Kilkenny to get new weekly paper

KILKENNY is to have a second weekly newspaper before the end of the summer, a new regional newspaper which will battle for readers with the long-established Kilkenny People.

Well-known sports and news writer, Jimmy Ratigan, has already left the Kilkenny People to head up the new Kilkenny Voice newspaper as editor.

The publisher and key financial backer is John Sheils, former managing editor with the Sunday World.

The new paper will be a 96-page, full colour compact, a big change from traditional broadsheet format of the People.

Its first edition is expected before the All Ireland Hurling Final in September.

Among the Kilkenny Voice’s contributors will also be former Kilkenny People editor, Sean Hurley, who is also said to be acting in a consultancy capacity to the new paper, advising it on staffing, content and other matters.

The local staff will also include senior sales executive, Donie Butler, also formerly of the Kilkenny People and commercial manager with the FAI and

Paddy Horohan from advertising sales with local radio station, KCLR FM.

The Voice will have a city centre base, close to the railway station, and will be printed outside of the county. All of its key staff are local and have an unrivalled local knowledge.

The new editor only left the Kilkenny People yesterday after 38 years with the paper.

“The Kilkenny People is a very well respected paper,” Mr Ratigan said. “We will be a young newspaper, a very positive newspaper and we will be the people’s newspaper.

The Kilkenny People newspaper has enjoyed unrivalled coverage of the city and county during its lifetime. Its new editor, Tom Molloy, has changed the focus of the paper since taking over a year ago, attempting to appeal more to younger readers.

Kilkenny People editor, Tom Molloy said:

“The Kilkenny People has been a dominant newspaper in the Kilkenny area for the past 100 years. I don’t see that changing.”