Derry Journal Newspapers
Encyclopedia
Derry Journal Newspapers (formerly Local Press Ltd) is a holding company of Johnston Press
that operates several local newspapers in Northern Ireland
and the Republic of Ireland
. Its key titles include the second oldest newspaper still in existence in Ireland, the Derry Journal
and the Donegal Democrat
both of whom are the largest in their respective areas. The company also publishes the Sunday Journal
/Donegal on Sunday
the only local newspaper in Ireland to be published on a Sunday. The company is based on the Buncranna Road, Derry
.
a year later) from the McCaroll family who had owned the paper since 1925, for £18.25 million.
In January 2004 Local Press Ltd, a holding company of investment firm 3i
purchased the Derry Journal Group as well as the News Letter, a leading Northern Irish daily, from Trinity Mirror
. Local Press was then purchased by Johston Press a year later in November 2005 for a reported £65m.
In addition to Derry Journal Newspapers, Johnston Press own several other local titles across Northern Ireland through the holding company Johnston Publishing (NI)
and Johnston Press Ireland
in the Republic.
and the Donegal Democrat
, the biggest paper in neighbouring County Donegal.
In October 2000 a second freesheet was launched in Letterkenny
, County Donegal called the Letterkenny Listener (renamed Letterkenny People
in September 2005) and a third was launched in May 2001 called Foyle News . In 2004, several new papers were launced, with the Sunday Journal
incorporating Donegal on Sunday
and as well as Monday edition of the Journal called Derry on Monday. The papers has different levels of success, the Sunday publication was and continues to be the only local paper published on a Sunday; however Derry on Monday was axed just two years later due to poor circulation figures and was replaced by an expanded City News.
Johnston Press
Johnston Press plc is a newspaper publishing company headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland. Its flagship titles are The Scotsman and the Yorkshire Post; it also operates many other newspapers around the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and the Isle of Man. It is the second-largest publisher...
that operates several local newspapers in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
and the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. Its key titles include the second oldest newspaper still in existence in Ireland, the Derry Journal
Derry Journal
The Derry Journal is a newspaper based in Derry, Northern Ireland, serving County Londonderry as well as County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland. It is operated by a Johnston Press holding company entitled Derry Journal Newspapers. The paper is published on Tuesday and Friday and is a sister...
and the Donegal Democrat
Donegal Democrat
The Donegal Democrat is a twice-weekly local newspaper, covering County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster, in the northwest of Ireland. The paper was traditionally based in the town of Ballyshannon in the south of the county, but now has offices in Donegal Town and Letterkenny...
both of whom are the largest in their respective areas. The company also publishes the Sunday Journal
Sunday Journal
The Sunday Journal is a local newspaper published in Derry, Northern Ireland that was launched in March 2004 as part of the Derry Journal newspaper group. The paper, along with its Donegal on Sunday edition, is the only local paper on the island of Ireland to be published on a Sunday, with a...
/Donegal on Sunday
Donegal on Sunday
Donegal on Sunday is a local tabloid newspaper published in County Donegal, Ireland that was launched in March 2004 as an edition of the Sunday Journal published by the Derry Journal. It was originally called the Sunday Democrat and is based in Letterkenny...
the only local newspaper in Ireland to be published on a Sunday. The company is based on the Buncranna Road, Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
.
Owners
The company's founding paper was the Derry Journal which was launched in 1772, and remained its sole possession until the 1990s. In 1998, the group was purchased by Mirror Group Newspapers (which became Trinity MirrorTrinity Mirror
Trinity Mirror plc is a large British newspaper and magazine publisher. It is Britain's biggest newspaper group, publishing 240 regional papers as well as the national Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and People, and the Scottish Sunday Mail and Daily Record. Its headquarters are at Canary Wharf in...
a year later) from the McCaroll family who had owned the paper since 1925, for £18.25 million.
In January 2004 Local Press Ltd, a holding company of investment firm 3i
3i
3i Group plc is a multinational private equity and venture capital company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It has offices in 13 countries across Asia, Europe and the Americas and had total assets under management of £12.7 billion as at 31 March 2011...
purchased the Derry Journal Group as well as the News Letter, a leading Northern Irish daily, from Trinity Mirror
Trinity Mirror
Trinity Mirror plc is a large British newspaper and magazine publisher. It is Britain's biggest newspaper group, publishing 240 regional papers as well as the national Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and People, and the Scottish Sunday Mail and Daily Record. Its headquarters are at Canary Wharf in...
. Local Press was then purchased by Johston Press a year later in November 2005 for a reported £65m.
In addition to Derry Journal Newspapers, Johnston Press own several other local titles across Northern Ireland through the holding company Johnston Publishing (NI)
Johnston Publishing (NI)
Johnston Publishing is a large newspaper group in Northern Ireland consisting of Mortons Newspapers and the News Letter, and is a holding company of Johnston Press...
and Johnston Press Ireland
Johnston Press Ireland
Johnston Press Ireland is one of three main holding companies of Johnston Press on the island of Ireland and publishes papers such as the Dundalk Democrat, The Echo and Leitrim Observer...
in the Republic.
