An image from Irish War News, one of the newspapers that accompanied Part 1 of the series. Nearly 300 newspapers were reproduced during the series.
From revolution to republic
The Easter Rising of 1916 was the beginning of a remarkable period in Irish history. The subsequent seven years brought the War of Independence, partition, the Anglo-Irish Treaty, the Civil War and the foundation of two Irish states.
During its run, the Revolution Papers followed these extraordinary events, bringing readers the most important Irish newspapers from that time,reprinted as they appeared. Each edition provided a comprehensive selection of full-size, facsimile newspapers, allowing readers to read about the news as it was happening, just as our grandparents and great-grandparents did. Included with each edition were national and local newspapers; republican, nationalist and unionist newspapers; banned newspapers; even Irish newspapers from America.
The Revolution Papersalso covered the Irish story over the subsequent two decades, bringing the reader through the 1920s and1930s, as the Irish Free State asserted its independence in a dangerous world. The series continued through the Second World War, concluding with the foundation of the Republic of Ireland in 1949, providing readers with a glimpse of what life was really like during that tumultuous era.
The Publisher
The Revolution Papers was an independent publication produced by Albertas Ltd.
The editors of the Revolution Papers were: Dr Steven O'Connor (Parts 1-52) and Ian Kenneally (Parts 53-101)
The publisher would like to thank the Centre for Contemporary Irish History, Trinity College Dublin, the National Library of Ireland, the Newspaper and Periodical History Forum of Ireland, the British Library, the Irish Military Archives, Find My Past, Newsbrands and Local Ireland.
Editorial advisors for the series were: Professor Paul Bew, Queen’s University Belfast Professor Senia Paseta, University of Oxford Professor Eunan O’Halpin, Trinity College Dublin Professor Emeritus John Horgan, DCU
Copies of the Revolution Papers are no longer available for sale.
Each edition of the Revolution Papers included high-quality reproductions of contemporary documents in the form of posters, pamphlets and fliers.
The Irish Press reporting on the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945. Irish newspapers kept a close watch on international events.
A note to our readers
We wish to thank you for your support and company throughout the 101 editions of the Revolution Papers. We hope that you enjoyed the series and that it enlightened and entertained you as we followed the story of Ireland, and its place in the world, from Easter 1916 to Easter 1949.
The Revolution Papers is a chronicle of the events that brought about Ireland’s independence. Yet it is also much more than that. By continuing until the foundation of the Republic of Ireland in April 1949, the series affords an opportunity to consider what the Irish people have done with their long-sought-after and hard-won independence.
By including contemporary newspapers with each edition, the Revolution Papers creates a tangible link to our shared past, while the accompanying analysis from many of the leading historians of 20th-century Ireland provides a modern context. We believe that the Revolution Papers will serve as a landmark in the decade of centenaries and we hope that the series may play a role in inspiring future generations of Irish historians.