An Phoblacht
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An Phoblacht is the official newspaper of Sinn Fein in Ireland. It is published on a weekly basis, and according to its website sells an average of up to 15,000 copies every week and was the first Irish paper to provide an edition on line and currently having in excess of 100,000 website hits per week.[1]
The paper focuses on providing a weekly commentary on all aspects of Irish politics and most notably the ongoing peace process in Northern Ireland.
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[edit] Background
An Phoblacht/Republican News originated as a result of a merger of two older republican newspapers An Phoblacht (English: The Republic) and Republican News.
The original An Phoblacht was founded by the Dungannon Clubs in Belfast in 1906 and its first edition was printed on 13 December 1906 under the English language version of the title The Republic. A year later the paper merged with a Dublin title called The Peasant, however the title An Phoblacht was again used from the 1920's until 1935. Its modern version was again refounded by Jimmy Steele in 1970.
It was formed in 1979 as During the Troubles, it supported the campaign of the Provisional IRA and published a weekly column titled "War News", which outlined IRA actions and conflict with the British Army. Currently it articulates the political position of Sinn Féin and supports the peace process.
The paper was officially relaunched in September 2005 as An Phoblacht. The current editor is Seán Mac Brádaigh.
[edit] Controversy
This publication has come under criticism for its stance in relation to the Provisional Irish Republican Army. For instance, in the British House of Commons, it was reported that an article was republished entitled "IRA Strike Hard". It referred to an IRA operation that succeeded in "executing" someone whom it described as the "loyalist extremist Robert Bradford". Robert Bradford was a Northern Irish Member of Parliament killed by the IRA [2]
[edit] Notable contributors
- Gerry Adams [3]
- Bobby Sands[4]
- Danny Morrison (former editor) [5]
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- An Phoblacht/Republican News: Ireland's Biggest Selling Political Weekly — website of the newspaper.
[edit] References
- ^ An Phoblacht: About Us History of background of An Phoblacht
- ^ 18 Dec 2001 : Column 171|Hansard (House of Commons Daily Debates)
- ^ Peace Process in Very Serious Difficulty — article by Gerry Adams in An Phoblacht, 2 November 1995
- ^ "In the H-Blocks Bobby began writing short stories and poems under the pen-name 'Marcella', his sister’s name, which were published in...the newly merged 'An Phoblacht/Republican News'" Extracts from 'Prison Poems' by Bobby Sands (1991)
- ^ An Phoblacht: About Us — An Phoblacht website, retrieved 25 November 2006.
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