British newspaper publisher Johnston Press is to buy the Leinster Leader group of newspapers for €139m.
Leinster Leader publishes six weekly papers in the Republic, including the Leinster Leader, Leinster Express, Offaly Express, Dundalk Democrat, Limerick Leader and The Echo.
The Leinster Leader is a privately-owned company with 27 shareholders, including chairman John McStay and deputy chairman Anthony Collins. It made profits of €8m in the year to the end of August on sales worth €21m.
Earlier this year Johnston Press, which owns Yorkshire Post, agreed to buy Scottish Radio Holdings' Irish newspaper division Score Press for £155m. Score Press's 45 titles include the Kilkenny People, Longford Leader and Leitrim Observer in the Republic.
Johnston has also bought the Local Press Group of newspapers, which publishes 12 main titles - eight in Northern Ireland, three in the Republic and one in both. The titles involved include the Derry Journal and Donegal Democrat. Johnston is paying £65m for the group, which it is buying from a management team backed by investment group 3i.
The company said both deals represented 'an attractive and complementary' addition to its titles in the Republic.
Both acquisitions are subject to approval by the Competition Authority and the Enterprise, Trade & Employment Minister.
