Meet the Media
Christina McHugh
A native of Castlerea, Christina McHugh joined the staff of the Roscommon Herald in 1987 and was appointed editor in 1990. She is a graduate of the College of Commerce, Rathmines, and is actively involved in community life in the county.
How did you become interested in journalism?
My interest in journalism started from my earliest days in school, when I was involved in the school magazine. I always liked writing essays and was interested in current affairs. As I progressed through secondary school, the idea of going into journalism was always in the back of my mind –although law was the number one on my CAO application.
What does a typical week on the paper involve?
One thing for certain is that there is no such thing as a typical week in a regional newspaper. A typical working week starts on a Tuesday (yes, a Tuesday as our production day is a Monday). On Tuesdays, I look at the week ahead, see what stories have to be covered, what meetings I need to send reporters to, and what events photographers go to.
Wednesdays and Thursdays are then taken up with editing copy, putting headlines on stories and determining pages for production. Fridays and Mondays are our busiest days as these are the days when all of the pages are finalised, stories prioritised and pages proof-read.
What are the main stories facing Roscommon right now?
Like most rural counties, Roscommon is facing the ravages of emigration, lack of employment and a declining agricultural base. With the worst water system in the country, water quality continues to dominate the agenda. For a county like Roscommon, trying to survive economic recession has been tough. It is blighted with ghost estates and is currently feeling little benefit from the so-called ‘green shoots’ appearing in the economy.
What are your hopes for the county?
My hope is that green shoots of recovery reported in the large cities come to County Roscommon and that rural counties like ours continue to recover and see improvements in broadband infrastructure and job creation.
Community spirit continues to thrive in our county, which has in the past been decimated by emigration. Roscommon is a great place to live, work, and raise a family. My hope is those who had no option to leave and seek work abroad in recent years soon return to live in a county that has so much potential.
What have been your most significant scoops?
In recent times, we have carried out a major investigation into the quality of water in the county. This investigation, which involved testing a number of different supplies uncovered serious lead levels in some supplies. We have also reported extensively on the crisis in the psychiatric services in the county and the plans for the closure of units.
What are your main interests outside work?
I am on the board of Castlerea Credit Union, have served on the board of the local national school, was chairperson of the local playschool, and was involved at all levels of Irish Girl Guides for over 20 years. These days, I find myself most weekends on the sideline of some pitch (either GAA or soccer) with a 10-year-old and a 15-year-old involved in both.
Who inspires you?
The late and great journalist Mary Raftery who passed away in 2012. She gave a voice to the voiceless and she left an important legacy for Irish society through her work, which lifted so many layers of institutional secrecy.
Her documentaries, States of Fear and Cardinal Secrets, led to the setting up of both the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse and the Murphy Commission into clerical abuse in the Dublin archdiocese. She was always willing to ask awkward questions, to seek out uncomfortable facts and to shine a light in the darkest corners of Irish society through her fearless and courageous journalism, which was defined by determination and bravery.
The Herald history
30 April 1859 saw the first edition of the Roscommon Herald appearing on the newsstands under the full title of ‘The Roscommon Herald And Boyle And Leitrim News’. A front-page headline declared its objective as follows: “Prospectus Of The Roscommon Herald & Boyle & Leitrim News. A Liberal Weekly Newspaper.” The paper’s founder, George M Tully, outlined his aspirations for the newspaper by promising: “The Herald will most scrupulously respect the rights of all.”
The paper was originally produced from offices at The Crescent in Boyle and later moved to premises formerly used as an Ancient Order of Hibernians hall and then to the present site on St Patrick Street (previously used as a spool factory). The paper remained in the ownership of the Tully family until 1938 when George’s grandson, Jasper, passed away.
It was then purchased by a partnership of PJ Nerney, CE Callan and JT O’Hanrahan. Two tragedies struck in the 1960s when a fire completely gutted the works and Paddy Nerney died just before the new offices were to be opened. Shortly afterwards, his wife Lillie (née Cox) took over the day-to-day running of the business. Following her death in 1994, her son took over the running of the firm. The paper was sold to Thomas Crosbie Holdings in 2004 and is now owned by Landmark Media.
