The Sunday Tribune ceased publication last month as parent company Tribune Newspapers plc went into administration following a withdrawal of funding by INM, which owned a 29.9 per cent stake.
In an announcement today, following the release of INM's 2010 full year results, the organisation announced four planned developments for 2011 in its Irish publishing division's online activities, including Hegarty's appointment.
"I'm particularly pleased to announce that Noirin Hegarty is assuming the mantle as the new editor of independent.ie as we continue to build on our success and develop an even more dynamic and wide-ranging online offering," chief executive of INM's Irish division, Joe Webb, said in the statement.
"Noirin is a hugely experienced editor, innovator and communicator who commands huge respect and I know that she is both inspired and excited by the challenge of bringing those skills to online."
Other announcements included the planned launch of a new online jobs portal, an online coupon service, GrabOne.ie, and acquisition of a 50 per cent shareholding in car sales site carsireland.ie.
In INM's 2010 full year results, the newspaper group reported growth of 13 per cent in online revenue, compared to 2009.
The group also claimed underlying revenues were up three per cent to €605.3 million while operating profit had risen by almost 14 per cent to €87.9 million.
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