The ''Leinster Leader'' is a newspaper published in

Naas Naas ( ; or ) is the county town of County Kildare in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In 2022, it had a population of 26,180, making it the largest town in County Kildare (ahead of Newbridge, County Kildare, Newbridge) and the List of urban ar ...

County Kildare County Kildare () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the Local gove ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

Johnston Press Johnston Press plc was a multimedia company founded in Falkirk, Scotland, in 1767. Its flagship titles included UK-national newspaper the '' i'', ''The Scotsman'', the ''Yorkshire Post'', the ''Falkirk Herald'', and Belfast's ''The News Letter'' ...

bought the Leinster Leader Group in 2005. The Leinster Leader Group, as well as publishing the Naas-based ''Leinster Leader'' also published The ''

Dundalk Democrat The ''Dundalk Democrat'' is a regional newspaper printed in Dundalk, Ireland. Established in 1849, it primarily serves County Louth as well as County Monaghan and parts of County Armagh, County Down, County Cavan and County Meath. It comes out ev ...

'', ''

Leinster Express The ''Leinster Express'' is a regional newspaper in Ireland that serves County Laois. The paper was part of the Leinster Leader Group, which was sold to Johnston Press in late 2005. The paper is currently owned by Iconic Newspapers, who acquire ...

'' (

Portlaoise Portlaoise ( ), or Port Laoise (), is the county town of County Laois, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Midland Region, Ireland, South Midlands in the province of Leinster. Portlaoise was the fastest growing of the top 20 largest town ...

), '' Limerick Leader'', ''

Offaly Express The ''Offaly Express'' is an online newspaper and former print newspaper in Ireland that serves County Offaly. The paper is part of the Iconic Newspapers Group. The offices of the ''Offaly Express'' are based in Portlaoise. The paper was founded ...

'', and the '' Tallaght Echo''. The paper is currently owned by

Iconic Newspapers Iconic Newspapers is a British-owned newspaper company that publishes over 20 regional newspapers in Ireland. Iconic Newspapers are owned by Mediaforce who are majority owned by British businessman Malcolm Denmark. Iconic Newspapers hold their n ...

, who acquired Johnston Press' titles in Ireland in 2014.

History

The paper was founded 1880 in Naas, County Kildare, as the ''Leinster Leader and Central Counties Commercial and Agricultural Adviser'' by Patrick Cahill, LLB, who was its first editor in August 1880. Patrick Cahill was an Irish Nationalist,

Land League The Irish National Land League ( Irish: ''Conradh na Talún''), also known as the Land League, was an Irish political organisation of the late 19th century which organised tenant farmers in their resistance to exactions of landowners. Its prima ...

Activist and supporter of Home Rule, he was jailed under the

Protection of Person and Property Act 1881 The Protection of Persons and Property (Ireland) Act 1881,The Act had no official short title. It was referred to as ''Protection of Persons and Property (Ireland) Act'', or with ''Person'' in the singular, and/or with ''(Ireland)'' omitted. ( 44 ...

. One of the early majority shareholder of ''The Leader'' in its early days was the MP for North Kildare

James Laurence Carew James Laurence Carew (1853 – 31 August 1903) was an Irish nationalist politician and member of parliament (MP) in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. A member of the Irish Parliamentary Party and later a Parnellite, he was MP for Nor ...

John Wyse Power John Wyse Power (1859-1926), was a County Waterford born, journalist, newspaper editor and Irish nationalist. He was founding member of the Gaelic Athletic Association, and served as secretary of the GAA (1884-1887). He was involved in setting up ...

, a supporter of nationalist causes and a founding member of the GAA, succeeded Cahill as the second editor of the paper for a year and a half. Another editor of the paper were Seumus and his brother Michael O'Kelly, both prominent Nationalists, Michael succeeded Seamus as Editor of the Leader, in 1912, but upon his arrest in 1916, Seamus resumed the editorship briefly. Recent editors have included Michael Sheeran (1997-2007) and Senator John Whelan.

Circulation

According to ABC, circulation declined to 5,738 for the period July 2012 to December 2012, this represented a fall of 12% on a year-on-year basis.

References

External links

*
Johnston Press Official website
1880 establishments in Ireland Mass media in County Kildare Naas Newspapers published in the Republic of Ireland Newspapers established in 1880 Weekly newspapers published in Ireland {{ireland-newspaper-stub