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If you've got a great Irish site that we don't know about, why not let us know? Just send the site's full name and address to editor Sheila McDonald, and we'll ask one of our reviewers to check it out. Click here if you only want to view this month's list of sites.
Online auctions are one of the hottest properties on the Web, and now Ireland is getting into the act with Buyer to Seller, a direct-auction area of the established Bid-n-Buy auction house for computer equipment. Anyone can register to sell books, collectible items, entertainment equipment, records, or anything else your mother wants you to clear out of the attic. Buyers and sellers who complete a transaction are asked to rate each other's behaviour; the aim is to compile ratings of each participant, which will appear beside their usernames for the future reference of community members.
Take to the water while the weather's still warm at Lough Ree Power Boat School, dedicated to teaching the fine art of power boating. The school caters for all levels: beginners can spend six bumpy hours taking their first lesson, while advanced students can learn the arts of night navigation and heavy weather handling. More staid courses are also available, including an inland waterways module for those who prefer putting through canals to riding the open water. The site does little more than list the basics of its courses, but its friendly language and bright photos make this active sport seem accessible even to beginners.
If you prefer solid ground to churning waters, find out how to get your piece of Irish land at the new property site from Douglas Newman Good estate agents. Ireland has enjoyed a fine string of new property sites recently, and DNG has chimed in with a nice addition. The site has one of the most user-friendly property search features around, letting visitors choose the area and price range, view matching property details, and request a print brochure with a single click. The photos are disappointingly small - each should really be enlargeable - and most rental property listings have no photos at all. Still, a great resource for hapless home-seekers in an increasingly cutthroat property market.
William Butler Yeats wasn't just a poet, he was a driving force behind Irish theatre, helping found the Abbey Theatre at the turn of the century. This excellent new site for Ireland's national theatre doesn't disappoint: it not only includes the story of the theatre's origin, but also mini biographies of prominent Abbey playwrights. Visitors can also get some wonderful insights into the production process of Abbey plays, from voice coaching to wardrobe creation. With such wonderful material here, it's a terrible pity that visitors can't book tickets online.
Whether weddings cheer you up, make you cry, or a bit of both, you can't help but be impressed by Wed-Ireland, a truly useful tool for brides, grooms, guests - all parties to the event. Most Irish wedding sites have been little more than a list of shops, but this is a genuine guide. Find out everything from the roles of the bridal party members (where is the father of the bride supposed to stand, exactly?) to the details of Irish and other wedding traditions. Couples can also use the site to announce their engagement and keep a password-protected book of wedding well-wishers, and photos can also be posted online. If you're tying the knot or just dreaming about it, don't miss this site.