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Irish Independent
2 days ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Irish Times-owned Irish Examiner and The Echo newsrooms to merge
The newspapers are owned and operated by the Irish Times, which bought them in 2018. At the time it said that the deal provided opportunities for consolidation, but that the core identity and independence of the news titles would be retained. Tom Fitzpatrick has been editor of the Irish Examiner since 2019. It is understood that he has decided not to apply for the new combined role. In an email to staff today Karen O'Donoghue, managing director of the Irish Examiner and The Echo, said that as part of a three-year change programme, the new position would be publicly advertised on Friday. 'The leadership role is a key pillar of the plan to combine the editorial operations,' she said. 'In creating a single editorial department, we will improve teamwork and our ability to target key audiences, streamline decision making, and grow both digital subscriptions and digital advertising revenues, enable by a cohesive editorial vision across our titles.' Sources familiar with the change programme pointed out that other areas of the two newspapers, apart from editorial, are already merged. The change marks a further consolidation within the Irish newspaper industry, which is dealing with the twin threats of declining print circulation and reduced advertised spend. In 2019, the Evening Echo became a morning newspaper and was rebranded The Echo. Produced for almost 130 years, and synonymous with Cork, it is now printed at the same time as the Irish Examiner. Its website was redesigned at The newspaper was founded as a broadsheet in 1892, and went tabloid in 1991. Two years ago the newspaper got its first female editor, with Grainne McGuinness taking over from Maurice Gubbins. In her role as managing director of the Irish Examiner and The Echo, Ms O'Donoghue reports to the Irish Times group managing director, Deirdre Veldon. Since her appointment in November 2022, Ms Veldon has put a new leadership team and strategy in place in order to return the company to profitability. As well as the two Cork newspapers, the Irish Times group owns a number of regional titles, such as the Waterford News and Star. It has a majority share in the Waterford-based radio station WLR, and last year bought the death notices site causing a controversy last December when it introduced a €100 charge for listings.
Irish Independent
2 days ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Irish Times owned Irish Examiner and The Echo newsrooms to merge
The newspapers are owned and operated by the Irish Times, which bought them in 2018. At the time it said that the deal provided opportunities for consolidation, but that the core identity and independence of the news titles would be retained. Tom Fitzpatrick has been editor of the Irish Examiner since 2019. It is understood that he has decided not to apply for the new combined role. In an email to staff today Karen O'Donoghue, managing director of the Irish Examiner and The Echo, said that as part of a three-year change programme, the new position would be publicly advertised on Friday. 'The leadership role is a key pillar of the plan to combine the editorial operations,' she said. 'In creating a single editorial department, we will improve teamwork and our ability to target key audiences, streamline decision making, and grow both digital subscriptions and digital advertising revenues, enable by a cohesive editorial vision across our titles.' Sources familiar with the change programme pointed out that other areas of the two newspapers, apart from editorial, are already merged. The change marks a further consolidation within the Irish newspaper industry, which is dealing with the twin threats of declining print circulation and reduced advertised spend. In 2019, the Evening Echo became a morning newspaper and was rebranded The Echo. Produced for almost 130 years, and synonymous with Cork, it is now printed at the same time as the Irish Examiner. Its website was redesigned at The newspaper was founded as a broadsheet in 1892, and went tabloid in 1991. Two years ago the newspaper got its first female editor, with Grainne McGuinness taking over from Maurice Gubbins. In her role as managing director of the Irish Examiner and The Echo, Ms O'Donoghue reports to the Irish Times group managing director, Deirdre Veldon. Since her appointment in November 2022, Ms Veldon has put a new leadership team and strategy in place in order to return the company to profitability. As well as the two Cork newspapers, the Irish Times group owns a number of regional titles, such as the Waterford News and Star. It has a majority share in the Waterford-based radio station WLR, and last year bought the death notices site causing a controversy last December when it introduced a €100 charge for listings.
