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The Times beats injunction, clearing way for launch of new digital daily for Ireland

By Dominic Ponsford

The Irish Times has failed to obtain an injunction preventing News UK using the words "The Times Irish Edition" to promote a new digital edition for Ireland.

The decision clears the way to launch a digital edition for Ireland which will employ up to 30 journalists.

The new edition will be modelled on the exising Times tablet edition which averages some 77,000 "unique views" per day, according to ABC. But the Irish editorial team will ensure that it has more content tailored for the local market.

The launch builds on the commercial success of The Times tablet edition. Earlier this year, Press Gazette reported that News UK had persuaded advertisers to pay the same rate for the tablet edition as the print version.

Times Irish edition editor Richard Oakley said: “We are delighted that we have been successful in resisting The Irish Times’ application for an injunction to prevent us launching an Irish edition of The Times.

"We have rigorously defended our position and will now proceed to launch a 7-day digital newspaper of The Times and The Sunday Times for the Irish market.

"Our new daily, digital, edition of The Times for the Irish market will be a national newspaper with a global outlook and exclusive sports highlight packages produced by a team of up to 30 Irish journalists based in Dublin.

"There is a clear gap in the Irish market for an exciting and innovative digital newspaper and we look forward to launching in the coming weeks.

"More importantly we are very proud to be the first title to invest at this level in the Monday-Saturday Irish market in recent years.”

The Times has been available in Ireland since 1785 – pre-dating the Irish Times, which was launched in 1859.

The Sunday TImes has had an Irish edition since the 1980s.

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