IRA’s paper goes online
Tiofaidh ár log-in: the republican movement is embracing new media. An Phoblacht, the IRA’s weekly newsletter, is to go monthly and will largely be replaced by a website.
The 40-year-old newspaper has been losing relevance and sales since the wind-down of the Provisional IRA.
Republicans are promising that the new website will include a daily news service, “up-to-the minute interviews”, historic film footage and an archive section.
Online visitors are currently being asked for donations to “help raise the funds necessary to keep this website free”, suggesting that An Phoblacht may be forced to insert a pay wall.
Typically, the republican movement is portraying the downgrading of its newspaper as “a major step forward”. Sean Brady, its publicity director, said the paper needed to move with the times.
“Over 100,000 now read it online. A radical republican political agenda is needed more than ever, and we believe it is time for republicans to embrace the new media age and get our message out to as many as possible,” he said.
While there has been a republican newsletter since 1906, the current version was launched in 1970 just after the outbreak of the Troubles.
When the IRA terrorism campaign was at its height, the newspaper mainly consisted of “war news”, boastful claims about republican attacks on the security forces.
Among its best-known columnists were Gerry Adams and Roy Greenslade, now a columnist with The Guardian.
