New Irish newspaper within a fortnight

Ireland's latest national newspaper is to appear on Sunday, September 21st

Ireland's latest national newspaper is to appear on Sunday, September 21st. Ireland On Sunday will be a three-section, full-colour broadsheet. One of the sections will be the Title, the existing Sunday sports newspaper. It will be carried inside Ireland on Sunday as a tabloid sports supplement.The newspaper is backed by a consortium of US and Irish investors, headed by Mr Paschal Taggart and accountant Mr Bryan Phelan, with a total investment of £4 million and a staff of 35. It will be a middle-market newspaper and nationalist in tone. It will cover news, politics, business, lifestyles, fashion and sports.Ireland on Sunday is owned by Title media Ltd. Mr Ashley Balbirnie is continuing as managing director of the enlarged company. The editor is the sports journalist, Mr Liam hayes. He has worked on the Meath Chronicle and the Sunday Press. He captained he Meath football team in one of his five All-Ireland final appearances.Other staff include Ms Mairead Carey as news editor; Ms Mary Kerrigan as political correspondent; and Mr Ken Whelan, a former Irish Press political writer. Mr Niall O'Dowd, publisher of the Irish Voice in New York, will be a columnist.Ireland on Sunday is aiming at the market occupied by the Sunday Press, which had sales of 150,000 at its demise. It also aims to take readers from the Sunday Independent.Yesterday Mr Hayes said the newspaper would be fresh, stylish, contemporary and fast-moving, proud of its Irish identity."The paper will be humorous, provocative and responsible, and is aimed to reflect the thoughts, the values and the desires of a 32-county Ireland." He said it was looking for a circulation of about 50,000 in the first year.The newspaper will be printed by the Midland Tribune in Birr, Co Offaly, and distributed by Easons. The company is spending £1.5 million on marketing in the first year.