I am writing this, having just finished reading the feature written by all our Irish Country Living (or ICL as we affectionately call it) staff, past and present. The pieces are individual and give readers an insight into the way each of our journalists work and think, what is important to them and who or what most struck a chord with them during their time here.
When Philip (our photographer extraordinaire) and I started talking about this feature, we didn’t know exactly where we were going with it. But the main aim was to acknowledge the tremendous work that the team has done to keep the content flowing in the unprecedented circumstances this year. Just like most companies have done, in response to COVID-19, we have asked our teams for access to their homes, as working from home became the new normal. Various pieces of video conferencing technology made this possible and they have been the life blood of survival for thousands of businesses. Many people now see this as the future of working but there is an “ask” in this – it is asking people for entry into their private spaces.
The only way that I can describe the response to this “ask” of our team is – very welcoming. So Philip, charged with camera, met the ICL team in their homes to celebrate this achievement and to mark the end of 2020, as we all wait with hope for 2021.
This year has brought many changes to the team. For some, like Ciara and Maria, this was on a personal level as they got to know their new daughters, Molly and Fallon. Maria also carries with her, her first baby Danann who was born a sleeping angel in October 2019. For others it has been professional. Mairead has retired (apart from her gardening page) and Odile moved on to the Department of Agriculture. Janine joined us in a formal capacity having been a contributor in the past. And Paul has picked up the mantle of covering property. Behind the scenes, our subeditors pull this paper together every week. In 2020, Emily became the main lady in ICL sub-editorial. She does a fantastic job, but we are delighted to have Rosie back so Emily can take a few days off without worrying about her “baby” (ie ICL).
Amii McKeever, editor of Irish Country Living. \ Philip Doyle
COVID-19 brought us some new contributors too, and lots of reader writers. We have some old and new faces coming back to the team early in the New Year as we continue to diversify our content and bring new voices to our readers. People come and go, bringing new experience and expertise with them. Our team will continue to evolve. This evolution and change can upset the apple cart for a while. And the words: “I need to have a chat with you”, when a person is set on departure, are generally not the most welcome. However, once I get over the initial “dang”, I am delighted to see people move on to progress their careers if that is what they want to do. It’s another connection in the world that you can call on when needed. And hopefully, if you supported them, that support will come back to you. This week in agri careers, Thomas Hubert, previously of this house, talks about a career in journalism. You can see how his time in the Irish Farmers Journal has influenced his career.
So, all that remains for me to say is to thank all my team, past and present. And thanks to our readers for staying with us in 2020, we wish you a very happy Christmas.
Read more
'We're in the people business' - FRS CEO Peter Byrne
There is no replacing butter. A 2020 necessity - just put it in everything!
I am writing this, having just finished reading the feature written by all our Irish Country Living (or ICL as we affectionately call it) staff, past and present. The pieces are individual and give readers an insight into the way each of our journalists work and think, what is important to them and who or what most struck a chord with them during their time here.
When Philip (our photographer extraordinaire) and I started talking about this feature, we didn’t know exactly where we were going with it. But the main aim was to acknowledge the tremendous work that the team has done to keep the content flowing in the unprecedented circumstances this year. Just like most companies have done, in response to COVID-19, we have asked our teams for access to their homes, as working from home became the new normal. Various pieces of video conferencing technology made this possible and they have been the life blood of survival for thousands of businesses. Many people now see this as the future of working but there is an “ask” in this – it is asking people for entry into their private spaces.
The only way that I can describe the response to this “ask” of our team is – very welcoming. So Philip, charged with camera, met the ICL team in their homes to celebrate this achievement and to mark the end of 2020, as we all wait with hope for 2021.
This year has brought many changes to the team. For some, like Ciara and Maria, this was on a personal level as they got to know their new daughters, Molly and Fallon. Maria also carries with her, her first baby Danann who was born a sleeping angel in October 2019. For others it has been professional. Mairead has retired (apart from her gardening page) and Odile moved on to the Department of Agriculture. Janine joined us in a formal capacity having been a contributor in the past. And Paul has picked up the mantle of covering property. Behind the scenes, our subeditors pull this paper together every week. In 2020, Emily became the main lady in ICL sub-editorial. She does a fantastic job, but we are delighted to have Rosie back so Emily can take a few days off without worrying about her “baby” (ie ICL).
Amii McKeever, editor of Irish Country Living. \ Philip Doyle
COVID-19 brought us some new contributors too, and lots of reader writers. We have some old and new faces coming back to the team early in the New Year as we continue to diversify our content and bring new voices to our readers. People come and go, bringing new experience and expertise with them. Our team will continue to evolve. This evolution and change can upset the apple cart for a while. And the words: “I need to have a chat with you”, when a person is set on departure, are generally not the most welcome. However, once I get over the initial “dang”, I am delighted to see people move on to progress their careers if that is what they want to do. It’s another connection in the world that you can call on when needed. And hopefully, if you supported them, that support will come back to you. This week in agri careers, Thomas Hubert, previously of this house, talks about a career in journalism. You can see how his time in the Irish Farmers Journal has influenced his career.
So, all that remains for me to say is to thank all my team, past and present. And thanks to our readers for staying with us in 2020, we wish you a very happy Christmas.
Read more
'We're in the people business' - FRS CEO Peter Byrne
There is no replacing butter. A 2020 necessity - just put it in everything!
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