Celtic Media Group
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Hiberno-English Template:More references Template:Infobox publisher
Celtic Media Group provides publishing, printing and pre-press (graphic design) services to the Irish newspaper sector. It also has a digital consultancy service.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
History
Previously owned by the Scottish media firm, Dunfermline Press Group,<ref name="Bought">Template:Cite news</ref> the Celtic Media Group is owned by its Irish management team, following a management buy-out which was completed in 2012.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>
Celtic Media expanded following the acquisition of the Connaught Telegraph in 2014 <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and its co-ownership of Dublin People Group, publisher of Northside People & Southside People, acquired in 2018.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> However, both parties opted not to proceed with the acquisition due to the level of undertakings around employment levels required by the regulatory process.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The group won three of the 12 overall awards and received 11 nominations in the 2020 Local Ireland Media Awards.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In July 2020, the Southside People and Northside People titles were restructured under a new owner.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Celtic continued to provide pre-press and print services to the Dublin People titles.Template:Fact
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."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Current newspaper titles
- The Connaught Telegraph<ref name=NotToProceed>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="MoreThanHalf">Template:Cite news</ref>
- The Anglo-Celt<ref name="Scrapped">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=MoreThanHalf/>
- Meath Chronicle<ref name=Scrapped/><ref name=MoreThanHalf/>
- Westmeath Examiner<ref name=NotToProceed/><ref name=MoreThanHalf/>
- Westmeath Independent<ref name=NotToProceed/><ref name=MoreThanHalf/>
Former assets
- Forum. (Meath, free newspaper, publication 'suspended' in 2017).<ref name="Stacking">Template:Cite news</ref>
- Offaly Independent<ref name=NotToProceed/><ref name=MoreThanHalf/>(Suspended in March 2020)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Southside People (49.9% stake)<ref name=Seeks>Template:Cite news</ref> (liquidator appointed in May 2020) <ref name="rte.ie">Template:Cite news</ref>
- Northside People (49.9% stake)<ref name=Seeks/> (liquidator appointed in May 2020) <ref name="rte.ie"/>