Editorial: welcome to the new look of Irish Country Living

Welcome to the new look of Irish Country Living – a project we’ve been working on behind the scenes for months.

There has been lots of meetings about mastheads and debates about fonts and a geeky amount of time considering the position of pull quotes. But as the first edition of the rebrand lands in your hands, we hope the hard work has paid off.

Because right throughout the process the priority was you, our reader – to improve your experience and to make your weekly read even more enjoyable.

For that reason, this rebrand is twofold. Visually, we wanted to give our paper a more stylish look and feel; to help you navigate it more easily. From a content perspective, we conducted research to ensure we were continuing to deliver articles that interest you and your rural life.

Firstly, we ran a reader survey in which we collated and analysed the views of 850 readers. Some also agreed to engage in more in-depth analysis and we commissioned an external company to conduct one-to-one interviews. This research gave us a deeper appreciation of our readers’ interests and not only guided some of the decisions for the paper that’s in your hands today, but also for the content we’ll cover in future.

Let me guide you through the paper. Irish Country Living is now divided into three sections which are colour coded. Up front, you’ll find our features which celebrate rural life, the farmers, food producers and entrepreneurs who are innovating and bringing something new to the table, as well as the inspirational stories of people who push boundaries. Few have pushed boundaries in the way our former president Mary McAleese has, and we’re delighted to have her and the very talented Mary Kennedy on our cover, talking about their podcast which is recorded in a small studio in the countryside of Allenwood, Co Kildare.

Also in the first section of the paper are our features on health and food as well as rural affairs. This is a new element we introduced earlier this year in which Jacqueline Hogge is digging under the surface to examine the social issues that impact rural life. Our popular columnists will now be found on page 9 each week and the back page.

In the middle section, you’ll find our new lifestyle and culture section. From recipes celebrating Irish ingredients with chef Neven Maguire, to travel and family days out, this is an area you want to see more of. We’ll also continue to celebrate Irish folklore, books and sport.

Moving into the third section, here the focus is on careers and business. Education and career progression is extremely important, especially to younger readers. And this is also where you’ll find out how to put more money in your pocket.

This has been a massive team effort but special thanks has to be given to our art director, Audrey Kane who embraced this project with plenty of enthusiasm, fresh ideas, hard work and copious cups of Barry’s tea.

We hope you like our new look and that each page continues to reflect your rural life.