A much depleted field than in normal years, with only twenty-five papers opting to produce an audited figure. Last Thursday IN&M announced that although their regional titles had been audited, they would not be auditing their twelve regional papers from here on in. Seemingly the ABC audit figures “did not resonate with local advertisers”. What data instead they hope would “resonate with the advertisers” is a mystery.
It’s worth looking back at the fortunes of some of the papers over that past five years. The Leinster Leader and the Munster Express are two paper that jump out halving their circulation over that period. One paper managed to stay in positive territory and that was the Donegal News Monday edition gaining 6% over the five years.
Year on Year, the Tallagh Echo stayed the right side of zero managing a small gain as did the Roscommon Herald.
Looking at the figures for the on a like for like basis, the papers who produced their ABC’s were down 8% on the year and 34% over the five.
| Paper | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 11 v 10 | 11 v 07 | 11 v 10 % | 11 v 07 % |
| Clare Champion | 15,742 | 16,691 | 17,969 | 19,046 | 19,539 | -949 | -3,797 | -6% | -24% |
| Connacht Sentinel | 4,872 | 5,241 | 5,349 | 5,757 | -369 | -885 | -8% | -18% | |
| Connacht Tribune | 20,702 | 21,860 | 23,279 | 24,598 | -1,158 | -3,896 | -6% | -19% | |
| Donegal Democrat (Thurs) | 9,191 | 10,385 | 11,120 | 12,217 | 13,060 | -1,194 | -3,869 | -13% | -42% |
| Donegal Democrat (Tues) | 6,618 | 7,650 | 8,009 | 8,467 | 9,580 | -1,032 | -2,962 | -16% | -45% |
| Donegal News Friday | 11,186 | 11,436 | 11,465 | 11,786 | 12,091 | -250 | -905 | -2% | -8% |
| Donegal News Monday | 4,044 | 4,132 | 3,833 | 3,874 | 3,734 | -88 | 310 | -2% | 8% |
| Inish Times | 4,873 | 5,269 | 5,399 | 5,942 | 6,224 | -396 | -1,351 | -8% | -28% |
| Kilkenny People | 11,536 | 12,983 | 14,458 | 15,217 | 16,113 | -1,447 | -4,577 | -13% | -40% |
| Leinster & Offaly Express | 11,070 | 12,549 | 14,131 | 15,190 | 15,318 | -1,479 | -4,248 | -13% | -38% |
| Leinster Leader | 6,497 | 7,482 | 9,238 | 10,775 | 12,100 | -985 | -5,603 | -15% | -86% |
| Leitrim Observer | 6,893 | 7,487 | 8,038 | 8,013 | 8,386 | -594 | -1,493 | -9% | -22% |
| Limerick Leader (Weekend) | 14,851 | 16,535 | 17,921 | 20,714 | 21,619 | -1,684 | -6,768 | -11% | -46% |
| Longford Leader | 7,684 | 8,260 | 8,527 | 8,828 | 9,485 | -576 | -1,801 | -8% | -23% |
| Meath Chronicle | 10,862 | 12,171 | 12,704 | 14,651 | 16,010 | -1,309 | -5,148 | -12% | -47% |
| Munster Express | 5,389 | 6,286 | 7,520 | 9,329 | 10,849 | -897 | -5,460 | -17% | -101% |
| Nationalist & Munster Ad | 9,382 | 11,087 | 12,063 | 13,328 | 14,106 | -1,705 | -4,724 | -18% | -50% |
| Nenagh Guardian | 6,928 | 7,364 | 7,817 | 8,051 | 8,134 | -436 | -1,206 | -6% | -17% |
| Roscommon Herald | 8,671 | 8,663 | 8,410 | 8,737 | 9,185 | 8 | -514 | 0% | -6% |
| The Anglo Celt | 12,310 | 12,885 | 13,305 | 13,783 | 14,713 | -575 | -2,403 | -5% | -20% |
| The Echo (Tallaght ) | 7,210 | 7,125 | 7,829 | 9,741 | 85 | -2,531 | 1% | -35% | |
| The Tuam Herald | 8,482 | 8,883 | 9,215 | 9,419 | 9,514 | -401 | -1,032 | -5% | -12% |
| Tipperary Star | 7,115 | 7,898 | 8,335 | 9,104 | 9,223 | -783 | -2,108 | -11% | -30% |
| Western People | 14,166 | 15,062 | 16,271 | 18,242 | 19,289 | -896 | -5,123 | -6% | -36% |
| Westmeath Examiner | 5,799 | 6,183 | 7,010 | 8,519 | 9,273 | -384 | -3,474 | -7% | -60% |
| Total (like for like) | 199,289 | 217,341 | 232,758 | 253,232 | 267,545 | -18,052 | -68,256 | -8% | -34% |
