The Cavan Echo

I am dellighted to be able to speak of a truly positive development here in County Cavan, the appearance of a new local newspaper, The Cavan Echo, which is worthy of the people of the county. As I thumbed through the pages of the first edition I was overjoyed to be able to read a paper which had a truly all-embracing view of news in the area. So many things happen here but they have not been recorded. There has been a reluctance to pursue news in the Cavan area, lest it be found to offend someone. As a result true journalism has withered on the vine in the interests of a sorry and tired self-slorification of a particular group of self-important nobodies. I'm not going to point an accusatory finger but the dogs on the streets of Cavan probably know where I think the blame for this lies. As I remarked to Maria McCourt, the new paper's very able and delightful editor (if only all editors were so delightful!) I knew that a change had occurred the moment I skimmed the photographs. There were none of the toy-soldier poses of (pictured from l. to r,) the good, the bad and the unspeakable, as if they needed identifying.

But let us not talk of blame. Let us rather celebrate that there is still a niche, and a ccommercial possibility, for such a local newspaper. Perhaps this is because the Cavan Echo is fully aware of the possibilities of the Internet, not as a rival but as a partner. They plan to make the newspaper downloadable in PDF format, as well as carry blogs. The management realise that the only hope for local newspapers is to become truly innovative.

The paper was formally launched on October 19th, in the Cavan Crystal Hotel, a venue which is fully wheel-chair accessible let me add. There was a buffet meal consisting of a tasty chicken ruby, though not as tasty as the rubies made by my Rosie. The launch was attended by a charming buffet meal, while the inevitable speeches were short and incisive and free of the waffle that all too frequently tarnishes such events. Mr Peter Quinn gave an intersting and visionary contribution in which he spoke about a venture like the Cavan Echo, employing just six people, could be a force for change and progress within the Cavan area.

It is only fair for me to place my cards on the table here. Yes, I am contributing a regular feature to the paper. I'm both proud and pleased to be doing so. It was very nice to be asked. And while running the risk of being catty and the attendant threats to have me done, it is heartening for me to see my words appear in a Cavan newspaper under my by-line. In the past my prose has appeared in another Cavan publication, though under someone else's by-line. There is such a thing as intellectual property. There is also consequently something called intellectual theft, long practiced by a self-styled journalist of a long-established Cavan newspaper. While Proudhon pronounced that "Property is theft", theft is most certainly not the same as property in intellectual terms.

Let me finish by wishing the Cavan Echo every success to its staff, its advertisers, its contributors, and generally to all who sail in her.