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 originIreland
Headquarters locationNavan, County Meath
Publication typesNewspapers
Official websitewww.celticmediagroup.ie

It is owned by its Irish management team, following a management buy-out led by CEO Frank Mulrennan in 2012.  The group was previously owned by Scottish media firm, Dunfermline Press Group. [2]

Celtic Media has expanded since with the acquisition of the Connaught Telegraph in 2014 [3] and its co-ownership of Dublin People Group, publisher of Northside People & Southside People, acquired in 2018.[4]

It employs a total workforce of 90 staff and has invested significantly in its integrated newspaper publishing system, purchased from the Newscycle company.[5]

The group's publishing titles – among them Meath Chronicle; Anglo Celt; Westmeath Examiner – were the subject of an acquisition bid by 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 new print contracts have been secured – the Northern Standard newspaper and the Racing Post Weekender title – with the Navan plant now operating on a lower cost base.[9]

The Group won three of the 12 overall awards and received 11 nominations in the latest Local Ireland Media Awards, sponsored by the National Lottery. [10]

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

The print plant has announced the renewal of its contract to print the Racing Post daily newspaper and three weekly titles for the next five years. [12]

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." [13]

Current Newspaper Titles

Former Newspaper Assets

See also
  • List of Irish newspapers

References
  1. https://www.linkedin.com/company/celtic-media-group/about/
  2. "Frank Mulrennan has big plans for his raft of local newspapers despite the tough market". The Sunday Times. 2012-11-25. Retrieved 2019-08-11.
  3. Barry, Aoife. "11 jobs saved as Connaught Telegraph sold to Celtic Media Group". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 2019-11-04.
  4. Carey, Brian (2018-01-07). "Celtic Media seeks people power". The Sunday Times. ISSN 0956-1382. Retrieved 2019-11-04.
  5. "Irish media group chooses Newscycle Solutions". Mega-Conference. Retrieved 2019-11-04.
  6. Bardon, Sarah. "INM takeover of Celtic Media Group to be examined". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2019-11-04.
  7. Daly, Gavin (2017-06-11). "INM's Celtic bid failed on jobs pledge". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 2019-08-11.
  8. Hutton, Brian. "More than half of staff at Meath printing press to be laid off". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2019-11-04.
  9. "Meath Chronicle - Meath Chronicle stories highlighting the scourge of illegal dumping wins Local Ireland Media Award". Meath Chronicle. Retrieved 2019-11-04.
  10. "Winners of Local Ireland Media Awards are announced". Westmeath Independent. Retrieved 2021-01-18.
  11. "Dublin People Group titles to relaunch after sale to former shareholder". independent. Retrieved 2021-01-18.
  12. "Welcome to PJ News". www.pjnews.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-01-18.
  13. Correspondent, Paul Hosford Political (2020-12-16). "Newsbrands: Newspapers struggling to stay afloat in perfect storm". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 2021-01-18.
  14. "Celtic Media not to proceed with newspaper sale to INM". 2017-06-06. Retrieved 2019-08-11.
  15. Hutton, Brian (2019-08-03). "More than half of staff at Meath printing press to be laid off". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2019-08-11.
  16. O'Donoghue, Paul (2017-06-05). "INM has scrapped a deal to buy a slew of Irish papers. Here's what you need to know". Fora. Retrieved 2019-08-11.
  17. Daly, Gavin (2017-08-06). "Stacking the odds". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 2019-08-11.
  18. https://www.rte.ie/news/2020/0320/1124467-celtic-media-layoffs/
  19. Carey, Brian (2018-01-07). "Celtic Media seeks people power". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 2019-08-11.
  20. https://www.rte.ie/news/dublin/2020/0509/1137431-north-dublin-publications/
  21. https://www.rte.ie/news/dublin/2020/0509/1137431-north-dublin-publications/
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