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Irish ABCs: Evening Herald drops 10% as others suffer

By Oliver Luft

Most major domestic daily and Sunday newspapers in the Republic of Ireland failed to grow their circulations year on year during the first six months of 2008, according to today’s Irish ABC report.

All national titles in the Republic suffered a circulation decline in the first half of 2009, with the exception of the Sunday Tribune which, over the period, matched its average circulation of 65,727 achieved in first half of last year and the Sunday Business Post whihc grew its circulation 3.20% year on year to 57,783.

Dublin’s Evening Herald – part of Independent News and Media – was the biggest faller in the Republic, dropping 10.4 per cent year on year to an average circulation of 71,187.

The paper sold an average of 65,633 copies at full rate each day and remained the country’s third most popular domestic daily paper, according to data released today by the Audit Bureau of Circulations.

The Irish Independent remains the best-selling daily paper in Ireland but fell 4.5 per cent year on year to average daily sales of 152,204 over the first six months of the year, with 127, 992 copies sold at full rate.

The Irish Times – run by the Irish Times Trust – fell 3.2 per cent to 114,488, with 100,714 sold at full rate.

The Irish Examiner, a national daily title based in Cork, fell 7.1 per cent year on year to 50,346, with 49,281 copies sold at full rate on average during the first half of the year.

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In the Sunday market, the tabloid Sunday World, another INM title, remained the country’s most popular paid-for newspaper with a 277,504 circulation – a 5.0 per cent decrease. Its full-rate circulation was 276,806.

The Sunday Independent, in the same stable, fell 3.8 per cent year on year to 272,174, with 249,409 at full rate.

The circulations of a number of the leading titles in Ireland are dwarfed by sales of Irish editions of UK newspapers, however, the ABC does not include the Irish editions of London-based national newspapers in its Ireland circulation report.

In Northern Ireland, INM’s Belfast Telegraph fell 10.5 per cent year on year to 68,024, while The Irish News fell 2.3 per cent to 46,800.

ABC circulation for Republic of Ireland daily and Sunday titles, January to June 2009 (year-on-year change)

Cork – Evening Echo: 24,192 (-6.30%)

Donegal on Sunday: 3,816 (-6.60%)

Dublin – Evening Herald: 71,187 (-10%)

Dublin – Irish Independent – Morning (Series): 152,204 (-4.50%)

Dublin – Irish Times – Morning (Series): 114,488 (-3.20%)

Irish Examiner – Morning: 50,346 (-7.10%)

Sunday Business Post: 57,783 (3.20%)

Sunday Independent (Series): 272,174 (-3.80%)

Sunday Tribune: 65,727 (0.00%)

Sunday World (Series): 277,504 ( -5.00%)

Weekend Herald : 41,903 (-9.00%)

Northern Ireland daily titles

Belfast Telegraph: 68,024 (-10.50%)

Irish News – Morning: 46,800 (-2.30%)

Ulster – News Letter: 25,250 (-3.60%)

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