Welcome

January is a month that is synonymous with change and the biggest change for us this year is the recent passing of our publisher Mike Keenan. Mike started the magazine on 18th November 1994, 27 years ago, so it only feels right to mark his passing and let you know a bit about the man behind it for all of these years.

Mike started out in the publishing industry working for the Belfast Telegraph in 1969, before moving to South East England where he worked on various publications before going to Fleet Street where he joined the Mirror Group and then the TV Times. He later moved to Spain where he continued his career on Lookout magazine and the Marbella Times. However, a trip back home to Northern Ireland to help his cousin as she set up her new home planted the seed for an interior magazine. Back in 1994 there were no local magazines to help them source interiors so Mike decided to move home and start his own, determined that it would also live up to the quality of the national titles he knew so well.

Looking back at the first issue of the magazine things really haven’t changed that much, other than what the natural passing of time has brought with it. As someone who loves to switch things up, I always remember Mike saying to me ‘it’s an evolution not a revolution’, and certainly, while I like to think we have introduced many changes, particularly over the last couple of years, with his guidance none of us have lost sight of his original vision.

As well as Ireland’s Homes Interiors & Living, Mike also launched the consumer title Ireland’s Kitchen Guide in 2001 and his first B2B title, Ireland’s Kitchen Trade Guide in 2009, which also brought with it the first kitchen industry awards in Ireland.

He was passionate about all of the magazines right up until the end and as a team we intend to maintain his legacy and continue to produce magazines that would live up to his expectations.