websites, we do not release current website traffic facts,” a RIP.ie spokesperson said.

The Irish Association of Funeral Directors, which previously expressed concerns about RIP.ie’s changes, declined further comment.

Tho, Shannon Mora, a PhD researcher at Trinity college Dublin studying mourning rituals and technology, warns that the proliferation of platforms could fragment the online space for death notices.

“To ask them to go to three, four or upwards of five sites is a lot to ask,” Mora said. “The universality of having one site to look up is good for the bereaved,for their community and for society.”

mora suggests a broader conversation about the role of online platforms in facilitating mourning and remembrance.

As the competition heats up, the future of online death notices in Ireland remains uncertain. Will RIP.ie maintain its dominance, or will a new player emerge to reshape the landscape? Only time will tell.

Death Notices Go Digital: RIP.ie Faces Growing Competition

The online landscape for death notices is evolving, with new players challenging the dominance of RIP.ie.

For years, RIP.ie has been the go-to platform for publishing death notices in Ireland. Though, recent changes to their pricing structure have sparked a wave of competition, leaving families with more options but also raising questions about the future of online mourning.

[Image: A person browsing a website on a laptop, with a somber expression.]

RIP.ie’s decision to introduce a fee for publishing death notices has prompted some funeral directors to seek alternatives. one Donegal-based funeral supplier has even launched his own free platform as a way to promote his business and offer a more affordable option for grieving families.

“It’s a good alternative for people who don’t want to pay RIP.ie’s fee,” he explained.

Other competitors have emerged, including Funeral Notices Ireland, which is also free, and Depart.ie, which charges funeral directors a flat monthly fee.

This surge in competition has sparked debate about the best way to handle online death notices. Some experts, like a researcher from Trinity College, worry that a fragmented landscape with multiple platforms could make it harder for people to find the facts they need during a tough time.”Having too many platforms will make it harder for people to find the facts they need,” she said, calling for a wider discussion about how technology can be used effectively for mourning and remembrance.While RIP.ie maintains that their pricing changes haven’t affected the number of listings, the long-term impact remains to be seen. Will RIP.ie retain its market share, or will a new player emerge as the dominant force in online death notices? Only time will tell.

[Video: A short, emotionally resonant video montage featuring images of funerals, grieving families, and online memorial pages.]

RIP.ie’s €100 Fee Sparks Online Death Notice War

A new wave of websites is surging into the Irish online death notice market, directly challenging RIP.ie’s long-standing dominance following the introduction of a controversial €100 fee per notice.

The move,implemented by RIP.ie’s new owners, the Irish Times Group, has ignited a firestorm of criticism among funeral directors who deem the charge excessive. In response, several new platforms are emerging, offering free or considerably cheaper alternatives.

Morning estimates that up to half of Ireland’s funeral directors have already registered to use his site. Other challengers include Funeral Notices Ireland, a free platform spearheaded by Galway funeral director Gerry Burns, and Depart.ie,a Dublin-based site charging a flat monthly fee of €25 to funeral directors.

Barry plans to cover costs thru add-on services like condolence books, while also emphasizing the importance of competition in the sector.

The emergence of these new players marks a important shift in the landscape of online death notices in Ireland. Whether they can ultimately dethrone RIP.ie remains to be seen,but the competition is sure to benefit consumers and force a reassessment of pricing strategies in this sensitive market.