* STRONG Irish newspaper circulations and a windfall profit on a

dabble in Mirror Group shares contributed to doubled profits of

Ir#14.572m (#14m) at Independent Newspapers.

The Dublin-based newspaper group collected #3.6m exceptional profits

from trading in and out of 2% of Mirror Group in the six months to June

30.

That gain contributed to increase in pre-tax profits from the Ir#7.07m

made last time.

Shareholders benefit from an increase in the interim dividend to 4p

from 3.3p while earnings per share rose to 17.9p from 9.7p.

Irish publications continued to go from strength to strength with good

circulation increases recorded at the Sunday Independent and The Star,

said chairman Tony O' Reilly.

Greater London and Essex Newspapers, and the group's recruitment

magazines, improved their performance from 1992, he said.