Stories of the events of 1916 are reprinted for commemoration

THE newspapers from 1916 are back in the shops now.

One hundred years after they first appeared, the papers that reported the Easter Rising, and the years that followed, have been reprinted and are presented in a new weekly collectable series called The Revolution Papers. 

‘Ireland in arms, fighting for freedom’ announces the Gaelic American of 29 April 1916. ‘Movement is spreading to other parts of the country’ speculates the 28 April edition of the Telegraph Bulletin from Belfast. 

‘Criminal madness’ declares the Irish Independent of 4 May 1916. 

Readers of The Revolution Papers will find facsimile copies of these newspapers, reprinted exactly as they appeared a century ago. Week by week, for the next 52 weeks, each issue of The Revolution Papers will include a selection of the most important Irish newspapers covering the key events of the Irish revolutionary period. 

Starting with the Rising of April 1916, moving on to the War of Independence of 1919-1921 and the Irish Civil War from 1922 to 1923, The Revolution Papers will present the history of these turbulent years through the newspapers from that time. Published in cooperation with the National Library of Ireland and the Centre for Contemporary Irish History at Trinity College Dublin, each issue of The Revolution Papers includes, in addition to the historical newspapers, analysis and commentary from today’s leading experts on Irish history. 

In the first issue of The Revolution Papers readers will even find a reprinted edition of the very rare Irish War News published by the rebels from inside the GPO in Dublin on the second day of the Rising.