On 5 January last, Archbishop Eamon Martin visited the new offices of The Irish News which are located at the Fountain Centre on College Street in Belfast City Centre. Northern Ireland’s largest selling newspaper moved into its state of the art premises from Donegall Street last year. The new suite of offices include studios for Q Radio on the ground floor, as well as cutting edge media technology for journalists based in its news room. The paper’s sales and marketing divisions are also located in the new building.
During his visit, Archbishop Eamon Martin said, “I am honoured to accept this invitation from The Irish News to visit their magnificent new premises. It has been an excellent opportunity for me to meet a dedicated team of communications professionals and to share perspectives on the role of the media in a rapidly changing world.”
Archbishop Martin presented the paper’s outgoing editor Noel Doran with a framed copy of Pope John Paul II’s special message (pictured) to Irish journalists during his Apostolic Visit here in 1979, and offered a blessing to all present. Along with the editor, Archbishop Martin met with The Irish News chief executive officer, Dominic Fitzpatrick, as well as with editorial, commercial and technical staff working for the paper.
Having led The Irish News for 25 years, Noel Doran is currently the longest serving editor of a national newspaper in Ireland and in Britain, and will retire this year.
