The Sunday Life is a Sunday newspaper

Newspaper

A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...

 in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

 and has been published since October 23, 1988. It is the sister paper of The Belfast Telegraph

The Belfast Telegraph

The Belfast Telegraph is a daily evening newspaper published in Belfast, Northern Ireland by Independent News & Media.It was first published as the Belfast Evening Telegraph on 1 September 1870 by brothers William and George Baird...

and is owned by Independent News & Media

Independent News & Media

Independent News & Media plc , is a media organisation based in Dublin, Ireland, with interests in 22 countries on 4 continents worldwide. The company owns over 200 print titles, more than 130 radio stations, over 100 commercial websites and many billboard locations, and is a leading press player...

.

It is the biggest-selling Northern Ireland-only Sunday newspaper and its official sales figure for the period January–June 2009 was 65,872, according to the ABC (Audit Bureau of Circulations UK)

ABC (Audit Bureau of Circulations UK)

In the United Kingdom and Ireland, ABC has two roles:* To manage and uphold standards which reflect media industry needs...

. Those figures showed a 3.7 per cent rise in sales - an increase of 2,344 copies.
The newspaper has always been printed in tabloid format and has a cover price of £1.30 (RoI €2.00).

History

The Sunday Life was born on April 20, 1988, at that time the Belfast Telegraph was owned by the Thomson International Organisation. After getting the go-ahead at an executive meeting, Belfast Telegraph managing director Bob Crane called together his senior executives and they organised a private conference to plan the launch of the Sunday Life. He booked the small Drumnagreagh Hotel near Ballygally on the Antrim coast and there the blueprint for the Sunday Life was created. Crane made two immediate appointments - Ed Curran and Margaret Clarke. Curran, deputy editor of the Belfast Telegraph who joined the company in 1966, would be the editor. He would go on to become Belfast Telegraph editor. Clarke, a key figure in management, was asked to assume additional responsibilities as general manager of Sunday Life. With so many executives away from the Belfast Telegraph HQ rumours were rife in media circles that something was being planned so Crane decided that a statement had to be issued to clarify the position. This statement became known as "the Drumnagreagh Declaration".

The Drumnagreagh Declaration

The announcement about the launch of the Sunday Life was issued on April 29, 1988. Ed Curran and Roy Lilley, the Belfast Telegraph's editor, were asked to draft a press release. During a coffee break as the new paper was being planned at the Drumnagreagh Hotel in Co Antrim, they sat at an old battered typewriter in the hotel's office to hammer out what became known as "the Drumnagreagh Declaration".

'Belfast Telegraph Newspaper Limited is planning a new Sunday newspaper this year. Mr R.C. Crane, managing director of Belfast Telegraph Newspapers Limited, said today: "This exciting new development will mean increased opportunities for employment in the newspaper business in Northern Ireland. The necessary journalists and advertising sales staff will be recruited shortly. 'The new paper will have the benefit of the most up-to-date technology. It will make full use of colour and will provide readers and advertisers with a reliable and comprehensive service. The editor of the paper, which is still at the planning stage, will be Mr Edmund Curran, currently deputy editor of the Belfast Telegraph. Mr Curran was educated at Dungannon Royal School and is a graduate of Queen's University. He joined this company in 1966 and after gaining experience as a reporter, feature writer and leader writer, took up his present position in 1974. 'Mr Curran is widely known as a commentator on Northern Ireland affairs on radio and television, and as a contributor to publications of international standing in Britain and the United States. He stated today: "We intend to produce a Sunday newspaper which Northern Ireland readers and advertisiers will enjoy and respect. We will have a top-class team, and although independent of the Telegraph, will reflect the high standards set by it." 'Mrs Margaret Clarke, the Belfast Telegraph classified advertising manager, will assume additional responsibilities as general manager of the new paper, developing it as a major advertising medium.'".

Current editorial team

Editor - Martin Breen

Associate Editor - David O'Dornan

Belfast Telegraph Group Sports Editor - Jim Gracey

Sports Editor - Paul Ferguson

Head of News - Stephen Gordon

Picture Editor - Mark McCormick

Reporting team

Crime Reporter - Ciaran Barnes

Reporter - Gail Henderson

Reporter - John McGurk

Reporter - Sara Girvin

Columnists

Ivan Little

Ivan Little

-Journalism career:Little began his career as a journalist working for The Portadown News and the Belfast Telegraph. He moved into broadcasting by joining Downtown Radio....

Dan Gordon

Dan Gordon

Dan Gordon was an American storyboard artist and film director, best known for his work at both Famous Studios and Hanna-Barbera Productions. Gordon was one of Famous' first directors, and he wrote and directed several Popeye the Sailor and Superman cartoons...

Gail Henderson

Kim Kelly

Emma-Louise Johnston

Emma-Louise Johnston

Emma-Louise Johnston is a freelance television presenter from Northern Ireland.As well as television presenting, Johnston has worked as a reporter and producer. She worked for five years with ITV's breakfast programme, GMTV, having presented local travel programmes on local TV in her native...