New regional paper will hit streets next summer

A NEW regional newspaper serving the Clare/Limerick area will hit the streets next summer.

The consortium behind the project has begun the hunt for a chief executive and is expected to fill the position next month.

Industry sources said the move comes as no surprise as there was room for a new paper in Clare, which has a growing population and is served by just one major local publication, the Clare Champion.

It is understood that a number of journalists at the paper have become unhappy with its direction and are considered potential candidates to join the new venture. Sources close to the project said there would be a lengthy lead-in time between the appointment of a chief executive and the paper’s launch. There remains a significant number of issues to resolve in relation to setting up the operation and the chief executive needs to set up policies and procedures as well as hire editorial, advertising and administrative staff.

The Clare Champion sells about 20,000 copies. Figures from the Central Statistics Office indicate Clare’s population grew from 94,000 to 103,000 between 1996 and 2002, making it one of the fastest-growing counties outside the Dublin commuter belt.

Irish Examiner owner Thomas Crosbie Holdings paid in the region of €7 million earlier this year to acquire the Roscommon Herald.