New weekly newspaper goes on sale in Donegal

A new weekly regional newspaper is being launched in Donegal this week.

The Inishowen Independent, which goes on sale today, will have an initial print run of 6,000 copies a week.

The new publication has been set up by Donal Campbell and Damian Dowds.

Dowds is the former editor of GAA magazine High Balland business magazines Investor and Business Ireland. With Campbell, he co-wrote Sam's for the Hills, a book chronicling Donegal's All-Ireland triumph in 1992.

Campbell is the former production manager of the Inish Times, a local newspaper serving the Inishowen peninsula. It was bought late last year for a undisclosed sum by the rapidly expanding provincial newspaper group, River Media.

That group is backed by the Irish Newsand investors Pádraig O'Dwyer and Tim Collins, both of whom are also involved in local radio. Last year, River Media invested €14 million in buying and establishing a number of regional newspapers, including the Letterkenny Post, Donegal Post, Leitrim Postand Kildare Post.

The Inishowen Independent, which will circulate primarily in the Inishowen peninsula, will compete directly with the Inish Timesand the Derry Journal, which is also circulated in the area.

"The Donegal newspaper market is quite crowded, but our research does indicate there is a gap there for a new newspaper," said Campbell. "Donegal is a very big, scattered county and the Inishowen peninsula has a bigger landmass and bigger population than Co Leitrim."