Irish Examiner
23-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Peter Dowdall: Why gardening boosts our mental health
Gardening has always been about more than just soil and seasons. It's therapy in its truest form. As the world spins ever faster and our lives become more screen-obsessed and stress-filled as we surround ourselves with gadgets designed to help us and to give us more free time to unwind, the garden remains a quiet sanctuary, a place to breathe, to feel, and to simply be. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and surely now, it's time we recognise gardening not only as a hobby or a passion, but as an antidote, a treatment, a lifeline. There is something almost miraculous about how simply stepping into a garden changes us. The scent of the soil, the sound of leaves, the buzz of a bee, it's as if the natural world reaches out and settles a hand on our shoulder, saying, 'You're safe here, everything is ok.' This isn't just my sentimentality talking, research is now catching up with what gardeners have known intuitively for centuries, that gardening is profoundly good for our mental health. One voice on this subject is Dr Mark Rowe, a Waterford-based wellbeing expert who's done tremendous work linking the science of wellbeing with the everyday experiences that restore us. This year, he's chosen to highlight the role of awe, those moments that stop us in our tracks and fill us with wonder as a gateway to better mental health. 'In our fast-paced, hyperconnected world, awe is often overlooked, yet it's at the cutting edge of research on emotional wellbeing,' says Dr Rowe. I couldn't agree more, and there are few places where awe is more accessible than the garden. Watching a sunflower rotate with the sun, seeing a robin hop between branches as you weed, or noticing how the light shifts through a canopy of leaves, these aren't grand moments, but they are transformative. They ground us and give us time to pause. explains that awe can reduce stress, ease negative self-talk, and even improve physical health by slowing heart rate and boosting immunity. He uses the acronym AWESOME to describe the benefits: Awe is an Antidote to stress, it brings Wonder and inspiration, Enhances health, raises Satisfaction with life, fosters Other-centred connection, sparks More curiosity and creativity and strengthens Emotional wellbeing. I think most gardeners would say, without knowing the science, that their garden makes them feel exactly that, awesome. But awe in the garden isn't just about the general ambience. Certain plants have been shown to carry their own specific mental health benefits, plants that don't just feed the bees or the senses, but also our souls. The scent of lavender is more than lovely, it's medicinal. Its essential oils have been shown to reduce anxiety, improve sleep quality, and lift mood. A lavender-scented breeze is nature's version of a big, deep breath. While often associated with tea, growing chamomile, Matricaria chamomilla, in your garden brings its benefits closer to home. Its fragrance has soothing qualities, and the simple act of harvesting and drying the flowers to make tea becomes a meditative ritual in itself. Chamomile is often referred to as the 'plant's physician', believed to heal the plants growing nearby. Part of the mint family, lemon balm, Melissa officinalis, has a bright citrus scent and has long been used to reduce stress and promote better sleep. It's the kind of plant that makes you want to touch it; the more you brush it, the more it rewards you with fragrance. Roses, especially heritage and scented varieties, are beautiful, but they're also emotionally powerful. The scent of a rose has been shown in aromatherapy studies to lower anxiety and even reduce cortisol levels. While best known as a herbal remedy for depression, the bright yellow flowers of St John's Wort, Hypericum perforatum, can also bring joy just by their presence in the garden. A word of warning here, though, as those cheerful yellow blooms may soon become something you dread, as it is invasive. I would strongly suggest only growing this wonder plant in pots or very contained areas, as to leave it loose in the garden is inviting trouble upon yourself. Caution is always advised before ingesting any herbs for medical reasons. I am a gardener and not a medical herbalist or a doctor, so always seek professional advice. Even if you never grow a single lavender sprig or harvest a chamomile flower, the act of gardening itself, kneeling in soil, pruning back the old to make way for the new, tending and waiting, trusting and learning the value of patience, is therapy in motion. It puts us in touch with the natural world, reminding us that everything has its season, and that growth often comes after periods of dormancy. Gardening and just being in a garden allow us to lose ourselves. In a world where we're constantly expected to be something, to perform, to succeed, to post about it online, the garden gives us permission to simply exist. And in doing so, we often rediscover the parts of ourselves that got lost in the noise.
