The Irish magazine market is a highly competitive one, so the launch on Wednesday of the Magazines Ireland Editors’ Forum indicates a new collegiate spirit in the industry.

The forum is open to serving editors, editors-in-chief, editorial directors and content directors of magazines in print or online which are published in Ireland.

Members of the forum will be invited to regular functions, training courses and networking events.

"The role of an editor can be a lonely one and we hope that, through the forum, editors will come together to learn, share and support one another," says Grace Aungier, chief executive of Magazines Ireland.

The first speaker to kick off the forum at the launch event in the Mansion House in Dublin yesterday was Diane Kenwood, editor of London-based Woman's Weekly.

Woman's Weekly is the highest-selling weekly magazine in the mature mainstream women's market.