The digital church door: Why 3.4 million a month turn to RIP.ie to pay their respects
The Irish website RIP.ie has become a central digital hub for the public to leave condolences following the deaths of high-profile figures. The platform uses a mix of AI and human moderation to manage these tributes while allowing funeral directors to control access to individual condolence books.
Why it matters
It highlights the evolving nature of digital mourning and the role of online platforms in managing public grief and community standards.
IN THE WEEK since his death, musician Glen Hansard has amassed over 3,000 written condolences on RIP.ie .
The condolence book on the popular site is open on Hansard’s death notice, allowing family, friends and fans from across the world to pay tribute to the late singer.
Hansard passed away on 29 July in a motor crash near Lucan in West Dublin.
Richie Kelly, head of RIP.ie, told The Journal “when a figure like Glen Hansard passes, RIP.ie becomes the place the whole country and the Irish diaspora go to grieve together”.
“It’s personal and that’s what makes it such a rich and powerful record,” he added.
While Kelly admitted that RIP.ie does not share the amount of views on individual notices, he said that the site has seen similar ‘outpourings of grief’ before.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in