Sunday World
Encyclopedia
The Sunday World is an Irish
newspaper
published by Sunday Newspapers Limited, a division of Independent News and Media. It is the largest selling "popular" newspaper in the Republic of Ireland
and is also sold in Northern Ireland
(where a modified edition with more stories relevant to that region is produced).
and Gerry McGuinness. It broke new ground in terms of layout, content, agenda, columnists, and use of sexual imagery.
It is currently the biggest selling tabloid newspaper in Ireland with combined sales north and south of around 250,000 copies each week. It's readership on the island is over one million people.
, Martin O'Hagan
, was killed by Loyalist paramilitaries in Lurgan
, Co Armagh. O'Hagan was the first journalist to draw attention to the activities of Billy Wright
. Wright lived only a few miles from O'Hagan in north Armagh, and had attempted to have the journalist murdered in 1992. The threat was sufficient to cause O'Hagan to temporarily move to the Sunday World office in Dublin, and then to Cork
. He continued working for the newspaper, returning to his family in Lurgan in the late 1990s. When killed, O'Hagan became the first reporter covering the Northern Ireland conflict to be killed by paramilitaries.
On May 1, 2005 it alleged double standards by a prominent member of the Democratic Unionist Party
(DUP). It claimed that the unionist politician, Paul Berry
had been caught in a sting operation
by the newspaper when he met a male masseur in a room booked under a false name in a Belfast
hotel. According to the paper, Berry asked the man upon meeting him: "I hope you're a Prod?" Berry denied the allegations, claiming that he was seeking treatment for a sports injury, and is considering legal action. In the 2005 general election
five days later Berry was the DUP candidate for Newry and Armagh
but was one of the few DUP candidates to experience a fall in their share of the vote in favour of the Ulster Unionist Party
while everywhere else in the province the DUP gained at the expense of its main rival. The DUP were to the forefront in the campaign of the 1970s and 1980s to stop the decriminalisation of homosexuality
in Northern Ireland. On July 4, 2005 it was announced that Berry had been suspended from the DUP following an internal disciplinary panel meeting.
The paper has been noted in its hard-hitting coverage of crime in the Republic of Ireland compared to other papers. It has been to the forefront of exposing the emergence and growth of organised crime in Ireland throughout the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. In the 1990s it broke the story about the secret life being led by controversial priest Fr Michael Cleary, revealing that he had a secret family with his housekeeper Phyllis Hamilton. Along with the Bishop Eamon Casey story and revelations about clerical child abuse, the Cleary story is viewed as one of the defining moments in the decline of the authority of the Catholic Church in Ireland.
In 2008 the paper was the first to expose the controversial fundraising activities of the House of Prayer run by self proclaimed visionary Christina Gallagher in Achill, Co Mayo. It also revealed the lavish lifestyle Gallagher was leading. The investigation later became an acclaimed book 'Immaculate Deception' by journalist Jim Gallagher. The House of Prayer made over 100 individual complaints to the press ombudsman about the investigation, all of which were dismissed.
In 2005 the paper was sued by a well known Dublin criminal figure Martin "the Viper" Foley
after it reported that he was a leading figure in gang related crime and had links with the IRA elements. Foley argued that the report placed his life in jeopardy and sought to gag the paper. The attempt failed as the High Court rejected his allegations and refused to prevent further reporting.
In 2010 the paper won a landmark legal ruling when a privacy and defamation case taken by Ruth Hickey was dismissed by the President of the High Court Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns. The ruling copperfastened the importance of freedom of expression in Irish law and stated that it can only be outweighed by the right to privacy in limited circumstances. Mr Justice Kearns also defended the right of the newspaper to publish information that was clearly in the public domain on the internet (in this case the infamous 'Zip Up Your Mickey' phone rant by Twink whose husband had left her for Ms Hickey.
On March 19, 2006, Sunday World reporter Hugh Jordan tracked down former Sinn Féin official and British Forces informant Denis Donaldson
at a remote, rustic cottage in County Donegal. Sixteen days later, Donaldson was murdered there, and the paper was heavily criticized for identifying and showing a photo of the location. In 2009 the Real IRA claimed responsibility for the killing.
