London newspaper The Times has launched a new digital edition for the Irish market. The seven-day digital newspaper will provide daily Irish news and analysis alongside journalism from the UK edition of The Times. It will be accompanied by a digital edition of The Sunday Times.
A 30-day trial costs €1, after which the cost is €5 a week. Three months’ free membership will be offered to the 50,000 Irish customers of The Sunday Times loyalty programme.
Full details of the various membership packages are available at www.thetimes.ie/join.
The Irish digital daily Times is edited by Richard Oakley. John Walsh is Business Editor and Niamh Lyons is Political Editor. Garry Doyle is Sports Editor. The venture has two reporters - Philip Connolly and Seán McCárthaigh.
The columnist line-up includes Cormac Lucey Ann Marie Hourihane, satirical columnist Colm Tobin, political blogger Jason O’Mahony and Justine McCarthy.
In Association with
The digital offering includes video clips from the GAA, Barclays Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League. Sunday Times sports journalists David Walsh and Michael Foley will contribute to the digital daily sports content.
Times members will also get access to a range of rewards and benefits, including restaurant and cinema deals, talks with authors and public figures, invitations to cultural events and holiday competitions.
According to Richard Oakley: “The launch of a new online edition of The Times for Ireland is a positive milestone for Irish journalism and represents one of the most significant investments in the sector in recent years. We have hired some of Ireland's most renowned journalists and secured a range of innovative partnerships to deliver the first product of its kind in Ireland. Combined with exclusive membership benefits, we feel we have a really compelling offer and are enthused by the positive reaction we have received to date.”
Oliver Keenaghan, general manager of News Ireland, said: “We are very excited and proud to be bringing a premium digital news brand to market. We have a clear subscription strategy that allows us to invest in content worth paying for.”
