A NEWSPAPER exists to reflect the society which it serves. The Irish Times is no different. It has changed and reinvented itself over and over again down through the years, evolving, writing the first draft of history about the political, social, economic and cultural landmarks on the island of Ireland.

As we celebrate our 150th anniversary this weekend, it is extraordinary the extent to which the long editorial in the first edition of the newspaper founded by the 22-year-old Lawrence Knox on March 29th, 1859, continues to mirror our raison d'etre today.

In raising queries about the appearance of another newspaper on the Irish scene, the inaugural editorial stated: "It is quite true that every religious and political party is already fully represented in the Press; but it is also true, conversely, that every Irish journal which has any circulation to boast of is the special advocate and mouthpiece of a sect or a party."

This first guiding principle bears an uncanny resemblance to the Memorandum and Articles of Association of The Irish Times Trust Ltd, set up by Major Tom McDowell in 1974, mandating us "to publish an independent newspaper primarily concerned with serious issues for the benefit of the community throughout the whole of Ireland, free from any form of personal or party political, commercial, religious or other sectional control".

And here we are celebrating our 150th anniversary, resilient as ever, but facing into uncertain times with today's challenges coming from the newly-described Great Recession and the internet.

We had choices to make about the contents of this 150th commemorative magazine.

We hope that we made interesting ones for you, our readers.