Irish Independent facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Irish Independent

Irish Independent front page on 24 November 2005
Type	Daily newspaper
Format	Compact
Owner(s)	Mediahuis Ireland, a subsidiary of Mediahuis
Founded	January 1905; 120 years ago (1905-01) (replaced Daily Irish Independent)
Political alignment	Liberal
Headquarters	Talbot Street, Dublin, Ireland
Circulation	36,000
ISSN	0021-1222

The Irish Independent is a daily newspaper and online news source from Ireland. It is owned by Mediahuis Ireland, which is part of a larger company called Mediahuis.

This newspaper often comes with extra magazines. It used to be a large-sized newspaper called a broadsheet. In 2004, it also started printing a smaller size, known as a compact newspaper. By December 2012, the newspaper decided to print only in the compact size.

History of the Newspaper

First issue of the Irish Independent

Early Years (1905–1973)

Masthead of the Freeman's Journal, which joined the Irish Independent in 1924

Independent Newspapers building in January 1935

The Irish Independent began in 1905. It took over from an older newspaper called The Irish Daily Independent and Daily Nation. William Martin Murphy, a well-known Irish businessman, started the Irish Independent. The very first issue came out on January 2, 1905.

During the Dublin Lockout in 1913, a big worker strike, the Irish Independent supported its owner, William Martin Murphy. It published articles that were against the striking workers and their leader, James Larkin.

In 1916, after the Easter Rising, the newspaper called the event "insane and criminal." It even suggested that the leaders of the Rising should be shot. Later, in December 1919, during the Irish War of Independence, some IRA members damaged the newspaper's printing works. They were upset because the paper criticized their actions against British officials.

In 1924, another old Irish newspaper, the Freeman's Journal, joined with the Irish Independent. For many years, the Irish Independent was known as a newspaper that supported Irish nationalism and the Catholic faith. It also supported the political party Fine Gael.

In 1961, a harp symbol was added to the Irish Independent newspaper. It was first black, but then changed to green in 1972.

Changes Under New Ownership (1973–2012)

In the 1970s, Tony O'Reilly, a businessman, took over the Irish Independent. Under his leadership, the newspaper became more focused on business and economic topics. By the mid-1990s, it no longer strongly supported the Fine Gael party.

In late 2004, Independent Newspapers moved its main office from Middle Abbey Street to a new building called Independent House on Talbot Street in Dublin. The printing machines had already moved to a business park outside the city.

In September 2005, after 24 years, Vinnie Doyle stepped down as editor. Gerry O'Regan took his place. Later, Stephen Rae became editor in September 2012, and Fionnan Sheahan became editor in January 2015.

Recent Ownership (2012–Present)

In May 2012, a billionaire named Denis O'Brien bought most of the shares in INM, the company that owns the Irish Independent.

Then, in July 2019, a Belgian media company called Mediahuis took over INM. The Irish High Court approved this change.

From February 11, 2020, the content on the Independent.ie website became available only to people who paid for it.

Digital Archives

You can find old copies of the Irish Independent in digital archives. The Irish Newspaper Archives has copies up to 2004 in black and white, and color copies from 2005 onwards. The British Newspaper Archive website also has copies up to 2009.

New Irish Writing and Awards

Since 2011, the Irish Independent has featured "New Irish Writing." This section, which includes the Hennessy Award, helps new writers share their work. It was first started in 1969 by David Marcus in another newspaper. This writing feature is the longest-running one of its kind in any Irish or British newspaper.

Exam Brief Supplement

The Irish Independent works with the Institute of Education to create Exam Brief. This is a special six-part guide published every year in February, March, and April. It helps students prepare for their Leaving Certificate and Junior Certificate exams.

Newspaper Circulation

The number of copies of the Irish Independent printed each day has changed over time. In 1999, about 165,000 copies were printed per issue. By 2016, this number had dropped to around 100,000.

In 2019, Independent News & Media stopped being part of the ABC auditing process, which tracks newspaper circulation numbers.

See also

In Spanish: Irish Independent para niños