Last updated: May 2026
A cookie is a small text file a website stores on your device to remember things between visits. Here's exactly what Rural.ie uses.
What we use
We run Matomo — a privacy-first, self-hosted analytics tool. The data stays on our own server in Ireland and is never shared with third parties. We don't use Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, or advertising cookies.
| Cookie | Purpose | Duration | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
_pk_id.* | Identifies a unique visitor (anonymised) | 13 months | Analytics |
_pk_ses.* | Tracks a single session | 30 minutes | Analytics |
_pk_testcookie.* | Checks whether cookies are enabled | Session only | Analytics |
mtm_consent | Remembers your cookie preferences | 30 days | Strictly necessary |
Your choices
Opt out of analytics: click "Decline" on the cookie banner when you first visit. Your preference is remembered for 30 days.
Clear cookies: your browser settings let you delete all cookies from this site:
Do Not Track / Global Privacy Control: we honour both signals. If your browser sends either, Matomo won't set analytics cookies.
Strictly necessary cookies
The mtm_consent cookie is strictly necessary — it remembers your own cookie preference so we don't show the banner on every page. You can't opt out of this one, but it contains no personal data, only "yes" or "no".
Third-party embeds
Occasional pages may embed YouTube videos or Google Maps. Those providers set their own cookies, which we can't control. Where possible we use youtube-nocookie.com and on-demand map loading so cookies aren't set until you interact with the embed.
Contact
Questions about cookies: info@rural.ie. Full privacy details: Privacy Policy.