Northern Ireland

Web addresses allowed to add fadas for first time

Fada domain name changes will be particularly welcome in Gaeltacht areas.
Fada domain name changes will be particularly welcome in Gaeltacht areas. Fada domain name changes will be particularly welcome in Gaeltacht areas.

The humble Irish fada is set to go viral after a timely St Patrick's Day decision from the company responsible for Ireland’s '.ie' internet addresses.

Businesses and other organisations are to be allowed to register Irish language names complete with the accent for the first time.

The ruling by the IE Domain Registry (IEDR) means internet addresses will soon be able to include á, é, í, ó and ú.

Omission of the fada - which lengthens or broadens the sound of a vowel, and translates as 'long' in English - has often been a source of anger among Irish speakers in the face of officialdom and new technologies.

It dictates the pronunciation and, on occasions, the meaning of words.

IEDR chief executive David Curtain said ways in which the fada could be incorporated into new domain names would be outlined in the near future after consultations.

“This is the week we celebrate our national holiday and our sense of and pride in being Irish. Our language is a key part of that identity and something which distinguishes us from every other county," he said.

"In the week of Seachtain na Gaeilge (Irish language week) also, making ‘fada.ie’ domain names available will now provide a further opportunity for us to showcase that identity to a global online community."