Who We Are
Modelrailways.ie is an independent Irish model railway directory and resource. We are based in Ireland. Our contact email is hello@modelrailways.ie.
What Data We Collect
We collect minimal data. Specifically:
- Contact form submissions: If you use our contact form, we receive your name, email address, and message. We use this only to respond to your enquiry and do not add you to any mailing list.
- Analytics: We use Matomo Analytics, which is self-hosted on Irish servers. Matomo collects anonymised visit data (pages visited, approximate location at country level, browser type, referral source). IP addresses are anonymised before storage. No data is sent to third parties. Matomo does not use cookies that require consent under GDPR.
- Web server logs: Our hosting provider logs IP addresses and page requests as a standard function of web server operation. These logs are retained for a maximum of 30 days and used only for security and performance monitoring.
What We Do Not Do
- We do not sell or share your personal data with any third party.
- We do not operate a mailing list unless you have explicitly opted in (we currently have no newsletter — if this changes, it will be opt-in only).
- We do not use advertising networks or third-party tracking cookies.
- We do not use Google Analytics or Facebook Pixel.
Cookies
We use no cookies for advertising or tracking purposes. Matomo Analytics is configured to operate without placing any cookies. Our contact form may set a session cookie to process your submission; this expires at the end of your browser session.
Affiliate Links
Some links on this site are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission if you purchase through them, at no extra cost to you. These links do not involve the collection of your personal data by us. See our Affiliate Disclosure for full details.
External Links
We link to third-party websites (railway club websites, retailer sites, heritage railways). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites. Please read their privacy policies before providing any personal data to them.
Your Rights (GDPR)
If you are based in the European Union or European Economic Area, you have the following rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):
- The right to access personal data we hold about you.
- The right to rectification (correction of inaccurate data).
- The right to erasure ("right to be forgotten").
- The right to object to processing.
- The right to data portability.
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello@modelrailways.ie. We will respond within 30 days. If you believe we have not handled your data correctly, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Commission (Ireland): dataprotection.ie.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The "last updated" date at the top of this page will reflect any changes. Material changes will be noted on the site homepage.
Contact
Questions about this privacy policy: hello@modelrailways.ie