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TheNorthside People is part of theDublin People group of free newspapers, distributed to homes in Dublin and available at designated pick-up-points in supermarkets andconvenience stores throughout the city. It closed in May 2020 but reopened, under new ownership, later that year.
The first edition ofNorthside People was published in May 1987. The paper, which was founded by Robin Webb, divided in 1995 into east and west editions. Originally published on a bi-weekly basis, by the mid-1990s both editions were printed on a weekly basis. Around this time the Dublin People acquired theSouth News title, which was converted toSouthside People.
Tim O'Brien was the first News Editor. Journalists who worked for the Dublin People group include writer and broadcasterSean Moncrieff, playwright and novelist Lorcan Roche, Sinead Crowley, Joe Lowrey, Tom Hayes, Joe Humphries, Fiona Gartland, Nicola Tallent, Jack Gleeson, Aidan Kelly, Tony McCullagh, Ken Finlay, Pat O'Rourke, Neil Fetherston, Siobhan Maguire, Aoibhinn Twomey, Geraldine Comiskey, Sabra Aslam, Jo Anne Fox, Sean Murphy, Niall Bourke, Jamie Deasy, Warren Swords, Keith Falkiner, Michael Moloney, Melanie Finn, Brian Whelan and Kevin Jenkinson.
In 2014,Celtic Media Group (CMG) entered amanagement agreement to run the Dublin People Group (DPG), publisher of theNorthside andSouthside People titles. Frank Mulrennan, chief executive of CMG and a former business editor at theIrish Independent, became interim chief executive at DPG.
In May 2020, following theCOVID-19 pandemic's arrival inIreland, North Dublin Publications Ltd—partially owned by Celtic Media Group and publisher of the Dublinfreesheets, theNorthside People and theSouthside People—told its employees it would be shutting both papers and that it wished to have aliquidator appointed.[1][2]
In July 2020, Evad IT Solutions acquired the group out of liquidation.[3]
The west edition was designed to target new areas in Dublin west as the city expanded into areas likeBlanchardstown and beyond. It was available in areas includingBallymun,Finglas,Cabra,Phibsboro andCastleknock. The first editor of the west edition was Aidan Kelly, who held the post until he resigned in December 2005. Its last editor, Jack Gleeson, took the role in January 2006 after moving from his position as editor of sister paper,Southside People.
The original, east, edition was distributed to areas such asCoolock, Kilmore,Swords,Darndale,Priorswood,Santry,Donnycarney,Baldoyle,Sutton,Donaghmede,Artane,Whitehall,Kilbarrack,Raheny,Clontarf,Fairview,Malahide,Howth,Marino and the north-east inner city -Summerhill,Ballybough,North Strand,Sheriff Street &East Wall.
Its last editor was former chief reporter, Pat O'Rourke, who replaced Neil Fetherson after he moved into the editor's role in sister paperSouthside People.