The sudden death of The Northern Standard

MEATHMAN'S DIARY: John Donohoe

I took a little road trip at the weekend, up north. It wasn't for festive bargain hunting across the border, but to try and get my hands on the last ever edition of the Northern Standard newspaper, the local paper that has been serving Monaghan since 1839, and has just shut up shop. Just like that, as the late comedian Tommy Cooper would say.

Two weeks ago, on its front page, the Smyth family proprietors made the announcement of its impending closure, outlining how it struggled to sustain its long-term viability in the face of what it called the "steady decline in readership and advertising in recent years". It said that as news consumption shifted to online media, "print newspapers have struggled to compete with digital platforms and social media outlets" and that the "regrettable decision" had been made to cease publication.

This is nothing that every other newspaper company has been experiencing across the country in recent decades, ourselves included. But over those years, we have tried to move with the times, creating and maintaining an online presence and tailoring advertising packages to suit both print and online clients and readers. In 2012, our parent company, Celtic Media Group was the subject of a management buy-out in a 'pre-pack' receivership deal. There were €38 million in debts hanging over from a Scottish firm's purchase of the Chronicle, the Anglo Celt, the two Westmeath titles, and the Offaly Independent. The buy-out was for €5.5 million, and saved 125 jobs in the group.

Celtic Media Group is now in a healthy position and only a few weeks ago was able to announce that it was taking over the Tuam Herald, where the Burke family is retiring, subject to approval from the Competition Authority and the Media Minister.

So it is shocking news that the Northern Standard is just closing its doors. Not alone are there jobs and livelihoods in the reckoning, there is also 186 years of tradition of community service. For that is what local newspapers are – a service to the community. As well as providing information on upcoming events and GAA fixtures, they are a record of local achievements, sporting successes (or losses), parish activities and political and societal changes. Newspapers are regarded as the first draft of history, and are a very important local history research source.

Even the reasons for the setting up of the Northern Standard just before the Great Famine were political – it was founded by an Arthur Wellington Holmes to defend Protestant Ulster from Daniel O'Connell's political campaigns. Down with that sort of thing!

We eventually found a copy of the last paper in the third shop we tried in Carrickmacross, which clearly had to get a second delivery in to satisfy demand - wonder did that happen every week!

The last word to Séamus Dooley of the National Union of Journalists: "It would have been preferable that the proprietors sought external investment or considered an initiative such as a community cooperative, if they did not wish to sell to an existing group. Staff have contributed enormously to its continuation and it is regrettable that only statutory redundancy appears to be available. "