Sir, – Further to "Twenty years on – could the 'Irish Press' have been saved?" (May 16th), I was the person who put together the US consortium to try and buy and save the Irish Press newspaper group in 1995.
As the former US correspondent for the group, I had a deep attachment to the titles. As a successful publisher of Irish-American titles I felt there was a definite future for the Press group.
Among the key figures who committed to the project were billionaire Chuck Feeney and Wall Street Access chairman Denis Kelleher, a leading Irish-American figure on Wall Street.
We had the funding but our clear intent was to start afresh with new management. This was never acceptable to the old management, who refused to countenance any of our efforts to start afresh. As a result we had no option but to withdraw. – Yours, etc,
NIALL O’DOWD,
Founder Irish Voice
newspaper,
New York.