On November 1, 2009, Northern Editor Jim McDowell attracted complaints to the Press Complaints Commission
after the paper published on the front page the photograph of a man hanging from a bridge, having killed himself under the headline "Halloween Horror". McDowell claimed on the Stephen Nolan
's BBC Radio Ulster
show on 2 November that it was meant to dissuade individuals thinking about suicide but the decision to publish was condemned by suicide awareness and support groups.
It is noted for its strong Irish coverage in a newspaper market awash with 'Irish editions' of the main British newspaper titles such as the Sunday Mirror and Mail on Sunday. Among its Irish sports writers are the legendary Con Houlihan, Pat Spillane, Charlie Nicholas, John Aldridge, Denis Irwin and Mick Galwey. Columnists include Amanda Brunker, Lorraine Keane, Martina Devlin, Paddy Murray, Fr Brian Darcy, Des Ekin and Daniel O'Donnell.
TD
Aengus O'Snodaigh. The newspaper claimed in an article entitled "Aengus Turns Blind Eye To Car Jacking" that he had failed to report his car missing to the Gardai.
In November 2011, the Sunday World agreed to issue a public apology to convicted Old Bailey bomber and IRA terrorist turned Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly
. Kelly sued the paper claiming references to him as the chief of staff of the IRA with responsibility for the end of the IRA ceasefire in 1994 were defamatory to his reputation in the eyes of right thinking people. The Sunday World accepted that articles describing him as the Provos' chief of staff and alleging that he had a liaison with a female diplomat for "ulterior motives" were "wrong."
In November 2011, Iris Robinson
received "substantial damages" for the publication of photos taken while she was undergoing treatment for depression after an attempted suicide.
Press and Broadcast Awards for Northern 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...
newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
published by Sunday Newspapers Limited, a division of Independent News and Media. It is the largest selling "popular" newspaper 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,...
and is also sold 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...
(where a modified edition with more stories relevant to that region is produced).
Origins
The Sunday World was Ireland's first tabloid newspaper. It was launched in 1973 by Hugh McLaughlinHugh McLaughlin
This article is about the Irish publisher Hugh McLaughlin. For the 19th century US politician see Hugh McLaughlin .Hugh McLaughlin was an Irish publisher and inventor. He was married to Nuala Ryan....
and Gerry McGuinness. It broke new ground in terms of layout, content, agenda, columnists, and use of sexual imagery.
It is currently the biggest selling tabloid newspaper in Ireland with combined sales north and south of around 250,000 copies each week. It's readership on the island is over one million people.
Investigative journalism
In 2001, a journalist working for the paper in Northern IrelandNorthern 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...
, Martin O'Hagan
Martin O'Hagan
Owen Martin O'Hagan, was an Irish investigative journalist from Lurgan, Northern Ireland. He was the most prominent journalist to be killed as a consequence of the Troubles and the only one to be specifically assassinated as a result of his work.-Life:Martin O'Hagan's father served in the British...
, was killed by Loyalist paramilitaries in Lurgan
Lurgan
Lurgan is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The town is near the southern shore of Lough Neagh and in the north-eastern corner of the county. Part of the Craigavon Borough Council area, Lurgan is about 18 miles south-west of Belfast and is linked to the city by both the M1 motorway...
, Co Armagh. O'Hagan was the first journalist to draw attention to the activities of Billy Wright
Billy Wright (loyalist)
William Stephen "Billy" Wright was a prominent Ulster loyalist during the period of violent religious/political conflict known as "The Troubles". He joined the Ulster Volunteer Force in 1975 and became commander of its Mid-Ulster Brigade in the early 1990s...
. Wright lived only a few miles from O'Hagan in north Armagh, and had attempted to have the journalist murdered in 1992. The threat was sufficient to cause O'Hagan to temporarily move to the Sunday World office in Dublin, and then to Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
. He continued working for the newspaper, returning to his family in Lurgan in the late 1990s. When killed, O'Hagan became the first reporter covering the Northern Ireland conflict to be killed by paramilitaries.
