New newspaper challenges Champion for Clare readers

A NEW local newspaper hits the stands of Clare this morning.

The Clare People, a full colour tabloid, planned an initial print run of 10,000 copies, but due to better than anticipated advance orders from newsagents, 20,000 copies reeled off the presses of the Limerick Leader late last night.

Strong advertising also led to pagination upsizing. Managing editor Gerry Collison said: “We had planned 80 pages with a 30%/40% advertising to 70%/60% news, sports and features ratio. But due to the huge amount of advertising we have had to increase to 96 pages which in turn has put big pressure on us over the past week.” Mr Collison, 49, knows the Clare newspaper scene better than most, having worked with the Clare Champion for 26 years. He was editor from 1996 until last January. He left the Champion after “serious differences’ with the owner, John Galvin, over ‘editorial independence”.