Sky News Ireland was a television news channel which broadcast in 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,...

. Sky News

Sky News

Sky News is a 24-hour British and international satellite television news broadcaster with an emphasis on UK and international news stories.The service places emphasis on rolling news, including the latest breaking news. Sky News also hosts localised versions of the channel in Australia and in New...

 International is now available throughout Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

. Sky News Ireland was carried on Sky Digital

Sky Digital (UK & Ireland)

Sky is the brand name for British Sky Broadcasting's digital satellite television and radio service, transmitted from SES Astra satellites located at 28.2° east and Eutelsat's Eurobird 1 satellite at 28.5°E. The service was originally launched as Sky Digital, distinguishing it from the original...

, and Chorus NTL

UPC Ireland

UPC Ireland is Liberty Global Europe's telecommunications operation in Ireland. UPC Ireland is the largest digital cable television provider within the Republic of Ireland. As of September 2010 the company offers broadband internet, digital television and digital telephony to over 531,000 customers...

.

Launching in May 2004, the channel broadcast the same programming as the main Sky News channel, except for two thirty-minute weekday programmes, initially broadcast at 19:00 and 22:00.

They were presented by Gráinne Seoige

Gráinne Seoige

Gráinne Seoige is an Irish television presenter, Gaeilgeoir, and "fashion icon",Gráinne Seoige is one of the few television presenters who has worked for all terrestrial channels in the Republic of Ireland at some point. She has worked as a news anchor on TG4, TV3 and Sky News Ireland...

, news anchor Ray Kennedy

Ray Kennedy (Irish news presenter)

Ray Kennedy is an Irish news journalist currently working with RTÉ, Irish national television and radio.He was previously Ireland correspondent for Sky News in Dublin...

 - now with RTE

RTE

RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...

 - and Brian Daly

Brian Daly

Brian Daly is an Irish news journalist currently working for TV3 News. He spent time working as Ireland Correspondent for Sky News in Dublin. He was one of the Sky News Ireland's two anchors for its twice-weeknightly programmes alongside colleague Ray Kennedy, following the departure of previous...

. On 24 October 2005, the 19:00 programme was moved to 18:30, this put it in direct competition with RTÉ News: Six One

RTÉ News: Six One

RTÉ News: Six One is the evening news programme broadcast each night on Irish television channel RTÉ One...

.

The bulletin was also available to British viewers via the Sky News Active service which proved quite popular with Irish

Irish people

The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...

 audiences in the UK. The channel was seen by European viewers with a DVB-S

DVB-S

DVB-S is an abbreviation for Digital Video Broadcasting — Satellite; it is the original Digital Video Broadcasting forward error coding and demodulation standard for satellite television and dates from 1994, in its first release, while development lasted from 1993 to 1997...

 satellite receiver across Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

. Sky News Ireland was the first Irish news service to be broadcast in widescreen, beating plans by RTÉ News

RTÉ News

RTÉ News and Current Affairs , is a major division of Raidió Teilifís Éireann responsible for news programming on television, radio and online within the Republic of Ireland. It is, by far, the largest and most popular news source in Ireland - with 77% of the Irish public regarding it as their main...

 and TV3 News

TV3 News

TV3 News is the television and internet news service from TV3 in Ireland. Its flagship bulletin is at 17:30, hosted by Alan Cantwell, Colette Fitzpatrick and Elaine Crowley. TV3 News produces bulletins broadcast live on TV3 each day and online at tv3.ie/news...

. On 27 December 2005 it was announced that Sky News Ireland's 18:30 bulletin was to be simulcast on Sky1 Ireland from 9 January 2006.

Reporters for the service included Jonathan Healy, Alison O'Reilly, Orla Chennnaoui, David Blevins, Eibhlín Ní Chonghaile

Eibhlín Ní Chonghaile

Eibhlín Ní Chonghaile, Irish television presenter, born 1984.Ní Chonghaile presents Eochair an ghrá, a dating show, on TG4. She began her career as a news reporter for TG4 and TV3. She later worked in the same capacity for Nuacht RTE and Sky News Ireland...

, Geraldine Lynagh, Amanda Cassidy, Aisling Ni Choisdealbha and John Sherwin. Weather on Sky News Ireland was usually presented, by Lisa Burke.

In October 2006, viewer ratings for the 10.00pm programme were 135,000 avg, the 18:30 programme received 65,000 avg. (Neilsen)

On 31 October 2006 it was announced that the Irish bulletins would cease at the end of November 2006. From 3 November 2006, no further Sky News Ireland bulletins were broadcast when the staff walked out. Ray Kennedy

Ray Kennedy (Irish news presenter)

Ray Kennedy is an Irish news journalist currently working with RTÉ, Irish national television and radio.He was previously Ireland correspondent for Sky News in Dublin...

presented the final programme at 10.00pm on November 3, after which the staff left in protest at the handling of the closure by their British Sky News managers in London.

Although Irish programming has now ended, Sky News still sells advertising specific to Ireland. Coverage of Irish events takes place only on an ad hoc basis.