On May 1, 2005 it alleged double standards by a prominent member of the Democratic Unionist Party
Democratic Unionist Party
The Democratic Unionist Party is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. Founded by Ian Paisley and currently led by Peter Robinson, it is currently the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons of the...
(DUP). It claimed that the unionist politician, Paul Berry
Paul Berry
Paul 'London' Berry is a Northern Ireland unionist politician.Berry was born in Craigavon, County Armagh, and brought up in Tandragee, where he was educated at local state schools and colleges, following which he was employed in the textile industry...
had been caught in a sting operation
Sting operation
In law enforcement, a sting operation is a deceptive operation designed to catch a person committing a crime. A typical sting will have a law-enforcement officer or cooperative member of the public play a role as criminal partner or potential victim and go along with a suspect's actions to gather...
by the newspaper when he met a male masseur in a room booked under a false name in a Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
hotel. According to the paper, Berry asked the man upon meeting him: "I hope you're a Prod?" Berry denied the allegations, claiming that he was seeking treatment for a sports injury, and is considering legal action. In the 2005 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
five days later Berry was the DUP candidate for Newry and Armagh
Newry and Armagh (UK Parliament constituency)
Newry and Armagh is a Parliamentary Constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons.-Boundaries:The seat was created in boundary changes in 1983, as part of an expansion of Northern Ireland's constituencies from 12 to 17, and was predominantly made up from the old Armagh constituency with the...
but was one of the few DUP candidates to experience a fall in their share of the vote in favour of the Ulster Unionist Party
Ulster Unionist Party
The Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...
while everywhere else in the province the DUP gained at the expense of its main rival. The DUP were to the forefront in the campaign of the 1970s and 1980s to stop the decriminalisation of homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
in Northern Ireland. On July 4, 2005 it was announced that Berry had been suspended from the DUP following an internal disciplinary panel meeting.
The paper has been noted in its hard-hitting coverage of crime in the Republic of Ireland compared to other papers. It has been to the forefront of exposing the emergence and growth of organised crime in Ireland throughout the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. In the 1990s it broke the story about the secret life being led by controversial priest Fr Michael Cleary, revealing that he had a secret family with his housekeeper Phyllis Hamilton. Along with the Bishop Eamon Casey story and revelations about clerical child abuse, the Cleary story is viewed as one of the defining moments in the decline of the authority of the Catholic Church in Ireland.
In 2008 the paper was the first to expose the controversial fundraising activities of the House of Prayer run by self proclaimed visionary Christina Gallagher in Achill, Co Mayo. It also revealed the lavish lifestyle Gallagher was leading. The investigation later became an acclaimed book 'Immaculate Deception' by journalist Jim Gallagher. The House of Prayer made over 100 individual complaints to the press ombudsman about the investigation, all of which were dismissed.
In 2005 the paper was sued by a well known Dublin criminal figure Martin "the Viper" Foley
Martin Foley
Martin "The Viper" Foley is one of the Republic of Ireland's best known criminals. He rose up from a street drug dealer to be an associate of Martin Cahill, one of Ireland's most notorious criminals. He has 33 convictions. He is considered a key figure in the McCormack-Foley crime family from...
after it reported that he was a leading figure in gang related crime and had links with the IRA elements. Foley argued that the report placed his life in jeopardy and sought to gag the paper. The attempt failed as the High Court rejected his allegations and refused to prevent further reporting.
In 2010 the paper won a landmark legal ruling when a privacy and defamation case taken by Ruth Hickey was dismissed by the President of the High Court Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns. The ruling copperfastened the importance of freedom of expression in Irish law and stated that it can only be outweighed by the right to privacy in limited circumstances. Mr Justice Kearns also defended the right of the newspaper to publish information that was clearly in the public domain on the internet (in this case the infamous 'Zip Up Your Mickey' phone rant by Twink whose husband had left her for Ms Hickey.
