THIS is, incredibly, the last issue of The Irish Field for 2021. It has been a full calendar year like no other, though I probably felt something similar 12 months ago. The light at the end of the tunnel I may have seen then has brightened somewhat, but there is still a road to travel before we see normality.

First, and most importantly, I want to wish you all a safe, healthy and happy Christmas and new year. It will not be all of these for everyone, and it is good to take some time to reflect on this, and to reach out to anyone you know who is suffering in any way whatsoever. This ‘festive’, meaning cheerful and jovially celebratory, season is anything but for so many.

It has, I am pleased to say, been a good year for The Irish Field, and this is due to a number of factors. Our paper (online and in print) and advertising sales have been strong, thanks to the loyalty and support of both our readers and the many individuals and businesses who have bought the paper and space within it. To you all, I extend my sincere thanks.

My earnest belief is that you do this because you like our offering if you are a reader, and you get results if you are an advertiser. The loss of racing in 2020 for some time meant that we had to be innovative when it came to editorial content, and this received a vote of confidence from readers. You purchased the paper in increasing numbers and have remained loyal.

We acted on this and have expanded areas of coverage that proved to be popular, and kept them even when racing returned. At less than four cents a page for the paper, I think you will agree that we offer value for money.

The paper comes out in a timely manner every Friday night online, and each Saturday morning in the shops, as a result of a huge effort by a relatively small, but extremely passionate, in-house team. The term in-house is used with some irony of course, as the vast majority of the editorial, advertising and production teams have been working remotely since March 2020.

This has added a layer of difficulty to the process of getting over 100 pages to press each week, but those team members have risen to the challenge. To all of my colleagues I say a huge thanks for your work during this pandemic.

We, and all of you, will see better days again. In the meanwhile, keep well, keep safe and keep in touch with each other. Happy Christmas and the best for 2022.