STAFF AT the Cavan Voiceand Monaghan Voiceweekly freesheet newspapers were yesterday told by its owners that they were ceasing publication with immediate effect.

The papers were owned by Voice Provincial Newspapers, a firm headed by John Shiels and believed to be backed by millionaire philanthropist Niall Mellon.

Mr Shiels told staff at 3pm that the papers were ceasing publication due to poor advertising revenues. It is understood that locks at the premises were changed immediately after this announcement.

Up to 20 full-time staff and a small number of part-time employees have lost their jobs at the Cavan-based company.

The freesheets were launched last September and were published each Tuesday. Several thousand copies of both were distributed weekly. They operated from the same building and were both edited by Paul Neilan, who has also been made redundant.

Employees were told they would receive two weeks pay as compensation. "It was a total shock to us," one staff member told The Irish Times. "There was no inkling from management that this was going to happen."

Mr Shiels declined to comment on the closure.

Competition has been fierce in Cavan with five titles operating there recently, including the well-established Anglo Celt.

The Voicegroup's website was "temporarily down" yesterday. It has a stable of about eight freesheet titles, including ones in Galway, Kilkenny and Laois.

The company was incorporated in 2006 and its registered address is listed as Kilkenny city. No financial details are available.