From the 'Irish Times':

THE BIGGEST-SELLING Irish community newspaper in Britain, the Irish Post , ceased trading and went into liquidation yesterday, with the loss of 12 full-time staff jobs.

Last Wednesday's publication was the newspaper's final issue.

Its owner, Thomas Crosbie Holdings (TCH), announced the decision yesterday to close the publication because it had been loss-making for at least five years.

Established in 1970 by Clare-born journalist Breandán Mac Lua and accountant Tony Beatty, the newspaper was considered critical in giving the Irish in Britain a voice and also helped to forge a sense of collective identity. The newspaper, which had a mission statement of "If it's Irish in Britain, we've got it covered", reported on local GAA and sport and news affecting the Irish diaspora in Britain as well as entertainment and gigs.

It was described as a "cornerstone for the Irish community in Britain" by Ambrose Gordon, a reader and advertiser for the last 40 years. "There is a real need for the Irish Post now more then ever because more and more people are emigrating from Ireland to Britain. I'm absolutely shocked and just can't understand why it's gone into liquidation."

Michael Roche, an advertiser and contributor, said: "It made a lasting contribution to the Irish community in Britain from both a commercial and social perspective."

The paper's long history came to a finish when TCH requested all employees attend a staff meeting yesterday morning with the company's chief executive of regional newspapers, Dan Linehan. At the meeting, Mr Linehan said the decision had been taken to close the newspaper with immediate effect as it was not making enough money and was therefore no longer profitable.

"Staff were not expecting to be told that the newspaper was closing and didn't think anything of it when asked to attend the meeting. We're really shocked," said one staff member.

Mr Linehan, chief executive of regional newspapers at TCH, said the decision to close was taken as a result of the severe economic downturn and significantly reduced advertising revenues.

"I would like to pay tribute to the hard work and commitment of the staff at the Irish Post. They have been part of our group for eight years and they have tried very hard to make the newspaper work," he said. "Regrettably, persistent trading losses and the current economic climate have made the title unsustainable."

The newspaper was acquired by Thomas Crosbie Holdings, publisher of the Examiner and the Sunday Business Post , in 2003 for £1.7 million from Jefferson Smurfit. It had an ABC-audited circulation of more than 31,400 copies at the time of its takeover but this fell to 17,100. The paper was popular in areas with large Irish populations such as London, Manchester and Birmingham. It traditionally received major advertising from Irish-based companies.