The Irish Sun
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
‘Thank you for everything' – Emotional Henry de Bromhead leads tributes to Rachael Blackmore after shock retirement
HENRY de Bromhead has expressed his gratitude to Rachael Blackmore upon the announcement of her retirement from racing. The pair were a formidable duo with his stable paving the way for her career-defining highlight of 4 In total she won 18 times around Prestbury Park with six coming in the 2021 edition of the famed meet 4 The Tipperary woman formed a close bond with the Waterford-based trainer over the years 4 It remains to be seen who will replace her as his number one jockey 4 The 52-year-old will have a tough job trying to replace her with a jockey of similar ability Credit: @HenrydeBromhead Amid countless tributes He posted on X: "The end of an era (tearful emoji). Thank you Rachael Blackmore, for everything (love heart emoji)." On Monday evening, the Grand National-winning rider announced on her own social media that she was bringing her glittering 16-year career to an end. She reflected: "My days of being a jockey have come to an end. Read More On Irish Sport 'I feel the time is right. I'm sad but I'm also incredibly grateful for what my life has been for the past 16 years. "I just feel so lucky, to have been legged up on the horses I have, and to have experienced success I never even dreamt could be possible. 'It is daunting, not being able to say that I am a jockey anymore… who even am I now! But I feel so incredibly lucky to have had the career I've had. "To have been in the right place at the right time with the right people, and to have gotten on the right horses – because it doesn't matter how good you are without them. They have given me the best days of my life and to them I am most grateful.' Most read in Horse Racing The trailblazing rider spent three months on the sidelines with a neck injury earlier this year and she struggled for form when she returned to the saddle. But she ended up having another hugely successful season and completed a clean-sweep of the four flagship Cheltenham Festival races when winning the Stayers' Hurdle on Bob Olinger in March. 'Fantastic time' - Rachael Blackmore & Paul Townend share backstage sneak peek of Late Late Show experience She also She continued: "The people to thank are endless, it's not possible to mention everyone. "Firstly, my parents who provided me with the best childhood, and a pony I couldn't hold! This set the seed for a life of racing. "I rode my first winner for Shark Hanlon, who then helped me become Champion Conditional. "I will be forever grateful to Shark for getting behind me, supporting me and believing in me when it would have been just as easy to look elsewhere. He was the catalyst for what was to come. "A conversation between Eddie O'Leary and "Eddie got me in the door at Knockeen, and what came next was unimaginable: "He's a phenomenal trainer, who brought out the best in me. Without Henry, my story is very different. "To all my great friends – you made winning special. Brian Hayes won't enjoy getting a mention, but he was more important to my career than I'll ever be able to thank him for." Only last week she had marked a huge milestone with Over the weekend she spoke on Brendan O'Connor's
Business Post
07-05-2025
- Business
- Business Post
Murdoch group behind FM104 and 96FM reports consecutive €2.7m pre-tax losses
Companies Murdoch group behind FM104 and 96FM reports consecutive €2.7m pre-tax losses Fionn Thompson 12:12 The Wireless Group rebranded as Onic in March 2025. It is led by commercial and operations director Sean Barry (right). Picture: Patrick Bolger Business Post subscribers can read: • The €2.7m loss at FM104 and 96FM owner • The scale of Wireless Radio's accumulated €55m losses — and how the equity in the business • Directors at the group including Michael Gill, the former financial controller of News UK News Companies News Profit & Loss LATEST NEWS 13:01 Live News: Waystone to make Luxembourg acquisition; Uber allays fears over slowing US demand 12:58 Quilter Cheviot Europe acquires Irish investment advisory firm GillenMarkets 12:44 Waystone set to strengthen European presence with Luxembourg acquisition 12:12 Murdoch group behind FM104 and 96FM reports consecutive €2.7m pre-tax losses 10:42 US pet health player acquires Waterford-based TriviumVet 09:21 Enterprise Ireland invested more than €27m in 157 start-ups in 2024
