SAMANTHA Barry, who has strong ties to West Cork, has announced that she is stepping down as editor-in-chief of Glamour magazine after eight years.

The Ballincollig native and UCC graduate announced her departure on her Instagram page last week  and said that after ‘eight phenomenal years at Glamour’ she is stepping away.

She said she felt it was the right moment to leave and pursue new projects as the title’s business model evolved.

‘It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while and with changes to our global operations now is the time. I’m enormously proud of what we built together and the amazing people that make up the Glamour teams around the world,’ she posted.

‘We took the brand to new digital heights, diversified our audience and revenue, and launched campaigns that genuinely moved the needle for women.’

She added that working alongside Anna Wintour, who championed her at every turn, ‘has been one of my great professional privileges.’

‘Storytelling has always been at the heart of my career and ambitions, and I’m excited by what comes next.’

Samantha was previously the global head of social media at CNN and has previously worked with RTÉ and BBC and in 2024 she was appointed the first global editorial director for Glamour.

Samantha’s mum Mairead is originally from Bere Island and now lives in Bantry with her dad.