Editor of The Irish Times Geraldine Kennedy has denied that her paper compromised its standards with its property coverage during the boom.
Ms Kennedy, who has announced she will retire as editor of the newspaper this September, pointed out that The Irish Times had exposed false prices being quoted by estate agents advertising with it.
She told a lunch for the European Association of Journalists that the newspaper would not have done this if it had a 'vested interest'.
Answering questions after speaking on the theme of Press Freedom in Ireland, Ms Kennedy also said the Irish Times had been the first and only newspaper to publish the views of UCD economist Morgan Kelly in 2007.
She said his article had 'astounded' the political and business establishment by saying the property boom was over and how far the market was to fall.
'And we were eaten alive for it,' she said.
