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An Focal is a fortnightly newspaper published at the University of Limerick in Limerick, Ireland since 1991. Its readership is composed mainly of students, though it also seeks to appeal to university staff. It is financed by the University of Limerick Students' Union but maintains editorial independence. It publishes 12 issues between September and May, during term time. Its website has begun operating outside term. An Focal serves a campus population of some 12,000 students and 1,400 staff, while its website reaches UL students worldwide.

History
An Focal was established in 1991 as a permanent student publication for the University of Limerick. When the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick received university status in 1989 it did not have a newspaper, though students had published many newsletters and magazines, some satirical and hand-made.

There are few records of An Focal 's establishment and early history, with the obvious exception of a hard-bound copy of the first volume, 1991-92, in the Glucksman Library on campus. This volume had been forgotten until its rediscovery in 2011. Each volume of An Focal has been hard-bound annually for posterity.

An Focal is Irish for 'the word'. Contemporary reports suggest that An Focal was named for a Channel 4 TV show, The Word, which was popular with UL students at the time. The newspaper was also founded around the time of increasing popularity of the Irish language, which might explain the choice. An Focal is the only Irish student newspaper with an Irish name.

An Focal proved a permanent publication. Though the four original editors were ordinary students, the paper soon came under the aegis of the Students' Union. For most of its history, the position of editor was incorporated into a Students' Union sabbatical position, elected annually by the student body. This officer was also responsible for various other communications, advertising and political functions, which developed over time. It is notable that no-one who held this position sought re-election, in contrast to other positions. By 2010, the position was known as Vice-President/Communications Officer. This office was abolished by student vote in 2012 by a small majority and in the face of fierce opposition. The editorial responsibilities of the newspaper were returned to full-time students. An Focal also launched a website for the first time in 2012, www.anfocal.ie.

An Focal 's editorial stance has varied greatly over the last 20 years, with some editors more influenced by contemporary politics than others. The paper famously supported the Students' Union opposition to university fees in 2008-2010, publishing several editorials and some front page articles in support of the campaign. As a result of this, An Focal faced accusations of serving Students' Union interests in this period. It must be noted, however, that several former editors faced criticism from Students' Union officials for publishing apparently 'anti-Union' articles.

An Focal has maintained a more balanced editorial approach since 2010, often publishing two conflicting opinions side by side and removing fortnightly articles by sabbatical officers. With the abolition of the position of Communications Officer, the paper is widely expected to become more editorially independent.

Format
An Focal has been published in varying formats since 1991, having been both tabloid and broadsheet. This has been due in large part to the changing tastes of the editors. In 2010, editor Finn McDuffie oversaw wholesale reform of the newspaper's design, which has been maintained. An Focal is published in Berliner size, in colour and black and white. It publishes national, local and college news, sports, comment, lifestyle, entertainment and music articles, among others.

Awards
An Focal has won the Oxygen.ie Student Media Award People's Choice award three times (2006, 2010 and 2011 ), as well as receiving several nominations in other categories, such as Student Newspaper of the Year and Editor of the Year. In 2010 An Focal received the inaugural TV3 Vincent Browne Student Newspaper of the Year Award. The award was announced by respected, veteran journalist Vincent Browne on his live TV show, Tonight with Vincent Browne. It has been the only Vincent Browne award to date.

In 2012, editor Kelly O'Brien instituted internal awards for An Focal contributors in various categories, such as best news writer and best fashion writer. These ran concurrently with awards for volunteers working on UL's radio station, ULFM, which O'Brien had founded the previous year.

Major articles
An Focal has covered a wide variety of news stories since 1991. Among the most notable are:

Student walkouts from classes in support of more time for Clubs and Societies (Walkout Wednesdays)

Attacks on students in the Castletroy area of Limerick, near the university

The bankruptcy of the Students' Union in 2004

Controversial student petition on homosexual blood donors presented to the Irish Blood Transfusion Service, 2009

The Special Olympics in 2010

Student vandalism in residential estates, 2010

An Focal was the last publication to interview former Taoiseach Dr Garret FitzGerald before his death in 2011

The visit of the Dalai Lama to the university in 2011

The Irish general election, 2011

Ireland 's first academic conference on the Harry Potter books in 2012

An Focal carried a controversial article in 2008 claiming several student societies had rigged elections and actively excluded members. The article, which did not carry a by-line, was the subject of intense criticism from the societies in question and the charges were never substantiated.

Notable columns and features
An Focal publishes a number of features other than ordinary newspaper content. One long-running feature is the Erasmus Diaries, articles written by UL students studying abroad as part of the Erasmus Programme and Study Abroad programme. Both are colloquially referred to as 'Erasmus' by UL students. Recent diaries have been written from Canada, the United States of America, Hungary, Malta and others.

A similar feature is the Co-op Diary. These articles are written by students undertaking UL's Co-operative education programme, which is a mandatory part of UL courses. Many of these are often written by students living abroad.

Older editions of An Focal also featured extensive satirical columns, though these have been less common in recent years. Many such articles were written anonymously and featured whimsical criticism of campus personalities. The most notorious of these was Deep Throat, a columnist whose identity was a closely guarded secret. The name was inspired by the anonymous whistle blower who gave information to American journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, which led to the Watergate Scandal. Satire in some form is expected to feature in future editions.

An Focal previously featured regular articles by Students' Union sabbatical officers, often openly labelled 'propaganda', though these have been discontinued.

For many years, An Focal featured full-page vox pop pieces where photos of students were accompanied by answers to topical or humorous questions.