'Dublin Daily' to take on 'Herald' with later edition

Dublin Daily, the new city newspaper, is to go head-to-head against the Evening Herald from next month when it starts publishing a later edition.

The two-month-old tabloid has been targeting Independent News & Media's evening title since its launch last March, concentrating on small ads and Dublin sport to win readers over.

According to Dublin Daily Ltd, the decision to publish an evening edition was prompted by market research showing public demand for one. According to the managing director, Mr Colm Grealy, "the format and content of the paper have met with a very positive response from Dublin readers. They would like a later edition on the newsstands at times that suit their lifestyle."

The company research showed "unprompted spontaneous awareness" of the title at 41 per cent. Some 32 per cent of Dublin residents were reported to have read the paper at least once in the first five weeks of its launch.

"Launching an evening edition was always in our plans," said the editor, Mr Liam Hayes. "This research reinforced the validity of that plan."

At its launch, the newspaper said it did not necessarily see the Evening Herald as its main competitor. However, many observers believe the Independent title was always its primary target, with the morning edition acting as an easier way of entering the market.

In one of its earlier billboard campaigns, Dublin Daily told its readers that by reading its classifieds section they could get an apartment before the Herald came out. Another shot across the Herald's bow came in the signing of a endorsement deal with the Dublin GAA team, believed to be worth €100,000.

The Dublin Daily evening edition, which will carry the same title, will be published from early June from Monday to Friday.