A new frontier in Independent News & Media's cold war

Robert Pitt’s refusal to endorse Leslie Buckley as INM chairman last week suggests the media group isn’t big enough for the both of them

From left: Ryan Preston, finance director; Robert Pitt, chief executive; Len O’Hagan; David Harrison; Michael Doorly; Leslie Buckley, chairman; Jerome Kennedy and Triona Mullane at the Independent News and Media agm at the Westbury Hotel Pic: Fergal Phillips

Peter Gallagher is well known in Irish business circles. A member of the wealthy Gallagher building family, he is an investor in almost all big Irish companies, and regularly attends annual general meetings to contribute his usual dollop of plain speaking and humour.

Last Wednesday, he stood up at Independent News & Media’s agm at the Westbury Hotel in Dublin and told its board that they needed cheering up. Perhaps hiring a clown ...