The Irish News strengthens editorial and marketing teams to accelerate subscriber growth and innovation
10th Oct 2025
The Irish News has made a series of key editorial and marketing appointments as it continues to build on its strong print legacy while scaling its digital-first publishing strategy.
These appointments bring additional expertise to the newsroom and marketing teams, supporting the organisation’s commitment to trusted journalism, subscriber growth, and audience engagement across all platforms.
Rachel Bolton has been appointed Marketing and Subscriptions Manager.
Rachel brings experience in subscription growth and digital marketing. She will lead campaigns to boost subscriber conversion and retention, oversee CRM, and enhance the reader journey through on-site messaging.
Aeneas Bonner has assumed responsibility as Deputy Editor.
Aeneas, who has worked with The Irish News for more than 26 years, will support the Editor-in-Chief in delivering the newsroom’s transformation strategy while ensuring the title continues to lead the way in trusted, high-quality journalism.
Gareth Fullerton has been appointed Deputy Digital Editor.
With extensive experience in digital publishing, Gareth will support the Digital Editor in leading seven-day operations and help drive audience growth through the creation and distribution of high-quality content.
Kathryn McKenna has been appointed Audience Editor.
Kathryn will focus on ensuring Irish News journalism reaches the widest possible audience. Working closely with the newsroom, she will optimise content distribution across digital platforms, informed by audience insight and analytics.
Helen McGurk has been appointed Weekend Editor.
Helen will oversee weekend coverage across print and digital, developing agenda-setting journalism and strengthening forward planning based on reader habits and engagement trends.
Dylan Hegarty has been appointed Video Editor.
Dylan will lead video strategy and output across platforms, producing engaging visual content in short-form, long-form, and live formats.
Conor Sheils has joined as Journalist (News).
Conor, who has reported across a range of local and national outlets, will be responsible for producing high-quality news stories across print, digital, and social media platforms.
Hannah Patterson has been appointed as Journalist (News).
Hannah will produce high-quality news content for online, print, and social platforms, creating stories and editorial packages that inform and engage readers as part of the Irish News editorial team.
Commenting on the announcement, Chris Sherrard, Editor-in-Chief of The Irish News, said:
“These appointments underline our focus on serving readers with trusted, high-quality journalism wherever they choose to engage with us. With added expertise across marketing, audience insight, and content creation, we are well placed to continue building strong relationships with our readers and growing our subscription base.”
Dominic Fitzpatrick, CEO of IntoMedia Group, added:
“The Irish News remains the leading regional daily in the UK and Ireland, and our investment in people reflects our long-term ambition. By strengthening our editorial and marketing capabilities, we are ensuring the business is positioned for growth, not just today, but for the future.”
The Irish News, part of IntoMedia Group, remains Northern Ireland’s best-selling regional daily newspaper. More than 80 staff are employed across editorial, technology, commercial and marketing teams, all focused on building a sustainable future for trusted journalism.
