Closure feared for Irish newspaper
By Leah McBride Mensching, Monday 11 February 2008 at 22:58 :: Newspaper Data :: #1240 :: rss
The Irish-language daily Lá Nua is likely to close at the end of February, the paper's editor said he believes. Conchubhar O'Liatháin said the paper's closure would be due to a withdrawal of funding by Foras na Gaeilge, the governing body of the Irish language, the Sunday Business Post reported.
Lá Nua announced last week it would stop publishing print editions, and switch to online publishing only, as Belfast Media Group, which publishes the paper, could not absorb losses from the print side.
The tabloid newspaper has offices in Belfast, Gweedore, in County Donegal and Cúil Aodha, in County Cork. Belfast Media Group has a 50 percent stake in the newspaper, and Irish language groups and enthusiasts own the other half, according to the Sunday Business Post.
Losses from the print edition add up to about €8,000 per month, but having an online-only edition would break the paper's contact with Foras na Gaeilge, as the contract specified a printed newspaper, the organisation's chief executive wrote to the paper.
O'Liatháin said the online version would have allowed the paper to survive until its contract is finished at the end of the year, when there would be new talks to begin a new contract.
“Another choice would be to give us £100,000 (€133,866) to allow us to continue until the end of the year. But there is no board meeting of Foras until March 14 to discuss this. By then, Lá Nua will be gone,” he said, according to the Sunday Business Post.
Lá Nua's audited ABC daily sale is 4,404, and about 30,000 people download the online version each month.
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