History of the paper

Established in 1867 by James Burns the Newry Reporter is the oldest newspaper serving the Newry and Mourne region of 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...

. After the death of James in 1902 the paper was sold to Joseph Wright who operated a printing works in Hill Street. The paper would be in Wrights ownership for just 7 years before a fire at the works saw Wright move to Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. Robert Sands acquired the rights to the paper and began printing again after a four month stoppage since the fire. In 1912 the paper moved offices from Clanrye Grain Mills (owned by Sands) to Margaret Street, where it remains to this day. After Sands' death in 1915 the paper was published by the executors until 1927 when Edward Hodgett bought the rights. The paper remains in the Hodgett family to this day. .

The paper today

The paper is now published weekly on a Wednesday (although the front cover states Thursday) after trying both bi- & tri-weekly runs throughout its history. The paper's look and feel had a major refresh in May 2007 when it relaunched as a full colour 'compact

Compact (newspaper)

A compact newspaper is a broadsheet-quality newspaper printed in a tabloid format, especially one in the United Kingdom. The term is used also for this size came into use in its current use when The Independent began producing a smaller format edition for London's commuters, designed to be easier...

'. Today its main competitor in the region is the Newry Democrat

Newry Democrat

The Newry Democrat is a full colour newspaper serving Newry, County Down, Northern Ireland. It was published by Thomas Crosbie Holdings and in 2010 was acquired by the Alpha Newspaper Group.The Newry Democrat website is or...

. According to ABC figures the Newry Reporter sells over 13,000 copies per week, with the Newry Democrat's distribution in the region of 8,000 copies.

External links

• Newry Reporter website