The Irish Times announced that their parent company The Irish Times Group acquired the online obituary platform RIP.ie last night.

With 60 million page views a month, RIP.ie is Ireland's leading website for death notices.

In a statement, Deirdre Veldon, managing director of The Irish Times Group said: “The Irish Times Group has a long tradition of publishing death and other family notices going back to the mid-1800s and we know how much these services matter to people. This tradition aligns with RIP.ie and we look forward to continuing to provide those services on our digital and print platforms for the people of Ireland at home and overseas into the future.

“As reader habits change, we are constantly looking at ways to enhance and diversify our portfolio. By harnessing the reach and compelling content of RIP.ie, The Irish Times aims to unlock new opportunities for audience engagement and digital growth.”

RIP.ie is currently operated by Co Louth-based company Gradam Communications, and reported an operating profit of €40,373 for 2023.

This  figure was up from an operating profit of €31,696 the previous year. In 2022, RIP.ie retained earnings at the year end of just under €1.7 million and employed an average of four staff.

Commenting on the deal, Jay Coleman said: “We are immensely proud of what RIP.ie has become and what it means to the people of Ireland.

In The Irish Times, we believe we have found a worthy custodian, one that will allow the site to grow and continue to offer a familiar and trusted resource for end-of-life matters.”