The editor of the Irish Examiner, Mr Brian Looney (41), announced his resignation yesterday, surprising colleagues on the newspaper. His successor was named immediately as Mr Tim Vaughan (40), who had been associate editor. The sudden departure last March of Mr Nigel O'Mahony, head of marketing, distribution and circulation, had fuelled speculation about Mr Looney's future as editor, given that he and Mr O'Mahony, a former editor of the Evening Echo, had been the two people most closely associated with the revamped image of Examiner Publications.
Under Mr O'Mahony, the Evening Echo adopted a brasher style, and under Mr Looney, who joined the Examiner in 1994, the paper dropped its Cork tag in 1996 and last year became the Irish Examiner. The holding company invested £5 million in the relaunch.
According to management, circulation of the Irish Examiner has increased from 53,000 copies a day in 1994 to 65,000 a day now. Although management remains adamant that the £5 million investment in the relaunch of the main title has been a success, staff at the paper have suggested for some time that its traditionally loyal following in Munster has been sacrificed at the expense of questionable national aspirations and that Mr Looney's style as editor had brought him into conflict with senior management figures, most notably Mr Anthony Dinan, group managing director of Thomas Crosbie Holdings.
Last February, Mr Dinan announced the appointment of Mr Padraig Mallon as chief executive of Examiner Publications to replace Mr Alan Crosbie, who resigned the position. The announcement of Mr Mallon's appointment said he would report directly to Mr Dinan. The following month, Mr O'Maho ny's resignation was announced.
Both Mr Dinan and Mr Mallon emphasised yesterday that Mr Looney's decision to leave was entirely his own and that no pressure had been brought to bear on him.