The Nation

Abstract

The Nation newspaper was founded in 1842 by a group of Irish nationalists (later known as Young Ireland) to assist the campaign for greater political independence. Allying itself with Daniel O’Connell’s campaign for the repeal of the Act of Union, it strongly advocated the re-establishment of an independent Irish parliament. It also devoted considerable space to cultural matters to recreate an authentic nationality rooted in Ireland’s past. Arguing that pre-conquest Ireland was a land of sophisticated culture and learning, it stressed Ireland’s proud record of resistance to conquest in prose and verse. Accusations that they excessively glorified violence contributed to the secession of the Nation group from O’Connell’s Repeal Association in July 1846. By this time the country was gripped by famine and the Nation began to adopt ever more extreme positions, which led to the paper’s suppression in the summer of 1848. Revived in 1849, it continued until 1891, its influence helping to establish the newspaper as an integral part of all subsequent nationalist movements.