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THE EDITOR OF the long-standing e-mail and website for Irish emigrants is to call it a day when the service reaches its 25th birthday next February.
Established in 1987, The Irish Emigrant is the longest-running email news subscription in the world.
That first edition on 8 February was mailed to about 15 people in North America and Europe but the recipient list has grown substantially since those infant days.
The latest publication was sent to about 23,000 unique email addresses.
“I’m not really sure what will happen to the website now,” Ferrie told TheJournal.ie.
One possibility is that the project will be handed over to a school of journalism for students to work on as a final year project.
“That particular idea interests me,” says Ferrie, who has long been hailed as a significant contributor to Ireland’s digital development.
However, he is also open to selling the business if the right offer came along.
I am open to all suggestions as I haven’t really thought about it too much,” he adds. “We’ve been merrily going along our way but when I realised February marks the 25th anniversary of the site, I decided that would be a good time to step aside.”
The 67-year-old jokes that his wife Pauline, who is also involved in the newsfeed for expats, has been suggesting it for some time.
At one point, the Galway-based Irish Emigrant employed four full-time staff and some freelance writers but the economic downturn has seen a drop in advertising revenue.
“We never generated huge revenues,” said Ferrie, “but it was enough to keep us going.”
The web publications are still read by tens of thousands of subscribers in more than 160 countries.
As for Ferrie himself, he says he will probably keep writing, be it in the form of a blog or something different. He may return to college either. Just today he received an honorary degree from NUI Galway for his contribution to Irish society.
“It was completely out of the blue but I was delighted with it,” he concluded.
Liam and Pauline won a Golden Spider for Significant Contribution to the Internet in Ireland and Ferrie was the first recipient of the Irish Internet Association Net Visionary Award in 1999.
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Sad
Get help then. Speak to a friend or your GP
Very sad, the steve jobs cult.
Apple fanboys. There’s something a little sad about that… And by the looks of the pics there were about 10 people there
Android way superior.
There’s only a handful of them
Midnight launch for BF3 would have been more exciting.
And a LAN event. That would have got me there
Very sad
Its the muppet show.
NERRRRDDS!
Ssshh whoever told you im queing up for MW3 is a liar.
The horrible accusations those liar make
5 photos, 3 of the same guy.
lame.
Nerd rage and racism. Great combination.
i got myself a Samsung Galaxy this week and left Iphone land forever
Not too many thumbs down yet. The apple brigade must be still in bed, worn out id imagine from playing with granny smiths gadget!
If you haven’t got an I-phone, you haven’t got an I-phone.
I saw the queue and I thought you were sellin’ drugs..
Outstanding observation!
Suckers!
So let me get this right so one person cannot plug in a usb cable and another needs to know he is in his house. Does one need a wee nap?? Samsung Galaxy S2 do yourself a favour
If Siri is not available in Ireland what’s the point in been first. Plenty of time. If you own an iPhone 4 like me then there is no need to buy this one.
I hope ( for their sakes) those people in the picture have an older iPhone
Siri works fine in Ireland but won’t do some things like search Irish maps.
Samsung beats Apple smartphones http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15489523
Quote from your link “The consultancy said Apple’s growth was hindered by customers waiting for the launch of the new iPhone 4S.”
Give it up
Have a Samsung galaxy it’s takes ages for the gps to pinpoint where you are I also have an iPhone 4 seconds it tells me and even Inside my house, plus don’t get me started on transferring music to a galaxy ;(
If you need a phone to tell you your in your own house youve got bigger problems then you think.
The one redeeming feature from all this is that these people weren’t queuing up at an O2 store and the generous 150mb data plans they could avail themselves of. That would have been biblically sad to sign up for 18/24 months of that.
How pathetic that someone would wait in the cold weather overnight just to buy a gadget. Ever heard of PRE-ORDERING?
I think I’m going to have to get one of those new iPod touches too since I’m terrified my 2 year old is going to wreck my new 4s.
No-one cares
You care enough to reply.
I boughted an ifone las ni is bleeding deadly , i can ask it what time it si and it tells me an also it can do multiplikation yerrrrr!!!!!
I’m guessing that you’re from Dublin.
Noo I am from Ballinasloian and have started my Leaving Cert year
Lulzers. Ballinaslosian?? That’s not a place, before you copy and paste, read it in the context. Lol. DEFINITELY from the Pale, also a troll.
Good one. Steamer, glad mcguiness served you well today.
Whats an ifone???
I boughted an ifone las ni is bleeding deadly , i can ask it what time it si and it tells me an also it can do multiplikation yerrrrr
Why was my comment removed?
Stupid iphone didnt load the comment, ooopsies
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