Expansion
In the 1990s, the Derry Journal began to expand its stable of papers with the launch of the freesheet Journal Extra in 1992 (City News from February 2001) and in 1995 acquired the Donegal People’s PressDonegal People’s Press
The Donegal People's Press is a weekly local newspaper in north County Donegal, Ireland. The paper is published every Tuesday in the north of the county, and a separate edition of the paper, with some alterations, is published in the south of the county, as the Tuesday edition of the Donegal...
and the Donegal Democrat
Donegal Democrat
The Donegal Democrat is a twice-weekly local newspaper, covering County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster, in the northwest of Ireland. The paper was traditionally based in the town of Ballyshannon in the south of the county, but now has offices in Donegal Town and Letterkenny...
, the biggest paper in neighbouring County Donegal.
In October 2000 a second freesheet was launched in Letterkenny
Letterkenny
Letterkenny , with a population of 17,568, is the largest town in County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in Ireland. The town is located on the River Swilly...
, County Donegal called the Letterkenny Listener (renamed Letterkenny People
Letterkenny People
The Letterkenny People is a weekly freesheet published in Letterkenny, County Donegal in northwest Ireland. The paper was originally distributed as the Letterkenny Listener in 2000 and took its current title in 2005. It is owned by Johnston Press through the holding company, Derry Journal Newspapers...
in September 2005) and a third was launched in May 2001 called Foyle News . In 2004, several new papers were launced, with the Sunday Journal
Sunday Journal
The Sunday Journal is a local newspaper published in Derry, Northern Ireland that was launched in March 2004 as part of the Derry Journal newspaper group. The paper, along with its Donegal on Sunday edition, is the only local paper on the island of Ireland to be published on a Sunday, with a...
incorporating Donegal on Sunday
Donegal on Sunday
Donegal on Sunday is a local tabloid newspaper published in County Donegal, Ireland that was launched in March 2004 as an edition of the Sunday Journal published by the Derry Journal. It was originally called the Sunday Democrat and is based in Letterkenny...
and as well as Monday edition of the Journal called Derry on Monday. The papers has different levels of success, the Sunday publication was and continues to be the only local paper published on a Sunday; however Derry on Monday was axed just two years later due to poor circulation figures and was replaced by an expanded City News.
Current Titles
| Name | Launced | Type | Circulation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Derry Journal Derry Journal The Derry Journal is a newspaper based in Derry, Northern Ireland, serving County Londonderry as well as County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland. It is operated by a Johnston Press holding company entitled Derry Journal Newspapers. The paper is published on Tuesday and Friday and is a sister... (Tuesday) |
1772 (Tuesday edition restarted in 1958) | Tabloid | 19,732 |
| Derry Journal Derry Journal The Derry Journal is a newspaper based in Derry, Northern Ireland, serving County Londonderry as well as County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland. It is operated by a Johnston Press holding company entitled Derry Journal Newspapers. The paper is published on Tuesday and Friday and is a sister... (Friday) |
1772 | Tabloid | 21,359 |
| Sunday Journal Sunday Journal The Sunday Journal is a local newspaper published in Derry, Northern Ireland that was launched in March 2004 as part of the Derry Journal newspaper group. The paper, along with its Donegal on Sunday edition, is the only local paper on the island of Ireland to be published on a Sunday, with a... incorporating Donegal on Sunday Donegal on Sunday Donegal on Sunday is a local tabloid newspaper published in County Donegal, Ireland that was launched in March 2004 as an edition of the Sunday Journal published by the Derry Journal. It was originally called the Sunday Democrat and is based in Letterkenny... |
2004 (March to July 2004, Donegal on Sunday known as Sunday Democrat | Tabloid | 6,691 |
| Foyle News | 2001 (previously a freesheet) | Tabloid | 2,742 |
| Donegal People’s Press Donegal People’s Press The Donegal People's Press is a weekly local newspaper in north County Donegal, Ireland. The paper is published every Tuesday in the north of the county, and a separate edition of the paper, with some alterations, is published in the south of the county, as the Tuesday edition of the Donegal... /Donegal Democrat Donegal Democrat The Donegal Democrat is a twice-weekly local newspaper, covering County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster, in the northwest of Ireland. The paper was traditionally based in the town of Ballyshannon in the south of the county, but now has offices in Donegal Town and Letterkenny... (Tuesday) |
1919 (Donegal Democrat) | Tabloid | 10,059 |
| Donegal Democrat Donegal Democrat The Donegal Democrat is a twice-weekly local newspaper, covering County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster, in the northwest of Ireland. The paper was traditionally based in the town of Ballyshannon in the south of the county, but now has offices in Donegal Town and Letterkenny... (Thursday) |
1919 | Broadsheet Broadsheet Broadsheet is the largest of the various newspaper formats and is characterized by long vertical pages . The term derives from types of popular prints usually just of a single sheet, sold on the streets and containing various types of material, from ballads to political satire. The first broadsheet... |
13,733 |
| City News City News City News might refer to one of the following:*CityNews, a news network in Toronto, Canada*City News Los Angeles, an LGBT newspaper*City News Bureau of Chicago... (Thursday) |
2001 (previously Journal Extra, launched in 1992) | Freesheet | 35,304 |
| Letterkenny People Letterkenny People The Letterkenny People is a weekly freesheet published in Letterkenny, County Donegal in northwest Ireland. The paper was originally distributed as the Letterkenny Listener in 2000 and took its current title in 2005. It is owned by Johnston Press through the holding company, Derry Journal Newspapers... (Thursday) |
2005 (previously Letterkenny Listener, launched in 2000) | Freesheet | 5,000 (Company estimate) |
- Note: all ABC figures for period 1 January to 1 July 2007