Censorship and Suppression of the Irish Provincial Press, 1914–1921

Abstract

Press censorship was introduced in both Britain and Ireland at the start of World War I. As a more radical form of nationalism rapidly gained popularity in Ireland following the 1916 Rising the censorship was extended beyond the duration of the war. The censorship was mainly deployed to restrict the reporting of the more militant pronouncements of Irish republicans. This article explores how the censorship impacted on provincial newspapers, which constituted the greater part of the Irish print media. It specifically examines the censorship framework and considers if it was applied in an impartial and even-handed manner. It also outlines the cases of those provincial newspapers that were either suppressed or were subjected to attacks by Crown forces that resulted in prolonged closure. Finally, this article provides a broad assessment of the effectiveness of press censorship in Ireland during this period.