Amongst the papers closely examined in this chapter are three titles based in the same county, the Cork Constitution, Skibbereen Eagle, and Southern Star, published in County Cork, with the latter two publications actually located in the same town. The Cork Constitution was an unambiguously unionist organ while the Skibbereen Eagle has occasionally been referred to also as a unionist organ but it would be more accurate to classify it as independent. Consequently this slight deviation from a sense of geographical balance facilitates the consideration of an alternative journalistic perspective that is required in order to present a broader portrayal of the Irish provincial press that was referred to at the end of the last chapter. With this in mind, another independent or non-aligned publication, the Clonmel Chronicle in County Tipperary, is also briefly examined. However, this chapter also examines two indisputably nationalist papers, the Southern Star and the Kerryman. Both endured terms of enforced closure between 1916 and 1921 as well as the imprisonment of either their editor or proprietor while the Southern Star also underwent a highly significant change of ownership. Consequently their experiences simply demand inclusion in any detailed study of the Irish provincial press during this period. However, in order to appreciate the journalistic environment in which all the aforementioned titles operated, it is firstly necessary to briefly examine the main titles that served the province of Munster at this time.2
Many of these titles displayed a variety of the characteristics that were a marked feature of the print media in both Leinster and Connacht. The lengthy proprietorial and editorial tenures and the prolonged family associations with individual newspapers that were such distinctive traits of the provincial press in these two provinces were equally prevalent in Munster. Similarly several Munster newspapers were notable for the deep Catholic faith of their owners or editors while support for both the GAA and the Gaelic League was also a recurring theme.
The principal newspaper in County Clare, the Clare Champion, encapsulated a number of these traits. This was a nationalist organ that was founded by Tom Galvin in 1903. Tom Galvin died only six months
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after the paper’s launch though the Galvin family were still in control of the paper a century later. Following the death of Tom Galvin ownership of the Clare Champion passed to his sister, Josephine Maguire, and her husband, Sarsfield Maguire.3 Josephine Maguire was a devout Catholic and her deep religious faith was articulated through the pages of the Clare Champion.4 The editorial longevity that pervaded the Irish provincial press was again evident at the paper where Sarsfield Maguire occupied the position for close on forty years. Initially the paper supported the Irish Parliamentary Party but its allegiance transferred to Sinn Féin after the 1916 Rising and it was subsequently suppressed for a six month period during 1918.5
A number of nationalist newspapers in neighbouring County Limerick also experienced suppression during this period. Amongst them was the Weekly Observer based in Newcastle West, which was suppressed at the same time as the Clare Champion but was allowed to resume publication a month later.6 The three titles based in Limerick city, the Munster News, Limerick Echo, and Limerick Leader were all suppressed during September 1919 for publishing the prospectus for the Dáil Éireann loan.7 The Weekly Observer, Munster News, and Limerick Echo all ceased publication within the first half of the twentieth century but the Limerick Leader proved to have considerably greater staying power. It was established in 1889 and the main driving force behind the paper in its formative years was Jeremiah Buckley.8 Its editor from 1910 until 1960 was Cornelius Cregan. In addition to displaying impressive editorial longevity Cregan also shared the strong Catholic faith of many of his fellow editors.9
The acquisition of the Munster Express in Waterford by Edward Walsh in 1908 marked the commencement of over one hundred years of family ownership. The paper was supportive of the Irish Parliamentary Party with Walsh serving as a local councillor for that party.10 The Waterford Star was similarly a supporter of the Irish Parliamentary Party. Its editor was Cornelius O’Mahony (not to be confused with the journalist of the same name who worked at the Midland Tribune) whose father, John
3
Clare Champion, 28 Mar. 2003 4 Ibid, 20 Feb. 1937
5
Irish Independent, 30 Sept. 1918; Irish Times, 6 Apr. 1918, 26 Jul. 1945; 6 Meath Chronicle, 11 May 1918; Connacht Tribune, 18 May 1918; 7 Freeman’s Journal, Irish Bulletin, 24 Sept. 1919;
8
Limerick Leader, 30 Sept. 1989 9
Ibid, 2 Jul. 1966
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E. O’Mahony, had established the paper in 1891.11 The Waterford News provided something of a contrast to the former two titles. It was purchased by Edmund Downey in 1907 and began to adopt a pro-Sinn Féin stance in the wake of Easter 1916.12 In February 1919 the Waterford News was suppressed for three months arising out of criticism of the RIC that had appeared in the paper.13
The Nenagh Guardian in County Tipperary was one of the few unionist titles in the province at the start of World War I but a change of ownership in 1916 resulted in the paper becoming a nationalist organ.14 One of the main instigators of the acquisition of the paper was Jeremiah Ryan, who subsequently became the first editor under the new proprietorship.15 Strong support for the GAA and the Gaelic League was a notable attribute of one of County Tipperary’s other main titles, the Thurles based Tipperary Star. The paper was established in 1909 by Edward Long who remained at the helm of the paper until his death in 1925.16 Long was succeeded as editor by William Myles, who provided yet another example of editorial longevity by serving as editor from 1925 until 1975.17 Myles had commenced his journalistic career at another highly significant title in the county, the Clonmel
Nationalist. This paper was founded by a group of local businessmen in 1890.18 Its first editor was James
J. Long who was succeeded in 1909 by his son Brandon J. Long. Both men were Gaelic League enthusiasts and strong supporters of the GAA.19
In County Kerry the Killarney Echo was one of several newspapers in the county to be attacked by Crown Forces. The paper ceased publication following the attack in August 1920.20 The Kerry Advocate, Kerry Evening Post, Kerry Press, and Kerry Sentinel which had served the county at the start of World War I did not survive to witness the foundation of the Irish Free State though the Anglo-Irish conflict was not a
11
Waterford Star, 7 Nov. 1941
12 Irish Independent, Irish Times, 12 Feb. 1937; 13
Freeman’s Journal, 14 May 1919; Ulster Herald, 17 May 1919; Waterford News & Star: 150th Anniversary
Supplement (6 November 1998);
14
Joseph C. Hayes, Guide to Tipperary newspapers 1770-1989 (Tipperary, 1989), p.8; Nenagh Guardian, 16 Dec. 1916;
15
Nenagh Guardian, 24 Nov. 1928 16 Tipperary Star, 7 Nov. 1925 17 Ibid, 25 Sept. 1976
18
The Nationalist – Centenary Supplement 1890-1990 (29 December 1990) 19
Seán O’Donnell, Clonmel 1900-1932: a history (Clonmel, 2010), p.243; Clonmel Nationalist, 20 Apr. 1938; 20 Irish Times, 16 Aug. 1920
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factor that led to their cessation of publication.21 The principal newspaper in County Cork was the nationalist Cork Examiner which was targeted by both sides during the War of Independence. The paper had a broad readership across Munster and in 1892 its owner, Thomas Crosbie, launched the Cork
Evening Echo which served Cork city.22 Three other titles served County Cork at the time, the Cork
Constitution, Skibbereen Eagle, and Southern Star and these three newspapers are closely examined in the first three case studies in this chapter.