The Limerick Chronicle is the longest surviving newspaper in the Republic of Ireland.
The Limerick Chronicle has outlived many other papers and at 217 years old is now the oldest existing newspaper in the Republic of Ireland .
The Limerick Chronicle has been sold on the streets of Limerick since 1766.
A popular paper throughout the 18th and 19th centuries The Limerick Chronicle's circulation began to dip as it entered the 20th century. This fall in sales continued until 1956 when The Limerick Chronicle was taken over by The Limerick Leader. In 1960, the publication of the two newspapers became a joint operation.
Brendan Halligan, editor of The Limerick Chronicle, outlines some of the changes that were made. These include frequency of publication and changes to the layout and design. The new format would see the Chronicle go from being published three times a week to just once a week.
The next few years saw the introduction of colour, a more modern layout, and eventually The Chronicle went tabloid.
The tabloid format was not new as it was the closest in size to when the newspaper was first published in 1766.
The latest ABC figures for The Limerick Chronicle put the weekly circulation figures at 6,720. The Limerick Leader has a distribution of around 32,000.
Brendan Halligan says the paper is geared towards a modern, urban society while retaining a sense of history. One of the most popular sections of the newspaper is called 'Memories' which takes a look back through the archives of the newspaper.
This appeals particularly to middle-aged and older people.
For younger audiences, according to Brendan Halligan, the newspaper has unrivalled coverage of junior soccer.
With Limerick continuing to expand, Brendan Halligan is confident about the future success of the Limerick Chronicle.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 1 November 1983. The reporter is Andrew Kelly.
