Documento 4 - Poblacht na hEireann (War News)

c.300 items; Newspaper

The file comprises the following editions: 28 June 1922 (no. 1) – 16 Mar. 1923 (no. 175). The series is missing a small number of editions but there are multiple copies of other issues extant in the file. The publication began with the attack on anti-treaty republicans in the Four Courts, and the publication focused on ways of conveying news of the changing situation to journalists, republican supporters and the general public. The first (un-numbered) edition was styled as a communiqué from Rory O’Connor, Major General, IRA. It read:
‘The boys are glorious, and will fight for their Republic to the end. How long will our misguided former comrades outside attack those who stand for Ireland alone?’ Reference is made in this first communiqué to Fr. Albert Bibby OFM Cap. and Fr. Dominic O’Connor OFM Cap. who were ministering to the besieged republicans.

Over-sized storage. Some editions have crease and fold marks. The edges of some copies are frayed.

'Poblacht na hEireann (War News)' was edited mainly by Erskine Childers until his arrest (November 1922), and later by Frank Gallagher and others. The later editions convey news of day-to-day events in the Civil War from a republican perspective. Events referred to include the deaths of Michael Collins and Arthur Griffith and the executions of Erskine Childers and other prominent republicans.

The first seven editions were issued in broadside format from the Four Courts and printed in central Dublin during and immediately after the siege which marked the outbreak of the Civil War. They were evidently printed in this format to facilitate pasting onto walls. Each of the first seven editions is circa 51 x 38 cm, printed on one side only, no. 3 on green paper and no. 6 on buff paper. The remainder of the editions are regular folio newsprints. All single sheets and printed on one side only. A copy of 5 July 1922 (no. 9) and the edition of 16 Mar. 1923 (no. 175) are in cyclostyled typescript format. The reason for publication in this format is given in the opening paragraph: ‘After an interruption of over a week, “An Poblacht” makes its reappearance today. On Wednesday March 7th enemy forces of the Colonial [Free State] Government raided our printing offices, seized our machinery and plant, and arrested the staff, including a girl clerk of sixteen years. The raid was designed to suppress the voice of the Irish Republic. … It will be apparent that the production of this issue of our paper has been attended by temporary difficulties’.

There appears to be no record of a complete run of this publication, but it certainly did not continue beyond Éamon de Valera’s ‘dump arms’ order of 24 May 1923.