The typed article with the author's byline lay
on the blue carpet near the window in the publisher's top floor office
overlooking South Frederick Street and the green campus of TCD across
the way. The article in question was headed: Purgatory by PJ Gibbons
and was followed by an intro, which read: “After years of neglect some
Protestants believe it now exists; many Catholics don't. For others
it's not a place, it's a state of mind”.

To many people, such philosophical prose may come as a surprise
when it is known that the writer is the owner and editor of “Ireland's
original society magazine”, Social & Personal. But PJ Gibbons has
credentials, going back to his days as a freelance journalist for the
Irish Press titles when he was still in UCD, studying English in 1993.

Gibbons, 35, a native of Louisburgh, Co Mayo, bought S&P from
Nell Stewart-Liberty for “a six-figure sum” almost three years ago. The
deal was made possible with money from Gibbons father, John, a farmer
from Currowniskey, outside Westport.

After the Press group collapse, PJ Gibbons worked for the Irish
Independent, before moving to New York and LA. He reported on the OJ
Simpson trial, on the case involving brothers Lyle and Erick Menendez,
who were founded guilty of murdering their parents for money and on
Hollywood madam, Heidi Fleiss for the Sunday Independent.

He returned to Mayo in 1997 to become deputy news editor of Mid-West
Radio for a year. The then Irish Examiner editor, Brian Looney, invited
him to write a social diary for “de Paper”, based in Dublin. At the
same time, he wrote a book called Secret Lotto Lives, to coincide with
the tenth anniversary of the National Lottery.

So how did he end up buying S&P? “I had been writing
columns for Nell (Stewart-Liberty) for some time and we'd meet up
regularly at social occasions. Then it all came to a head at the
Fitzpatrick's pre-race dinner in January 2004. We met for lunch and she
asked me if I was interested in buying the title and I said yes, most
definitely.”

Gibbons said Stewart-Liberty had two other offers from Ireland
and the UK, neither of which she wished to pursue. Monies owed to a
printer by Social & Personal Magazines Limited were later settled,
he added. Gibbons was not liable for any S&PML debts as he had only
bought the title from Stewart-Liberty and not the publishing company.

Having been a contributor to S&P for some time before
buying it, Gibbons felt the magazine warranted a revamp. “I wanted a
younger focus and to try and stamp my own personality on it,” he said.
“We kept the same designers, Swerve, as they'd done a good job and
proceeded to make some changes gradually over the last two years.”

The plan was one of evolution, not revolution. The masthead was
re-jigged and new typefaces and layout styles were adopted. But Gibbons
did not see any sense in giving the magazine a new title. He felt the
Social & Personal brand had a currency which he “loved”, as did the
readers who had bought it in one shape or another since 1934.

New contributors were introduced, including the likes of Amanda
Byram, Trevor Danker, Katy French, Gail Kaneswaren and Terry Keane –
people familiar with the social scene, celebrity chat and even the odd
bitchy titbit. Gibbons himself is no stranger to the great and glorious
and has a photo collection of near Getty Images proportions to prove
it.

Gibbons has a sales team looking after ads. Like any
businessman, he is reluctant to say much about revenues and monthly
sales targets. But a figure of €95,000 which appears on the planning
board on the office's second floor reception would be a 'ball park'
figure.

The consumer press market where S&P compete for business is
a jungle. Gibbons goes head-to-head with the likes of VIP, Image, U,
Irish Tatler and Ireland's answer to Vanity Fair, The Gloss. But one
could add a host of other titles to the fray. Who does he see as his
main rivals? “Everyone's your competitor,” Gibbons said smartly.

“We know from advertisers that anything luxury, high-end, gets
a good reaction,” he added. “You have to fit in where you are. We're
going with ABC this year and will be applying in the summer, in the
hope of having figures later this year.”

What does he say to people who slam magazines like S&P and
accuse them of being fluffy organs which pander to people famous for
being famous and ladies who lunch out in Dublin restaurants known more
for their Friday gathering than their cuisine?

“They do love all that,” Gibbons said. “I had a chat with
Eamon Farrell – Colin Farrell's brother – last year and he was talking
about going to LA, to premieres and stuff. Whenever Colin was away he'd
usually fly out and meet up with him.

“One of the things he or his sister Claudine had to bring out
with them was Social & Personal and another magazine. Colin liked
to see what was going on. They found it quite funny and he said to me
never to change that. People go to events and they're so into getting
photographed they almost follow the photographer around.”

Although this 'party animal' admits to having a keen interest
in politics, he avoids nailing his colours to a mast for fear of
compromise.. Even when he is reminded that Mayo is the home county of
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, a grin is all Gibbons proffers.

Outgoing but remarkably laidback, he normally answers any
questions put to him frankly and without fuss. But he looked tired and
in need of a break from deadlines at the time of this interview. A
crudely-written note on his desk, left by a work colleague with an
amended countdown to the days left until he goes on leave, explained
why.

Come mid-April, he hopes to be enjoying his first holiday in
years. Right alongside the note, a bottle of Moet & Chandon sat
askew in an empty ice bucket. As the man himself would be first to
admit, it can be hard to get away from the champagne lifestyle but a
refusal to recharge every now and then is foolhardy – and PJ Gibbons is
no fool.