What were Ireland’s most popular Google searches in 2018?

12 Dec 2018

A man using Google search on his Apple laptop.

Man using Google search. Image: Y-Boychenko/Depositphotos

From sport to referenda, the Irish public took to Google with a wide range of searches in 2018.

As 2018 winds down, Google Ireland has released its most searched terms for the year.

Despite the country’s absence from the tournament, this year’s World Cup topped the list. The contest, which saw France claim victory over Croatia in host country Russia, was Ireland’s most popular search term.

Staying with sport, November’s rugby match between Ireland and New Zealand also gripped the nation, coming in at number seven. Intrigue around actor and now-royal Meghan Markle also reached fever pitch with her wedding to Prince Harry taking place earlier this year.

Nobody knows what the backstop is

Politics also dominated the conversation this year, with the most popular ‘How to’ question being ‘How to register to vote’ and both the EighthAmendment and blasphemy making an appearance in the ‘What is?’ categories.

The issue of what exactly the backstop is in relation to Brexit popped up in the latter category, too. Data protection queries were also on the minds of the people, with many wondering what GDPR actually entailed.

In the world of cinema, Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s performances in the fourth remake of A Star Is Born seem to have captivated audiences, with the film coming in at number eight in the overall searches chart. Black Panther was the second most searched film and Bohemian Rhapsody rounded out the top three.

Entertainment icons also made an appearance this year, albeit in a morbid fashion, with the passing of Avicii, Dolores O’Riordan and Stan Lee all hitting the top 10.

Bleeding radiators and vegan meals

The extreme weather was a running theme, with many Google users searching for ways to bleed radiators during the Beast from the East, and banish fruit flies during our unusually warm summer.

Looking at Irish eating habits, vegan recipes made their first appearance in the top 10 of Google’s food-related searches and it looks like many were on a health kick, with ‘healthy dinner recipes’ and ‘Operation Transformation recipes’ appearing high in the charts.