In this post, we’ll explain what a domain name is and how you can get one for your new Club & County Website.
What is a domain name?
A domain name is an address that people can use to visit your website. For example clubname.county.gaa.ie or clubname.com. When we set up a Club & County Website we point this web address to it.
You have a couple of options when choosing a domain:
Option 1: Claim your FREE official .gaa.ie subdomain!
Through the GAA, you can claim an address based on the official GAA domain completely Free. This has the added benefit of no yearly renewal fees! For example:
To do this, simply contact us via an official GAA e-mail address, E.G. pro.club.county@gaa.ie, and we will get in touch with the GAA’s IT team to see if your chosen GAA subdomain is available.
Please note: The GAA support team now requires you to include your county in your domain name. The structure should be club.county.gaa.ie eg ballycran.down.gaa.ie
Option 2: Register your own .ie or .com
Some Clubs and Counties choose to register their own .com or .ie address. A simple Google search will help you find numerous domain registration companies.
We often use Carlow based company Blacknight for both .com and .ie domains.
You will go through the process of setting up an account for your domain, once you have completed this, one of our developers can send you on details on how to redirect your new domain or log in to your account and point your new domain to our server.
Don’t forget your yearly renewal!
A domain name registered via Option 2 has to be renewed annually, we have had some clubs who have lost theirs due to non-payment of a bill.
Tip: Make sure when setting up your domain to use an e-mail address that is checked often so renewal e-mails cannot be missed!
Update DNS vs Nameservers
If you decide to opt for a custom domain, we’ll need you to connect it to your new site on the Club & County servers via one of 2 options:
Changing nameservers on your custom domain is like updating your internet address book. It tells the internet where to find your website. This is necessary when switching to a new hosting provider (Club & County) so that you don’t have to keep on paying your current host.
This option is preferred, however it may cause a little downtime while the records update and you’ll need to make sure that you ask us to recreate any records associated with any custom email addresses you may already have set up.
- C&C preferred option
- You can cancel your current hosting provider
- Some downtime occurs on switch over
- Emails may go down if not properly set up on new server
Changing DNS records on your current hosting is like adjusting the settings that control how your website and emails work. However, be cautious with this option! If you decide to cancel your hosting package later down the line, your site will go down as it’s still connected to this host.
If you plan to keep your current host too you may be paying extra for a service that you don’t need.
- Just add A records to your DNS
- If you cancel your host, your site will go down
- Paying extra for another hosting service that you may not need.
If you have any questions about domain names, or need help, feel free to get in touch and talk to one of our developers.