New Monaghan Post to rival Northern Standard

MONAGHAN is to get its first new newspaper for 160 years with the launch of the Monaghan Post this week.

River Newspaper Holdings, the regional radio and newspaper group, plans to pump 1 million into the launch of the new title.

The Monaghan Post will square up against the Northern Standard, owned by members of the Smyth family.

River Newspapers said it was very confident of taking on the Northern Standard, saying it has significant advance revenues from advertising. The new 80-page paper will cost 1.75 and will have an initial circulation of 20,000 copies.

The River group owns six other regional newspapers and says turnover is on course to hit 10m. It is planning to launch three more titles and double revenues in 2008.

Tim Collins, a director of River Newspapers, said in a statement: “While traditional local media generally appeals to older readers, the success of the River Newspapers stable lies in the appeal of our titles to a much wider age group, particularly 20 to 40-year-olds.

“We have a really snappy format which younger local newspaper readers enjoy. This largely untapped audience has proven keen to re-adapt to a modern well designed paper. The Monaghan Post is destined to become one of the flagship publications in our fold.”

The paper will be edited by former Northern Sound radio news anchor Fintan Duffy and will be based in Monaghan town centre with a sub-office in Carrickmacross.