Scottish group buys Irish papers

Another Irish provincial newspaper group has come under Scottish ownership.

The Westmeath Examiner has been acquired by the Irish holding company of Dunfermline Press Group in a deal reported to be worth about €20m (£13m).

Comprising the Westmeath Examiner, Westmeath Independent and the Offaly Independent, the group has been taken over by Celtic News Group, the company set up in 2002 by Dunfermline for its Irish businesses. In January it paid €15m for the Anglo Celt, one of the Republic’s oldest newspapers.

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The Examiner was founded in the 19th century by an Irish MP. The driving force behind the two Scottish companies, Dunfermline chief executive Deirdre Romanes, is from a County Meath family.

By Des Cryan

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