The Dublin press and the French Revolution, 1788-1794

Abstract

This thesis examines Dublin press coverage of the French Revolution (1789-1799) from 1788 until 1794. It seeks to understand, what, if any, impact coverage of the French Revolution had on contemporaneous Dublin society, culture and politics. In doing so, this thesis offers a deeper understanding of Dublin’s newspaper industry and Dublin itself at a time of significant political change.

By 1788, Dublin had a lively newspaper press. This thesis looks in depth at six newspapers that were printed consistently between 1788 and 1794. With a relatively literate reading public, the market for news was supplemented by other printed material, offering Dubliners various ways to engage with the Revolution. Dublin had numerous connections to France, which newspaper proprietors utilised to fill the pages of their newspapers. These connections included a trade relationship, independent of England, which created the infrastructure for news and French people fleeing the Revolution to have a direct route to Ireland. In many instances French news dominated the Dublin press.

The impact of the French Revolution on both Dublin and Irish politics was felt at multiple levels of society. The repeal of the penal laws in 1793 was, in part, out of fear of the majority Irish Catholic population launching their own revolution. However, it was a group of radicals in 1791 who formed the Society of United Irishmen that posed the greatest threat. They utilised print and newspapers to spread their message. In response to the rise in radicalism in Ireland, the government prosecuted print to suppress any dissenting voices. This thesis examines the multifaceted character of Dublin’s newspapers and concludes that Dublin was a city of note on the European stage. The relationship between the city and people of Dublin and their news industry in the late eighteenth century was more complex than previous scholarship suggests.

Date of Award	2 Jul 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of St Andrews
Supervisor	Arthur Timothy der Weduwen (Supervisor) & Andrew Pettegree (Supervisor)