Misplaced Pages

Irish Bulletin

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by RashersTierney (talk | contribs) at 23:22, 22 October 2009 (→Personnel and contributors: a bit too much propaganda here). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Revision as of 23:22, 22 October 2009 by RashersTierney (talk | contribs) (→Personnel and contributors: a bit too much propaganda here)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)

The Irish Bulletin was a militant nationalist gazette published by Sinn Fein and produced by the Dáil Éireann Department of Propaganda (later renamed "Publicity Department" owing to changing connotations in language at the time) originally at No.6 Harcourt Street, Dublin. Created by Robert Erskine Childers and Desmond FitzGerald with Fitzgerald as the first editor until his arrest and replacement by Childers, it appeared in weekly editions from 11 November 1919 to 11 July 1921 with its production aided by Cumann na mBan.

Genesis

In April 1919, Terence MacSwiney proposed the establishment of a daily paper by the Dáil for the purpose of publicity. His suggestion was not implemented until November, when 'Desmond Fitzgerald decided that some form of printed counter-propaganda was vital to republican aims and to take advantage of the success of Sinn Féin and the increasing international interest in Ireland'.Fitzgerald succeeded Laurence Ginnell in the Ministry following the latter's arrest in April 1919, though he did not take up the position until July. At a Cabinet meeting held on 7 November, there was agreement that there should be "A scheme for daily news bulletin to foreign correspondents, weekly lists of atrocities; entertainment of friendly journalists approved, and £500 voted for expenses under Mr. Griffith's personal supervision." Four days later the Irish Bulletin made its début, in a run consisting of just thirty copies.

Personnel and contributors

In the early days, the paper was produced mainly by Frank Gallagher and Robert Brennan. Brennan, as Sinn Féin's Director of Publicity since April 1918, had played a leading role in that party's success in the 1918 General Election.

Following Fitzgerald's arrest in 1921, Erskine Childers was appointed Minister for Propoganda taking charge of publicity and thus becoming the paper's new editor.

Alan J. Ellis, a journalist with the Cork Examiner made occasional contributions to the paper.

Content

In the early days, the Bulletin consisted mainly of lists of raids by the security forces and the arrests of suspects. In order to stimulate interest, this was expanded in early 1920 to give more detailed accounts of events. Extracts from foreign publications, particularly sympathetic English papers, were frequently included. A regular feature were accounts from the Dáil Courts, which were reported in detail. The Bulletin was more graphic in its coverage of violence than was usual for its time. An example was its reporting on the deaths of two prominent Sinn Féin leaders, Henry and Patrick Loughnane, from Shanaglish, Gort, County Galway. The men had been handed over by the Royal Irish Constabulary to local members of the Auxiliary Division.

On Dec 6th, the bodies were found in a pond. The skulls were battered in and the flesh was hanging loose on both bodies.The two men were evidently tied by the neck to a motor lorry and dragged after it until they were dead. Before the bodies were hidden in a pond an effort was made to burn them.

Counterfeit edition

On the night of 26-27 March 1921, the offices of the Irish Bulletin were discovered by the British authorities.Captured typewriters and duplicators were used to fabricate bogus issues of the paper. The initial efforts of the forgers were of poor quality and easily identified as counterfeit.

Suppression

Notes

  1. ^ "Cumann na mBan". BBC - Wars & Conflict. 22 October 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-22.
  2. http://books.google.com/books?id=09zkGx-zulwC&pg=PA249&dq=%22irish+bulletin%22#v=onepage&q=%22irish%20bulletin%22&f=false
  3. http://books.google.com/books?id=sy4JAQAAIAAJ&q=%22irish+bulletin%22&dq=%22irish+bulletin%22
  4. http://books.google.com/books?id=YLpOR5c57skC&pg=PA48&lpg=PA48&dq=Constable+Jeremiah+Mee&source=bl&ots=WdSfeTh_OY&sig=zwmTLLo5kiHYY5pZMsdNyFHZIXA&hl=en&ei=Pl3eSqCpIYiY8Aakx8Rb&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CB4Q6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=irish%20bulletin&f=false
  5. http://books.google.ie/books?id=kRkTAQAAIAAJ&dq=inauthor:%22Ian+Kenneally%22&q=childers#search_anchor
  6. http://www.difp.ie/viewdoc.asp?DocID=102
  7. http://books.google.com/books?id=09zkGx-zulwC&pg=PA249&dq=%22irish+bulletin%22#v=onepage&q=%22irish%20bulletin%22&f=false
  8. Kenneally, Ian (2008). The paper wall: newspapers and propaganda in Ireland 1919-1921. Collins Press. pp. 46–47. ISBN 9781905172580.
  9. Murphy (2006) p10
  10. Kenneally (2008) p48
  11. Murphy (2006) p9
  12. The appointment of Childers as Minister for Publicity, was objected to by some Deputies on the grounds that he was not a Teachta Dála). However, they were assured by Arthur Griffith that Childers would be a civil servant and, as President, Griffith would be directly responsible to the House for the Department.
  13. "DEBATE ON REPORTS. - PROPAGANDA DEPARTMENT". Dáil Éireann. 11 March, 1921. Retrieved 2009-10-21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. Ellis, Allan J. (2004). Burning of Cork City: An Eye-Witness Account (1920). Aubane Historical Society. p. 14. ISBN 9781903497166.
  15. Kenneally (2008) p49
  16. Kenneally (2008) p49 referencing IB, 21/Dec/1920 "for more information on the two men see www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/claremuseum"
  17. Gallagher, Frank (1953). The four glorious years. Irish Press. p. 95.
  18. Report from the Department of Publicity (7 May 1921). "Dáil Éireann Report on Propaganda". web pub. Documents on Irish Foreign Policy. pp. (ref) No. 81 UCDA P80/14. Retrieved 2009-10-22.

Sources

  • The Origin and Organisation of British Propaganda in Ireland in 1920, Brian P Murphy, Aubane Historical Society and Spinwatch (2006), ISBN 1 903497 24 8
  • The Paper Wall: Newspapers and Propaganda in Ireland 1919-1921, Ian Kenneally, The Collins Press (Cork 2008), ISBN 9781905172580
  • The four glorious years Frank Gallagher Irish Press, (1953) reprinted Blackwater press, (2005) ISBN 9781841317847

See also

Stub icon

This Ireland-related article is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

Stub icon

This newspaper-related article is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

Categories: