Sites and comments taken from Dot.ie magazine, Issue No.28 March 2000

 

1.

2. Irish Heart Foundation
http://www.irishheart.ie
Ireland has the highest rate of heart disease in Europe, and the Irish Heart Foundation's site extends efforts to combat the disease to Net-surfing as well as channel-flicking couch potatoes. This lavishly detailed site is piled high with information on how to maintain a healthy heart, including a recommended diet, weight-loss advice and refresher CPR techniques.

3. Migraine Association of Ireland
http://www.migraine.ie
When Audrey Craven, a migraine sufferer, contacted the Gay Byrne Show in 1994 she unwittingly touched a chord with thousands like her around the country. The publicity encouraged her to found a support group which has since helped set-up Ireland's first severe headache clinic. The Association's Web site charts the latest migraine research and posts notices on seminars and information days.

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5. Domain Registry
http://www.domainregistry.ie
The IE Domain Registry, which dispenses all URLs in the .ie domain, has been the subject of much controversy lately as it revises its rules and regulations. So far there isn't the possibility of joining the ranks of domain-squatting cyber-millionaires, but the site does let you search for names that are still up for grabs and check on the registered owner of any .ie URL.

6. ICANN
http://www.icann.org
The Web is all too often an unregulated, uncontrolled and unrestrained beast. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, which supervises the Internet's domain name business, is planning to bring some kind of order to the chaos with a 19-member council to be elected by Web users. The members will overlo

7. Fodor's
http://www.fodors.com
In print, Fodor's travel guides often seem a little stale and just too practical, but their reincarnation on the Web is one of the most innovative travel resources around. Look for the customisable mini-guide for over 100 destinations along with global hotel and restaurant indexes, and the best way to book holidays on-line. PICTURE: fodors.tif

8. How far is it?
http://www.indo.com/distance
How far is it from Cork to Dublin? On our luxurious rail network, insufferably far. A more accurate answer can be had from this handy utility providing distances between two locations anywhere in the world. So how far is it? 4,650 miles, apparently - if you're travelling from Cork, Arizona.

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Government Departments and Offices
By Brian Lavery

10. Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, Department of
www.irlgov.ie/ealga
Content:
Contact: No reply.
The site's slick design comes from the Department's connection with the contemporary art and film scene, and gives it a bit of character. The colourful content, however, is found on other sites via the links section. Press releases and speeches dominate the main site. The search feature wasn't working when we visited, either.

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12. Foreign Affairs, Department of
www.irlgov.ie/iveagh
Content:

Contact: E-mail reply within 30 minutes.
Although it's currently being redesigned, even Iveagh House's current on-line incarnation boasts some of the more stimulating features on any Government site. The basics are all easy to find: passport information, advice on travelling abroad and locations of foreign embassies. Rumour has it that streamlined electronic passport applications may be in the works in the future. For a personal touch, tour the stately chambers of the Iveagh House offices.

13. An Garda Siochana
www.garda.ie
Content:

Contact: E-mail reply within 24 hours.
One of the best organised sites dot.ie came across, a strict adherent to the "three-clicks-or-less" rule of getting to desired information. Highlights include maps of car parks in Dublin, Galway, Cork and Limerick; a clickable map of Garda stations in the Republic; and weekly updated statistics on road accidents. The crime prevention section ranges from common sense ways to secure your home, to dealing with domestic violence.

14. Heritage Ireland
www.heritageireland.ie
Content:

Contact: E-mail reply within 24 hours.
A showcase for the Department of the Arts, Culture, Gaeltacht and the Islands, Heritage Ireland is a visaul feast. Multimedia tours walk the visitor through the country's most picturesque and historical attractions, while scrollable maps and details on each site make sure you know how to get there and how much to pay. Not for slow Net connections or old browsers.

 

15. National Archives of Ireland
www.nationalarchives.ie
Content:
Contact: E-mail reply within 24 hours.
The National Archives makes clear that its site is a only starting point for historical and genealogical research. The site provides entertaining reading, though, with De Valera's request for a new state car, the adoption of the metric system and the 1926 commission on "Evil Literature". The searchable records relating to transportation of convicts from Ireland to Australia are great fun - look up your family name, and you might discover that a relative went down 150 years for stealing horses.

16. President, Office of the
www.irlgov.ie/aras
Content:
Contact: No reply.
Identical in format to the Taoiseach's site, the President's Web presence is stately and formal. Its tour of Aras rates a notch above Leinster House, Iveagh House and Government Buildings, simply because the map lets visitors click on a room rather than follow a predetermined path. That and the fact that Aras isn't a bad place to live. Navigable and up-to-date.

17. Taoiseach, Department of the
www.irlgov.ie/taoiseach
Content:
Contact: E-mail reply within 24 hours
Polished to a high sheen, the Taoiseach's site is the best starting point for a foray into the Irish Government on the Net. A virtual tour of the Department offers a glance at the inner chambers of power, and the archived publications provide a handy reference on what's been accomplished under the current coalition.

 

Semi-State Companies, Boards and Agencies
By Anthony Quinn

18. Aer Lingus
www.aerlingus.ie
Content:
Contact: E-mail reply within 24 hours.
The site of our national airline still lacks on-line booking. The closest Aer Lingus gets to it is the fare quote facility, which will provides flight prices and details by e-mail. Also features useful tips on reducing the effects of jet lag, details of special offers and contact details of Aer Lingus offices around the world.

19. Bord Gáis
www.bge.ie
Content:
Contact: Reply after 6 days.
This pleasantly designed site has very detailed sections on the history, technology and uses of natural gas. Although it is rather text heavy, the information is a great science resource for schools. It could be improved with diagrams and more photographs of how the company sources, processes and pipes gas. Redesign due "in a couple of months".

20. CIÉ
www.cie.ie, www.irishrail.ie, www.dublinbus.ie, www.buseireann.ie,
www.luas.ie,

Content:
Contact: CIÉ: e-mail reply within 24 hours. Dublin Bus: e-mail reply within 24 hours. Irish Rail: e-mail reply within 24 hours. Bus Eireann: e-mail reply within 5 days.
The CIÉ Web sites are similar in format, featuring regularly updated timetables, FAQs about CIÉ services and links to other transport-related sites. The Luas Web site has made more progress than the proposed light rail system: it's under construction.

 21. Electricity Supply Board (ESB)

www.esb.ie

Content:
Contact: E-mail reply within 24 hours.
Needing instructions on how to make a lemon battery? Check out one of the best semi-state sites, ESB Online. Covering everything from electromagnetic field health concerns to how to wire a plug safely. The subsection on the ESB-sponsored TV series "Nation Building" is also worth a look. News in the text-only version has not been updated for two years.

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23. Irish Aviation Authority (IAA)
http://www.iaa.ie/
Content:
Contact: No reply.
Multiple landing strip quizzes. Flight Path Challenge. These on-line games lighten up the Aviation Authority site considerably. With a careers section and guide to obtaining a private pilot's licence, if the games are too easy.

24. National Centre for Technology in Education
www.ncte.ie
Content:
Contact: E-mail reply within 48 hours.
Established under the aegis of the Department of Education and Science, the NCTE oversees all issues relating to information and communications technologies in education. The site covers the Centre's activities and outlines its programmes, such as successful Schools Integration Project. The Internet safety section helps supervise children using the Internet.

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26. ScoilNet
http://www.scoilnet.ie/
Content:
Contact: E-mail reply within 48 hours.
The definitive on-line resource for education in Ireland. Developed as part of the IT2000 programme, ScoilNet grows daily because it's a collaborative effort. Everyone has a section here: teachers, parents, primary- and post-primary students will all find something of interest. Also includes the on-line Central Applications Office application facility.

 

Other Sites

27. www.ireland.com

This is the Irish Times' site.

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31. www.liveireland.com Radio on the Web

Dublin-based station offering three channels of exclusively Irish music:

Modern trad; Pop; Top 40

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