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Skincare from the heart of the Burren

WITH the Burren on their doorstep, Kevin Lynch and Tina Robinson have no shortage of inspiration for their luxury soap and skincare products, all with nature at the heart of their design. The Airmid story began in 2009 as a truly home-grown enterprise. They have held on to one principle as they have grown the range: if it doesn’t come from nature, you won’t find it in any of their Airmid products. It’s that simple.

They now sell over 40 products including luxury body oils, perfume oils, lip balms, beeswax lotion bars, shaving and grooming products which all have a focus on natural and organic ingredients.

A great deal of care goes into creating the Airmid range. Raw honey and beeswax are sourced from the Burren and all products are handmade in their workshop, using plastic free and sustainable packaging from Irish suppliers.

Airmid won the Prestige Award for Best Soap Business in Ireland in 2020, based on areas such as service excellence, quality of the product, innovative practices, value, ethical and sustainable methods of working, as well as consistency in performance.

Members of Guaranteed Irish, Design & Craft Council of Ireland, Design Ireland, Doolin Tourism & Burren Ecotourism Network.

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For more information on the Airmid story go to www.airmidsoap.com

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Clare second largest

OUNTY Clare recorded the

Csecond largest increase in new .ie domain registrations in Ireland in 2020.

IN an analysis of domains by county conducted by dot. ie, every county in Ireland recorded a year on year increase in .ie domain registrations. However it was the Banner County which emerged among the most active counties for website registration as consumers turned their attention to online shopping in their droves.

According to the research, Clare recorded a massive 70.5% increase in domain registrations while also recording a year on year increase every month in 2020. By comparison, our neighbours in Tipperary recorded a 45% increase while Limerick and Cork each experienced a 30% increase.

Nationwide, 65,113 new .ie domains were registered in 2020, the highest ever figure and an almost 30% increase on 2019. Peaks and troughs in new .ie registrations generally followed the Government’s restrictions on travel and business.

According to analysis of the report by irishtechnews.ie, the highest peak occurred in May when 7,003 new .ie domains were registered, the highest number ever registered in a single month.

“This occurred approximately six weeks after the closure of non-essential retail. This peak began to drop off from June, as restrictions eased, but moved up sharply in October, peaking again in November corresponding to the announcement of the second national lockdown.”

David Curtin, Chief Executive of .IE, Ireland’s national registry for .ie domains, says that the increase demonstrates a “mass mobilisation of digital in every part of the economy and society” in response to the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Businesses migrated online, many for the first time, in direct response to the lockdowns,” he said. “They realised that having an online presence, and in many cases, e-commerce capabilities, would at the very least minimise the damage of reduced or non-existent footfall.

“Some businesses have fully embraced digital, using multiple platforms to communicate with and sell to their customers. For example, some restaurants are using their own websites to advertise special offers but redirect customers to third-party apps and platforms for food ordering. Delivery is then outsourced. Many who have pivoted their business model in this way have reaped the rewards and stayed afloat, even thrived, in an intensely challenging period.”

“The nationwide increase in new .ie domain registrations is very encouraging,” said Mr Curtin. “It suggests

ONLINE SHOPPING CLARE ‘Largest stock of excavator attachments in Ireland’

CIAN O’BROIN

news@clareecho.ie

uin based Buckets.ie spe-

Qcialises in excavator buckets and attachments, with owner Joe Leyden predicting a busy season ahead once machinery and construction returns in the coming weeks.

Established in 2016, Joe informs that the company has branched out into garden machinery as well as farm equipment. “We now have the biggest stock of excavator attachments in Ireland,” Joe states. Some of the most popular attachments are excavator buckets, saw heads and rippers. Joe also points towards the popularity of rakes in the springtime and is looking forward to an influx of business once governmental restrictions are lifted.

Supporting both the agricultural and construction industries is a point of pride for Joe, who operates the business on his own. The sale of farm machinery has allowed for Buckets.ie to remain open throughout the lockdown. All items are on display in a yard outdoors which “thankfully has made social distancing a viable option.”

Joe also offers a custom design service. Any attachment can be tailor made to suit the needs of the customer. “If someone is looking for a customised bucket, we can do up the specifications as well as design and manufacture it,” he states.

Adding: “We also offer next day delivery and we have the best deals around. This is the reason to choose Buckets. ie.” Contact Joe to arrange a time to meet at the yard and view any of the items in stock.

Contact can be made by calling +353 87 696 7210 or by emailing info@buckets.ie.

Joe Leyden (right)

in .ie domain increase

that businesses and public services, regardless of county or whether they are in a city or a small town, were able to quickly and easily set up an online presence and meet local demand.”

Late last year The Clare Echo reported that Clare businesses had reported a surge in online sales resulting from business conditions created by the pandemic.

The pandemic also affected the online identities chosen in 2020, which is evident in the words used in new .ie domain web address es. “Health” and “Covid” were the second and fourth most common keywords respectively. 315 .ie domains containing the word “mask” or “facemask” were registered in 2020 compared to just 6 in 2019; 61 containing the word “remote” (e.g. remote work) were registered in 2020 compared to 5 in 2019.

General health-related keywords, including “wellness”, “supplement”, “pharmacy”, and “fitness”, increased 92% year-on-year.

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