THE Evening News, the first new national newspaper published since the collapse of the Irish Press titles a year, ago, went on sale yesterday.
A bright 48 page colour tabloid, it bears some hallmarks of, the Evening Press, though there is no financial connection with the Irish Press group.
The new paper is edited by Mr Dick O'Riordan, the former editor of the Evening Press. Its production editor, Mr Hugh Lambert, was the editor of the Irish Press.
Other names familiar to Press, readers pepper the new publication giving a feeling of familiarity within a new format.
The Evening News staff moved into offices in Donnybrook, Dublin, a week ago and the computer and transmission systems, so important for a newspaper printed in Birr, Co Offaly, and Ashbourne, Co Meath, were only set up and running from last Wednesday.
"The biggest challenge was just to get it out. I feel like I have been through Beecher's Brook," said Mr O'Riordan.
Yesterday, the two plants printed 80,000 copies of the newspaper, whose main story concerned a number of deaths from the Hepatitis C virus.
Mr O'Riordan predicted that after the initial curiosity value wears off, the circulation would settle down to possibly 40,000. Technical and teething problems with printing and transmitting meant copies of the newspaper did not reach central Dublin until 3 p.m., three hours late. The newspaper reached all major urban areas around the country, as planned, said Mr O'Riordan.
The staff of 60 - about 30 are former Irish Press employees - face a tough challenge. The paper's rival, the Evening Herald, now has a circulation of 121,216. The closure of the Evening Press is estimated to have benefited the Herald to the tune of £3 million.
Out at Donnybrook, as the staff started to prepare today's issue, Mr O'Riordan said there would be no party. "Everyone is just too tired."