Celtic Media Group

Celtic Media Group provides publishing, printing and pre-press (graphic design) services to the Irish newspaper sector. It also has a digital consultancy service.^[1]

Celtic Media Group

Country of origin	Ireland
Headquarters location	Navan, County Meath
Publication types	Newspapers
Official website	www.celticmediagroup.ie

History

Previously owned by the Scottish media firm, Dunfermline Press Group,^[2] the Celtic Media Group is owned by its Irish management team, following a management buy-out which was completed in 2012.^[3] 

Celtic Media expanded following the acquisition of the Connaught Telegraph in 2014 ^[4] and its co-ownership of Dublin People Group, publisher of Northside People & Southside People, acquired in 2018.^[5]

The group's publishing titles – among them Meath Chronicle; Anglo Celt; Westmeath Examiner – were the subject of an acquisition bid by Independent News & Media (INM) in late 2016 which was approved by the Competition & Consumer Protection Commission and the Department of Communications.^[6] However, both parties opted not to proceed with the acquisition due to the level of undertakings around employment levels required by the regulatory process.^[7]

The print company, operated by Celtic in Navan, was restructured in October 2019 with the loss of 16 jobs and the cessation of its long-standing Trinity Mirror contract.^[8] Two print contracts were subsequently secured – the Northern Standard newspaper and the Racing Post Weekender title – with the Navan plant operating on a lower cost base.^[9]

The group won three of the 12 overall awards and received 11 nominations in the 2020 Local Ireland Media Awards.^[10]

In July 2020, the Southside People and Northside People titles were restructured under a new owner.^[11] Celtic continued to provide pre-press and print services to the Dublin People titles.^{[citation needed]}

Frank Mulrennan, CEO of Celtic and representing the Local Ireland industry body, told the Oireachtas Committee on Media (December 2020) that the country's 46 weekly local newspapers publish "vital, trusted, and needed public information" but are facing major challenges. He said: "In reality, our industry is still badly impacted by the last recession and the digital dominance of the likes of Facebook and Google."^[12]

In 2021, the print plant announced the renewal of its contract to print the Racing Post daily newspaper and three weekly titles for five years.^[13]

Current newspaper titles

• The Connaught Telegraph^[14][15]
• The Anglo-Celt^[16][15]
• Meath Chronicle^[16][15]
• Westmeath Examiner^[14][15]
• Westmeath Independent^[14][15]

Former assets

• Forum. (Meath, free newspaper, publication 'suspended' in 2017).^[17]
• Offaly Independent^[14][15](Suspended in March 2020)^[18]
• Southside People (49.9% stake)^[19] (liquidator appointed in May 2020) ^[20]
• Northside People (49.9% stake)^[19] (liquidator appointed in May 2020) ^[20]

See also

• List of Irish newspapers

References

1. "Celtic Media Group". LinkedIn.
2. "Frank Mulrennan has big plans for his raft of local newspapers despite the tough market". The Sunday Times. 25 November 2012. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
3. "Irish media group chooses Newscycle Solutions". Mega-Conference (Press release). 3 May 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
4. Barry, Aoife (17 May 2014). "11 jobs saved as Connaught Telegraph sold to Celtic Media Group". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
5. Carey, Brian (7 January 2018). "Celtic Media seeks people power". The Sunday Times. ISSN 0956-1382. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
6. Bardon, Sarah. "INM takeover of Celtic Media Group to be examined". The Irish Times. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
7. Daly, Gavin (11 June 2017). "INM's Celtic bid failed on jobs pledge". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
8. Hutton, Brian. "More than half of staff at Meath printing press to be laid off". The Irish Times. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
9. "Meath Chronicle - Meath Chronicle stories highlighting the scourge of illegal dumping wins Local Ireland Media Award". Meath Chronicle. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
10. "Winners of Local Ireland Media Awards are announced". Westmeath Independent. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
11. "Dublin People Group titles to relaunch after sale to former shareholder". independent. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
12. Correspondent, Paul Hosford Political (16 December 2020). "Newsbrands: Newspapers struggling to stay afloat in perfect storm". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
13. "Welcome to PJ News". www.pjnews.co.uk. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
14. "Celtic Media not to proceed with newspaper sale to INM". 6 June 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
15. Hutton, Brian (3 August 2019). "More than half of staff at Meath printing press to be laid off". The Irish Times. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
16. O'Donoghue, Paul (5 June 2017). "INM has scrapped a deal to buy a slew of Irish papers. Here's what you need to know". Fora. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
17. Daly, Gavin (6 August 2017). "Stacking the odds". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
18. "Celtic Media announces temporary layoffs over pandemic". RTÉ News. 20 March 2020.
19. Carey, Brian (7 January 2018). "Celtic Media seeks people power". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
20. "Publisher of Northside People and Southside People closes down". RTÉ News. 9 May 2020.