First Edition was the early evening news

News

News is the communication of selected information on current events which is presented by print, broadcast, Internet, or word of mouth to a third party or mass audience.- Etymology :...

 programme on the Irish

Republic of Ireland

Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

 television network

Television network

A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...

 TV3. It was produced by the TV3 News

TV3 News

TV3 News is the television and internet news service from TV3 in Ireland. Its flagship bulletin is at 17:30, hosted by Alan Cantwell, Colette Fitzpatrick and Elaine Crowley. TV3 News produces bulletins broadcast live on TV3 each day and online at tv3.ie/news...

 division.

First Edition, presented by main newscasters Alan Cantwell

Alan Cantwell (newsreader)

Alan Cantwell is an Irish journalist, presenter and newsreader. He is a news presenter for TV3 News in Ireland. Cantwell is co-anchor of the station's flagship news broadcast, TV3 News at 5.30...

 and Colette Fitzpatrick

Colette Fitzpatrick

Colette Fitzpatrick is, since September 2006, one of the main news anchors at TV3 News for TV3 Ireland. She is a native of Holycross, Thurles, County Tipperary....

, was a thirty minute news programme covering Irish national and international news stories, broadcast at 5:30pm from Monday to Sunday.

History

When TV3 launched on 20 September 1998 it's early evening news programme was called TV3 News @ 6

TV3 News @ 6

TV3 News @ 6 was the flagship evening news programme on the Irish television network TV3. It was produced by the TV3 News division.The TV3 News @ 6, presented by main newscasters Alan Cantwell and Gráinne Seoige, was a sixty minute news programme covering Irish national and international news...

. It provided a comprehensive view of the day's main international and national news stories, was presented by Alan Cantwell

Alan Cantwell (newsreader)

Alan Cantwell is an Irish journalist, presenter and newsreader. He is a news presenter for TV3 News in Ireland. Cantwell is co-anchor of the station's flagship news broadcast, TV3 News at 5.30...

 and Gráinne Seoige

Gráinne Seoige

Gráinne Seoige is an Irish television presenter, Gaeilgeoir, and "fashion icon",Gráinne Seoige is one of the few television presenters who has worked for all terrestrial channels in the Republic of Ireland at some point. She has worked as a news anchor on TG4, TV3 and Sky News Ireland...

 and was in direct competition with RTÉ News: Six One

RTÉ News: Six One

RTÉ News: Six One is the evening news programme broadcast each night on Irish television channel RTÉ One...

. This period of direct rivalry with RTÉ

RTE

RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...

 only lasted for a year as TV3 decided to break up the hour-long programme. As a result of this two new programmes - First Edition at 5:30pm and TV3 News @ 7

TV3 News @ 7

TV3 News @ 7 was the second early evening news programme on the Irish television network TV3. It was produced by the TV3 News division....

- were launched. Both programmes were still fronted by Cantwell and Seoige, while First Edition became Ireland's first early evening news programme.

On 19 March 2001 First Edition was relaunched as TV3 News at 5.30 with Cantwell and Seoige still remaining at the helm.

Main newscaster

Years	Newscaster	Other roles	Previous roles
1998-1999	Alan Cantwell Alan Cantwell (newsreader) Alan Cantwell is an Irish journalist, presenter and newsreader. He is a news presenter for TV3 News in Ireland. Cantwell is co-anchor of the station's flagship news broadcast, TV3 News at 5.30...
1998-1999	Gráinne Seoige Gráinne Seoige Gráinne Seoige is an Irish television presenter, Gaeilgeoir, and "fashion icon",Gráinne Seoige is one of the few television presenters who has worked for all terrestrial channels in the Republic of Ireland at some point. She has worked as a news anchor on TG4, TV3 and Sky News Ireland...