The Press in Troubled Times: a talk by former Laois newspaper editor

Local people are invited to an upcoming talk on challenges faced by the media during the years which culminated in Ireland's independence from the Crown.

Former Managing Editor of the Leinster Express Teddy Fennelly, will explore  the difficulties faced by the Press, particularly the local Press, and how they managed to weave their way through them, during this decade of turmoil and great change from 1913-1923 period.

The talk will discuss the decade was one of the most extraordinary eras of upheaval in Irish history. The 10 years began with 1913 Lockout, followed by World War I in which hundreds of thousands of Irishmen were involved. Then came the Easter Rising in 1916, the War of Independence and the birth of the Irish Free State which led to Civil War.

Mr Fennelly will discuss these were dangerous times not least for the Press. He will explore how most newspapers, both national and regional, had either nationalist or unionist leanings. The talk will discuss how the nationalist owned publications were closely vetted and risked closure and/or, for those involved, imprisonment for possible conspiratorial content by the censorship minded authorities.

On the other hand, the former editor will recount how some unionist papers were attacked by angry Sinn Féin supporters, because of their perceived anti-nationalist bias in reporting and coverage of the grim events of the Civil War was a highly sensitive issue among the divided nationalist community.

Mr Fennelly was Managing Editor of the Leinster Express for 20 years and was a Director and Media Consultant of the Leinster Leader Group 2000-’06.

He has been an advocate and enthusiast for local history and heritage in Laois for over 50 years and was recently selected by the National Heritage Council as Ireland’s National Heritage Hero for 2022 in recognition of his enormous contribution in preserving the history and heritage of his native county.

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The talk takes place in Portlaoise Library on Wednesday, November 30 7.30 pm. It is part of the Laois Libraries Decade of Centenaries program for 2022.