The Phoenix Magazine Going Into ‘Voluntary Liquidation’

“The Phoenix magazine, established in 1983 by John Mulcahy, is closing down, after having struggled to adapt to the increasingly digital world of current journalism. According to The Irish Times, no new issue is projected to appear this week (as previously scheduled), and contributors have been contacted that the magazine is going into voluntary liquidation. The website also states that the magazine is “unable to offer online [and print] subscriptions at this time.” Recently, the magazine has had a staff of less than 10, as well as a group of regular contributing writers. In the past 20 years (2004-2024), its circulation halved, with The Phoenix selling only around 10 000 copies of its biweekly print version. The primary editor is Paddy Prendiville, and the magazine is run by Aengus Mulcahy, son of the original manager of the publication. Until the end of last week, the owners were still looking for investors to keep the publication going. Apparently, the efforts have proved unsuccessful. The Phoenix is often compared to the British magazine Private Eye and prides itself on getting “the inside stories on what’s really going on in Ireland”. As such, it features sections like “Affairs of the nation” (news and politics), “Craic and Codology” (satire), “Moneybags” (finance), detailed profiles (“Pillars of Society” and “The Young Bloods”), and a “Fit To Print” column looking at the comings and goings and internal workings of Irish newspapers and broadcast media. The magazine has also been one of the main platforms for Irish satirical cartoonists. The magazine’s decision to close down is not singular, as multiple major publications around the world are moving in a similar direction, in the wake of rising print costs, decreasing readership, and an increasingly digital landscape.

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