Sports paper crosses finish line

Modern communications sealed the fate of the 'Ulster'

The final whistle has been blown for a Saturday evening sports newspaper with a 114-year tradition.

Ireland's Saturday Night (ISN), is to print its final edition next week.

The newspaper, published by the Belfast Telegraph group, brought sports results and match reports to generations of readers.

The ISN was launched in 1894 under its original title, Ulster Saturday Night.

As sales picked up across the island, the name was broadened to Ireland's Saturday Night.

It was also, for a period, known as "the Pink" when it was published on newsprint of that colour. Regular use of the pink paper ended around 1918 although it was used occasionally for some editions.

To most older readers, however, despite the name change, the paper remained "the Ulster".

Circulation has been dropping in recent years with sports fans able to receive almost instant results from their television, computer and mobile telephone.

John Laverty, a former ISN editor and now Belfast Telegraph assistant editor, said the old newspaper had "simply reached the end of the road".

"It was a long and very successful road, but it had to end," Mr Laverty told BBC News.

"The ISN was a Saturday night tradition for many, many years.

"People can still remember men standing at the street corners waiting for the newspaper sellers to arrive."

He said modern communication meant that most people knew the results they were interested in before the ISN went to print.