The Fingal Independent will shut down next month after almost four decades serving news to Swords, Balbriggan, Lusk, Rush, Skerries, Malahide, Portmarnock and Balrothery.
Mediahuis, which publishes the local newspaper, said a structural decrease in revenues combined with a strong increase in costs meant the paper was no longer profitable. The final issue of the weekly newspaper will be appear on October 26 - almost 40 years after it was first published in 1983.
Green Councillor for Swords Ian Carey said it is "bad news" the paper is ceasing production as the Fingal area is "already starved of local news" with no radio station and now no paper. Mediahuis, which also publishes the Irish Independent, said they plan to transition readers of the paper to "alternative online offerings".
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They said: "Mediahuis as a group has a strong portfolio of market-leading brands and over the coming period we will work to transition our readers and customers to our alternative online offerings as part of our digital roadmap. Already this has resulted in the acquisition of some 58,000 subscribers to date in just over 2.5 years.”
Local Sinn Fein TD Louise O'Reilly said it was a "huge blow" to workers at the paper and urged Mediahuis to accommodate them elsewhere in the company. She said: “The Fingal Independent has been a mainstay in homes and businesses across Swords, Balbriggan, Lusk, Rush, Skerries, Malahide, Portmarnock and Balrothery since 1983.
"Today’s announcement from Mediahuis Ireland, which publish the Fingal Independent, that the newspaper is due to cease publication next month is a huge blow for workers at the newspaper, and a huge loss for north county Dublin.
“Mediahuis Ireland is a large company and a significant player in the Irish media landscape, and they must make every effort to ensure the hard-working staff at the Fingal Independent are accommodated elsewhere in their organisation."
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