News Ireland to cease publication of its daily Times Ireland service

News Ireland, the local branch of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, is to cease publication of its daily online edition of The Times Ireland as part of a wider corporate reorganization here.

The move will mean the loss of four of the current 20 editorial jobs here at The Times and Sunday Times headlines. Journalist Nóirín Hegarty was appointed editor of the Sunday Times Ireland last October.

The Times Ireland started as a digital product in 2015 but was significantly fleshed out with a daily print version launched in 2017. However, this was reduced with the loss of around 17 jobs in 2019 and the title returned to a daily product online only.

The company has confirmed that daily Irish production of thetimes.ie will cease.

It is understood that the move will mean the loss of four more journalist posts in Dublin out of the 20 members of the editorial team responsible for The Sunday Times and Times Ireland.

No non-editorial role will be lost under the plan.

The Business Post reported that 15 employees were invited to apply for 11 of the remaining editorial roles.

News Ireland confirmed that the proposed operational changes were underway, but not details of the job losses, which a spokesperson said are currently being communicated to all employees.

In a statement, the company, part of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp global media empire, said “this strategic move is a natural evolution in this digital age.”

As part of the ongoing process, News Ireland is moving staff from its remaining Irish newspaper – The Sunday Times and The Irish Sun, as well as staff from its Harper Collins Ireland book publishing arm, to offices shared with Wireless Radio. Group, the band’s Irish radio arm. which operates Q102 from Dublin, FM104, 96FM from Cork, C103, Live95FM and LMFM) later this year.

The office move will facilitate hybrid working and enable closer collaboration between the entire News Ireland team, the spokesperson said.