Farrelly leaves Sunday Tribune

SUNDAY TRIBUNE managing director and editor-in-chief Jim Farrelly has left the newspaper, it was announced last night.

Sunday Tribune chairman Gordon Colleary said Mr Farrelly had resigned to pursue new opportunities in the media and business sectors. He has set up a new media consultancy operation that will service a number of clients, including Independent News & Media.

Mr Colleary, who owns a 26% stake in the paper, said that Mr Farrelly’s decision was unexpected but hoped to appoint a replacement soon.

The role of managing director and editor-in-chief will be split following yesterday’s development.

Mr Farrelly took the job of managing director at the paper in 2000 and added editorial responsibility to his role after previous editor Matt Cooper left in late 2002.

Mr Colleary paid tribute to Mr Farrelly and said he had been instrumental in the successful relaunch of the paper in 2003.

“Jim drove the whole relaunch and brought more readers back to the paper,” he said.

Mr Colleary added that the revamp had been the biggest project in the paper’s history and that Mr Farrelly had implemented it with a relatively small staff.

Mr Farrelly has thanked the Board and staff of the Sunday Tribune for their huge commitment and support during his four years at the helm in Baggott street.

Among the favourites to replace Mr Farrelly is Independent News & Media (INM) executive Michael Roche.