During the 1970s, when the conflict was at its most intense, republican newspapers played a vital role in community solidarity within the besieged but risen nationalist population in the Six Counties, and in getting the message to the wider public in the rest of Ireland and overseas. From 1970 until 1979 there were two republican papers – An Phoblacht ‘the official organ of the Republican Movement’ in Dublin and Republican News in Belfast. Free article

BOBBY SANDS was the most prolific writer of the republican prisoners in the H-Blocks of Long Kesh during the Blanket Protest which lasted from 1976 until 1981. He was in prison for most of that time, being arrested in October 1976 and sentenced in September 1977. Free article

Danny Morrison was editor of Republican News from 1975-79 and of An Phoblacht/Republican News from the merger in January 1979 until October 1982 when he was elected to the northern Assembly for Mid-Ulster Free article

Congratulations to everyone who was ever involved in any aspect of producing or distributing An Phoblacht over the last fifty years. And all our readers. Others more learned than me may chronicle the history of the first An Phoblacht, founded away back at the beginning of the last century, and its illustrious contributors including Liam Mellows, Peadar O Donnell, and Frank Ryan. Free article

There are some dates that stick in everyone’s memory. Birthdays. Anniversaries. Historical events. One such for me is the date of the first edition of the merged An Phoblacht/Republican News (AP/RN) which was published on 27 January, 1979. I remember it well. The previous day, I had gotten out of Long Kesh. That’s the real date I remember. AP/RN is incidental. Free article

Former AP/RN writer Brian Mac Domhnaill remembers the revolutionary journalism and editorial policies of An Phoblacht editor Mick Timothy. From 1982 to his sudden death in 1985, Timothy revamped and expanded the paper. He directed the focus of An Phoblacht onto an expanded range of key social and economic issues in Ireland and internationally, while chronicling the electoral growth of Sinn Féin and the intensifying IRA campaign. Free article

My years as editor of AP/RN began in January 1985 after the sudden death of Mick Timothy. We carried the account of his funeral and Danny Morrison’s eulogy in that week’s edition. Mick’s photo was on the front page. Free article

The first copy of An Phoblacht that I bought was the one that reported the death and funeral of Bobby Sands. Four years later I was working in the paper. Five years later again I was editor. I was still in my 20s but how quickly time flew and here I am heading for 60 and wondering where all the time went. Free article

Tús Mí Feabhra 1992 a bhí ann, chóir a bheith tríocha bliain ó shin, ach mothaím go bhfuil sé cosúil le inné. Thosaigh mé an mhí sin ag spastóireacht thart ar Chluain a Bhogaidh leis an trí pháiste a bhí agam ag an am, Orlaith, Conchúir agus an babaí beag Eimear. Bhí muid ann le feaga a bhaint le go dtiocfadh linn Crosóga Bhríde a dhéanamh mar ba nós linn ar an chéad lá den Earrach. Bhí mé ag baint sult as an deireadh seachtaine agus ag meabhrú ar an mhí a bhí romham. Bhí cinneadh déanta go mbeinn ag éirí as mar eagarthóir Thuaisceartach AP/RN, dualgas a bhí orm ó bhí 1988 ann. Free article

Happy 50th birthday An Phoblacht! I am old enough to have been involved with you when you were born in your current all-Ireland form, as An Phoblacht/Republican News. In 1979, I was asked to write some book reviews (under another name), and left pretty much to decide which. Free article