31 August 2010 Last updated at 13:03 ET

Jobs to go at three Irish newspapers

The Alpha Newspaper Group is owned by the former Unionist MP John Taylor, now Lord Kilclooney, and his family

Up to 30 workers at three local newspapers in the Irish midlands are set to lose their jobs after the owners announced plans to cease publication on Tuesday afternoon.

The group broke the news to staff at the Roscommon Champion, Longford News and Athlone Voice newspapers.

The Alpha Newspaper Group is owned by the former Unionist MP John Taylor, now Lord Kilclooney, and his family.

He also has interests in several newspapers and radio stations in NI.

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has accused the Alpha Newspaper Group of acting with "indecent haste".

The NUJ's Irish organiser Nicola Coleman said the union has strongly protested at the lack of consultation or examination of alternatives to closure.

"We are anxious to meet Mr Taylor to discuss redundancy terms," she said.

"We also believe that it would be easier to sell the titles as a going concern and feel the decision to simply cease publication is extremely short-sighted."

NUJ Irish secretary Seamus Dooley said Alpha Newspapers entered the market in the Irish Republic "fully aware" of the tough competition in the region.

"The Athlone Voice is a new title in a difficult market. The Roscommon Champion and the Longford News are long established titles and form an important part of the landscape of the Midlands.

"It is not too late to save the newspapers and we would urge Lord Kilclooney and his board to take a step back, even at this stage," he added.

Mr Dooley said Lord Kilclooney was due to meet individually with staff at the three papers on Thursday but had so far refused a request to meet with the NUJ.