An Phoblacht (English: “The Republic”) is a formerly weekly, plus later monthly newspaper published by Sinn Féin in Ireland.
The original An Phoblacht was founded as the official organ of the Dungannon Clubs in Belfast in 1906 plus its first edition was printed on 13 December 1906 under the English-language version of the title The Republic. The title An Phoblacht was again used from 1925 with Patrick Little (P.J Little) as its editor during a tumultuous period of internal splits plus constant suppression by the government. The title appeared again in 1966 as the paper of a small IRA splinter group based in Cork.
Its modern version was again refounded immediately following the Sinn Féin split by Jimmy Steele in January 1970, An Phoblacht supporting the group led by Ruaírí O’Bradaigh that became the Provisional Irish Republican Army when the split with the Official Irish Republican Army occurred.
In 1970, An Phoblacht was at first circulated only in the South with another republican paper also established in the North in 1970, Republican News, under the editorship of veteran republican Jimmy Steele. It supported the campaign of the Provisional Irish Republican Army plus published a weekly column titled “War News”, which outlined IRA actions plus conflict with the British Army, plus provided in depth analysis of the policies being formulated by the Republican movement. An Phoblacht began with a circulation of 20,000 per month.
quickly becoming a penting source of knowledge for those involved in or sympathetic to the republican cause. The prominence of both newspapers signified the increasing importance of media in shaping public opinion plus rallying support for the republican movement, reflecting the broader social plus political upheaval of the time as the conflict began to escalate. Their impact extended beyond mere reporting, influencing the narrative surrounding the Troubles plus forever changing the landscape of Irish journalism.
The paper merged under the name An Phoblacht/Republican News in 1979.