On March 19, 2006, Sunday World reporter Hugh Jordan tracked down former Sinn Féin official and British Forces informant Denis Donaldson
Denis Donaldson
Denis Martin Donaldson was a volunteer in the Provisional Irish Republican Army and a member of Sinn Féin who was exposed in December 2005 as an informer in the employment of MI5 and the Special Branch of the Police Service of Northern Ireland Denis Martin Donaldson (Short Strand, Belfast,...
at a remote, rustic cottage in County Donegal. Sixteen days later, Donaldson was murdered there, and the paper was heavily criticized for identifying and showing a photo of the location. In 2009 the Real IRA claimed responsibility for the killing.
On November 1, 2009, Northern Editor Jim McDowell attracted complaints to the Press Complaints Commission
Press Complaints Commission
The Press Complaints Commission is a voluntary regulatory body for British printed newspapers and magazines, consisting of representatives of the major publishers. The PCC is funded by the annual levy it charges newspapers and magazines...
after the paper published on the front page the photograph of a man hanging from a bridge, having killed himself under the headline "Halloween Horror". McDowell claimed on the Stephen Nolan
Stephen Nolan
Stephen Nolan, born Belfast in 1973, is a radio and television presenter for BBC Northern Ireland and BBC Radio Five Live. He was educated at Royal Belfast Academical Institution, and Queen's University Belfast where he studied French and Business Studies....
's BBC Radio Ulster
BBC Radio Ulster
BBC Radio Ulster is one of two Northern Irish BBC radio stations, the other being BBC Radio Foyle located in the city of Derry. BBC Radio Ulster is located at Broadcasting House in the Ormeau Avenue area of Belfast city centre...
show on 2 November that it was meant to dissuade individuals thinking about suicide but the decision to publish was condemned by suicide awareness and support groups.
It is noted for its strong Irish coverage in a newspaper market awash with 'Irish editions' of the main British newspaper titles such as the Sunday Mirror and Mail on Sunday. Among its Irish sports writers are the legendary Con Houlihan, Pat Spillane, Charlie Nicholas, John Aldridge, Denis Irwin and Mick Galwey. Columnists include Amanda Brunker, Lorraine Keane, Martina Devlin, Paddy Murray, Fr Brian Darcy, Des Ekin and Daniel O'Donnell.
Controversies
The paper is currently subject of a defamation case taken by Sinn FéinSinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
TD
Teachta Dála
A Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
Aengus O'Snodaigh. The newspaper claimed in an article entitled "Aengus Turns Blind Eye To Car Jacking" that he had failed to report his car missing to the Gardai.
In November 2011, the Sunday World agreed to issue a public apology to convicted Old Bailey bomber and IRA terrorist turned Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly
Gerry Kelly
Gerard "Gerry" Kelly is an Irish republican politician and former Provisional Irish Republican Army volunteer who played a leading role in the negotiations that led to the Good Friday Agreement on 10 April 1998...
. Kelly sued the paper claiming references to him as the chief of staff of the IRA with responsibility for the end of the IRA ceasefire in 1994 were defamatory to his reputation in the eyes of right thinking people. The Sunday World accepted that articles describing him as the Provos' chief of staff and alleging that he had a liaison with a female diplomat for "ulterior motives" were "wrong."
In November 2011, Iris Robinson
Iris Robinson
Iris Robinson is a former Northern Ireland Unionist politician. She is married to Peter Robinson, who is currently the First Minister in the Northern Ireland Assembly....
received "substantial damages" for the publication of photos taken while she was undergoing treatment for depression after an attempted suicide.
Awards
In 2008, the newspaper won the prize for the Newspaper of the Year (Sunday) at the annual Chartered Institute of Public RelationsChartered Institute of Public Relations
The Chartered Institute of Public Relations is the professional body for PR practitioners in the United Kingdom. Founded in February 1948 as the Institute of Public Relations, by 2009 it had grown to over 9000 members involved in all aspects of the public relations industry, and is the largest...
Press and Broadcast Awards for Northern Ireland.