Observer Newspapers NI ceases publication of all titles

Regional newspaper publisher Observer Newspapers NI is ceasing publication of all of its titles. Readers were made aware of the company’s decision in a note on the front pages of the company’s newspapers.

The company owns 11 titles in total – nine weekly titles and two monthly freesheets – including the Dundalk Advertiser and the Armagh Observer.

“The newspaper industry has been subject to a steady decline in advertising and readership over recent years. In these challenging circumstances, Observer Newspapers has struggled to sustain long-term sustainability,” the company said in a statement.

Abridged accounts for the company filed with the UK Companies House show it had cash in the bank of £2.45 million (€2.88 million) at the end July last year, down 8.9 per cent on the previous year. The profit and loss account also showed a decline of £140,286, closing out the 2016 financial year with £4,204,212.

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Mallon family

Observer Newspapers was established by Patrick Mallon more than 90 years ago and subsequently run by his son Desmond Mallon, who worked for the company until little over a week before his death in 2006 at the age of 82. His son, also Desmond Mallon, took over the running of the company and is listed as one of the company's managing directors, alongside his mother, Mary Mallon.

Speaking to the BBC, Joe McManus, who ran one of the company's titles, said, "The Armagh Observer was looked upon as a nationalist paper, and few Protestants would've bought it but they had great respect for it."

On the front page of the final run of the Armagh Observer, the company thanked its readers and advertisers for their support throughout the years.