Johnston, which paid 470m buying three Irish newspaper groups last year, reported pre-tax profit of 220m on revenue of 754m last year in the UK and Ireland.

The Edinburgh-based company does not report its Irish results separately, but Numis Securities analyst Richard Hitchcock estimates that Johnston's 47 Irish titles contributed £50m ( 72m).

"You're getting on for around 10% of group revenue, roughly speaking, " Hitchcock said.

Figures for the combined Irish companies were not easy to divine, he said, but Johnston Press has indicated the three acquisitions would be earnings enhancing from year one.

Johnston Press chief executive Tim Bowdler said the company would not disclose sales or profit figures for its Irish operation but were "very pleased with what we've found" since entering the market. "We're still seeing much better revenue growth in Ireland than we are anywhere else, " he said.

In common with many British newspaper groups, Johnston has been hit by declining growth advertising revenue in its home market.

Motoring and recruitment advertising, crucial sources of revenue for newspapers, have been sluggish over the past year in the UK.

The Irish market, by contrast, is buoyant, underpinned by continuing rapid economic growth.

Johnston Press is currently integrating its three groups . . . Leinster Leader, Local Press and Score. The company is also investing in new technology across its Irish titles.

The company's Irish assets span the four provinces and include such regional titles as the Longford Leader, the Belfast News Letter, the Donegal Democrat and the Tipperary Star. In the course of its 470m spree it also picked up printing presses in Limerick, Kilkenny, Derry, Belfast and Portadown.

Johnston Press has been at the forefront of digital publishing in Britain and has invested heavily in IT for a wide portfolio of online newspaper sites. Bowdler said it was pursuing a similar strategy here.

Asked whether the company, which has been linked with a bid for Fermanagh's Impartial Reporter, would add to its Irish titles, he said "we're not closed to anything but it's not the priority at present".