Irish Mirror editor-in-chief John “Jumbo” Kierans is stepping down as publisher Reach undergoes a significant restructure putting some 550 jobs at risk of redundancy across the group.

Reach’s operation in Ireland is not exempt from the restructure, which the company has said it is undertaking to “protect our businesses and newsbrands for the long term” following the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on its finances – as well as those of the wider news industry.

Kierans has worked at the Mirror group for 25 years. In a parting message, he said the sudden death of his father a few weeks ago had “led me to reconsider many things in my life”.