Irish newspaper sales continued their downward trend over the first half of 2009, according to figures released on Thursday by the Audit Bureau of Circulations, The Irish Times reported.

The ABC data displayed drops in sales across all the main daily newspapers in Ireland for the six-month period ending in June.

ABC circulation data for the first half of the year, as reported by The Irish Times, is as follows:

The Irish Times: down 0.8 percent

Irish Independent: down 1.6 percent

Evening Herald: down 5 percent

The Irish Examiner: 4.2 percent

Sunday newspapers fared better than their daily counterparts. The Sunday Business Post's circulation was up 5.1 percent over the last six months, the Sunday Independent was up by 0.7 percent, the Sunday Tribune was down 1.4 percent and the Sunday World was down 2.7 percent.

In Northern Ireland, the Irish News reported a circulation decline of 2.1 percent, the Newsletter was down 3.6 percent and the Belfast Telegraph was down 2.1 percent in the first six months of the year, the Irish Times reported.