The Irish Post
| Type | Weekly newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Tabloid |
| Owner(s) | Elgin Loane |
| Founded | 1 January 1970 |
| Political alignment | Irish community in Britain |
| Headquarters | Smithfield, London |
| Website | http://www.irishpost.co.uk |
The Irish Post is the biggest selling national newspaper for the Irish community in Great Britain. It is published every Wednesday and is available in stores all across Britain and in selected stores in the Republic of Ireland. It was founded in February 1970 by journalist Breandán Mac Lua and Tony Beatty, a businessman from County Waterford in Ireland.[1] Thomas Crosbie Holdings (TCM) acquired the paper in 2003.[2] It went through a brief period of uncertainty in August 2011 [3] when TCM put the paper into voluntary liquidation, citing five years of financial losses as the reason. Following a period of more than six weeks off the shelves, within which staff and supporters of the title launched the 'Save the Irish Post' campaign, the title was bought by Cork-born, London-based businessman Elgin Loane as a going concern. Mr Loane, a publisher who owns a number of titles in Britain and Ireland, including Loot and Buy&Sell, re-employed the majority of former staff of the paper at his Loot offices in Smithfied, London. The first edition of the re-launched title was published on Wednesday 19th October 2011.
The Irish Post website www.irishpost.co.uk was relaunched in early 2013 as a daily news site for the Irish in Britain and saw 1,000% growth the same year.
The Irish Post launched a business focused glossy magazine series in 2013. It has grown year on year and includes titles such as Building Britain, Companies100 and In Business.
The Irish Post hosts the annual Irish Post Awards in October each year, bringing together notable Irish individuals from across Britain to celebrate their successes in the fields of business, entertainment, sport, technology and design. Eamonn Holmes acts as the Master of Ceremonies for the largest event of its type, which brings 700 people together at The London Hilton on Park Lane. High-profile award winners in recent years include Michael Flatley who accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013 and Golden Globe winning Irish actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers accepting the Legend Award in 2014.
The Irish Post is particularly popular in areas of Britain with large groups of Irish expatriates such as Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and London.
Notes and references
- ↑ "Irish Post's Breandán Mac Lua dies", RTÉ News, 15 January 2009.
- ↑ Several bids for 'Irish Post' Irish Times, 2011-09-30.
- ↑ "'Irish Post' emigrant newspaper shuts down", The Irish Times, 20 August 2011.
