More than half of staff at Meath printing press to be laid off

More than half of all workers at the printing plant of Celtic Media, publisher of the Meath Chronicle, are to be laid off after the loss of its most lucrative contract, to print the Irish Daily Mirror, staff have been told.

Frank Mulrennan, chief executive officer of Celtic Media, told newspaper staff in a letter that “a strategic review of printing operations” would result in staff numbers at its Navan press being “substantially reduced, with effect from October 2”.

It is understood 16 out of the 30 staff at the Co Meath printing plant will be made redundant.

Celtic Media also publishes the Westmeath Independent, Westmeath Examiner, Anglo Celt, and Connaught Telegraph, as well as two free titles, the Offaly Independent and Forum.

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The printing arm of the management-owned operation has been printing the Irish Daily Mirror, as well as Irish editions of the Sunday Mirror and Sunday People, since 2002. It was the print operation’s “anchor tenant”.

Mr Mulrennan said the ending of the contract on the October 2nd would result in a “necessary reduction in numbers employed in printing and in related payroll and overheads costs.”

“The decision to cease printing of the Mirror titles was reached by mutual agreement by Celtic and [Mirror publishers] Reach plc and follows on significant reductions in the print runs against a backdrop of effectively static wage costs,” he said.

Mr Mulrennan told newspaper staff that there would be “no impact on colleagues in publishing”.

Celtic Media was bought out by its management in June 2012.

Its printing press also prints the Racing Post, the Cork Independent, Galway Independent, Drogheda Leader, Dundalk Leader, Dublin People, Mayo News, Nenagh Guardian, Mayo News and Tuam Herald.