Figures which will shortly be released by the Audit Bureau of Circulations show that sales of The Irish Times in the second half of 1999 rose to a record high of 113,835 copies per day.

This represents an increase of 2,106 copies per day from the same period last year, and is the highest sales figure in the newspaper's history.

The record figure compares with 111,729 copies per day for the six months from July to December 1998.

This is the twelfth successive increase in six-monthly figures and, in the case of the last 10 six-month periods, each has established a new all-time high for the newspaper. Neither of these achievements can be matched by any other Irish daily newspaper.

Since 1993, sales of the newspaper have grown from 90,624 copies per day, an increase of 23,211 copies per day, or 25.61 per cent.

This is our 12th successive ABC circulation increase.

The last 10 have also been all-time records for the newspaper.

No other Irish daily newspaper can match these claims.

The figures show an increase of 2,106 copies (1.88 per cent) on the July to December 1998 period.

They show an increase of 1,212 copies (1.08 per cent) on the January to June 1999 period.