VIP (magazine)
Encyclopedia
VIP is both the title of a magazine and a publishing group owned by the Irish
publisher Michael O'Doherty
. It was launched in 1999, the second of O'Doherty's business ventures with his friend and business partner John Ryan
, following Magill
and before TV Now
. It features Irish celebrities in a fashion portrayed and displayed in a similar fashion to that of British
publications such as Hello!
and OK!
. Its circulation is estimated at 35,000. The magazine gives its name to the annual VIP Style Awards
held each year at the Shelbourne Hotel
in Dublin.
, County Kildare
which had taken twenty copies of VIP had sold them all on the first day and was being inundated with requests for more copies. O'Doherty located some spare copies that were lying around his office and sent them directly to the garage in Naas to meet the demand. The wholesalers later informed him that they had never seen demand like there had been for the first issue of VIP. As of 2 November 2008, there have been 114 issues. O'Doherty has responded to those who suggest that VIP is a carbon-copy of Hello or OK for an Irish market by reiterating the similarities between respected newspapers such as The Times
and its Irish counterpart The Irish Times
. Lorraine Keane
of TV3
, described as "the Irish Anthea Turner
, who was huge in those days", was the first celebrity the magazine pursued and she has featured in VIP on a number of occasions since. Attempts to lure Gay Byrne
of Radio Telefís Éireann (RTÉ) into the fold proved unsuccessful as with the former Taoiseach
Charles Haughey
.
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,...
publisher Michael O'Doherty
Michael O'Doherty (publisher)
Michael O'Doherty is a television talent judge, newspaper writer and the publisher of the VIP magazine group in Ireland. He is originally from Killiney in County Dublin, and was educated at Sandford Park School in Dublin and studied English and French at Trinity College, Dublin to undergraduate...
. It was launched in 1999, the second of O'Doherty's business ventures with his friend and business partner John Ryan
John Ryan (publisher)
John Ryan is an Irish former publishing tycoon-turned comic actor/writer. He is best known for his publishing empire which included the magazine New York Dog and the website blogorrah.com, he did achieve success with magazines such as VIP with former business partner, Michael O'Doherty...
, following Magill
Magill
Magill was an Irish politics and current affairs magazine founded by Vincent Browne and others in 1977. Magill was widely perceived as groundbreaking, specialising in in-depth investigative articles and colourful reportage by journalists such as Eamonn McCann and Gene Kerrigan...
and before TV Now
TV Now
TV Now is an Irish magazine containing a television guide, interviews with television stars and other television-related items. It is part of the VIP publishing franchise of Michael O'Doherty...
. It features Irish celebrities in a fashion portrayed and displayed in a similar fashion to that of British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
publications such as Hello!
Hello!
Hello is a weekly magazine specializing in celebrity news and human-interest stories, published in the United Kingdom since 1988. Hello is sister magazine to ¡Hola!, the Spanish weekly magazine launched in Spain in 1944...
and OK!
OK!
OK! is a British weekly magazine specializing in celebrity news. Originally launched as a monthly, its first issue was published in April 1993. In September 2004, OK! publishers Northern and Shell launched in Australia as a monthly title – the magazine went weekly in October 2006...
. Its circulation is estimated at 35,000. The magazine gives its name to the annual VIP Style Awards
VIP Style Awards
The VIP Style Awards is an annual awards ceremony which takes place in the Republic of Ireland...
held each year at the Shelbourne Hotel
Shelbourne Hotel
The Shelbourne Hotel is a famous hotel situated in a landmark building on the north side of St Stephen's Green, in Dublin, Ireland. Currently operated by Marriott International, the hotel has 265 rooms in total and reopened in March 2006 after undergoing an eighteen-month refurbishment.John...
in Dublin.
History
When the magazine was launched O'Doherty was criticised for producing for such a small market with few people who had celebrity status to choose from. However, the day after the first issue was released O'Doherty's wholesalers called him and informed him that a garage in NaasNaas
Naas is the county town of County Kildare in Ireland. With a population of just over twenty thousand, it is also the largest town in the county. Naas is a major commuter suburb, with many people residing there and working in Dublin...
, County Kildare
County Kildare
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...
which had taken twenty copies of VIP had sold them all on the first day and was being inundated with requests for more copies. O'Doherty located some spare copies that were lying around his office and sent them directly to the garage in Naas to meet the demand. The wholesalers later informed him that they had never seen demand like there had been for the first issue of VIP. As of 2 November 2008, there have been 114 issues. O'Doherty has responded to those who suggest that VIP is a carbon-copy of Hello or OK for an Irish market by reiterating the similarities between respected newspapers such as The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
and its Irish counterpart The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
. Lorraine Keane
Lorraine Keane
Lorraine Keane is an IFTA-nominated Irish broadcaster and journalist.She is best known known as leader of the "Xposé girls", a team of female television presenters who feature on TV3's daily fashion and celebrity lifestyle show from which their title is drawn and of which Keane was the anchor.Keane...
of TV3
TV3 Ireland
TV3 is a free-to-air commercial television network in the Republic of Ireland. Launched on 20 September 1998 it was Ireland's first commercial broadcaster. The channel is owned by TV3 Group a subsidiary of Doughty Hanson & Co.-The TV3 Group:...
, described as "the Irish Anthea Turner
Anthea Turner
Anthea Millicent Turner is an English television presenter and media personality.-Education:Turner was educated at the independent St. Dominic's High School in Hartshill, Stoke-on-Trent....
, who was huge in those days", was the first celebrity the magazine pursued and she has featured in VIP on a number of occasions since. Attempts to lure Gay Byrne
Gay Byrne
Gabriel Mary "Gay" Byrne is a veteran Irish presenter of radio and television. His most notable role was first host of The Late Late Show over a 37-year period spanning 1962 until 1999...
of Radio Telefís Éireann (RTÉ) into the fold proved unsuccessful as with the former Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
Charles Haughey
Charles Haughey
Charles James "Charlie" Haughey was Taoiseach of Ireland, serving three terms in office . He was also the fourth leader of Fianna Fáil...
.