The Sunday Independent is an Irish Sunday newspaper broadsheet published by Independent News & Media plc, a subsidiary of Mediahuis. It is the Sunday edition of the Irish Independent, and maintains an editorial position midway between magazine and tabloid. History The Sunday Independent was first published in 1905 as the Sunday edition of the Irish Independent. Following the creation of the Irish Free State, the Sunday Independent followed its daily counterpart's political line by supporting Cumann na nGaedheal and its successor Fine Gael. From the 1940s until 1970, the paper was run by Hector Legge (1901–1994). Legge's time at the paper was notable for the Sunday Independent in 1948 leaking the news that the Irish government were going to leave the British Commonwealth by repealing the External Relations Act. Legge also published a series of articles by the writer Frank O'Connor (under the pseudonym "Ben Mayo") in the paper. In the 1970s, under the editorship of Conor O'Brien, the Sunday Independent became known for a series of investigations by journalist Joe MacAnthony into the activities of the Irish Sweepstakes. O'Brien was succeeded as editor in 1976 by Michael Hand. Aengus Fanning became editor following Hand's departure in 1984. In 1984 the Sunday Independent logo changed from black to purple in colour. Anne Harris succeeded her husband Aengus Fanning after his death in January 2012. On 20 December 2014, Harris ended her tenure as the Sunday Independent's editor; at her going-away party, the marketing department of Independent News and Media gave her a painting of the number "30%" to commemorate the fact Harris had raised the newspaper's circulation to 30% of the Irish market. Cormac Bourke, the former executive editor of the Irish Independent, became the new editor of the Sunday Independent in January 2015. Alan English, who was previously the Editor of the Limerick Leader, was appointed as editor of the Sunday Independent in January 2020. On 17 October 2021, the paper launched a Northern Ireland edition with some localised content. Digital archives The Sunday Independent is available on the Irish Newspaper Archives website up to 2004 you will only find "Black-And-White" microfilm pages but since 2005 the pages of the Sunday Independent online in colour. The newspaper is available at Independent.ie. (1959-October 2006) online at British Newspaper Archive. Content The newspaper is a general Sunday newspaper, covering news and politics. It is published in five sections: News, Sport, Business,