The Starry Plough (newspaper)
Encyclopedia
The Starry Plough is the official newspaper
of the Irish Republican Socialist Party
. It states on its website: "The Starry Plough is the only paper that stands firmly against British
rule and the destruction of capitalism
in Ireland
." The paper also focuses on socialist solidarity issues around the world.
The name of the paper is taken from the flag of the same name
. The decision to use the name Starry Plough was inspired by a newspaper produced by Official Sinn Féin in Derry City
in the early 1970s. This was at the suggestion of Derry Members to the IRSP Ard Comhairle in early 1975. The Irish translation An Camcheachta was provided by the late Mairin Bean Ui Chionnaith, an Irish scholar and a staunch Republican. The first edition of the new Starry Plough was published in April 1975 under the editorship of Mick Ahern. Subsequent editors included Osgur Breatnach, James Daly, Mary Reid, and (again) Mick Ahern. Important contributors have included Bernadette McAliskey, Tom Hayes, Ite Ni Chionnaith, Eamonn McCann, Niall Lenoach, Redmond O'Hanlon, Gery Lawless, Siobhan Molloy, and London SWP cartoonist Phil Evans.
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
of the Irish Republican Socialist Party
Irish Republican Socialist Party
The Irish Republican Socialist Party or IRSP is a republican socialist party active in Ireland. It claims the legacy of socialist revolutionary James Connolly, who founded the Irish Socialist Republican Party in 1896 and was executed after the Easter Rising of 1916.- History :The Irish Republican...
. It states on its website: "The Starry Plough is the only paper that stands firmly against British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
rule and the destruction of capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
." The paper also focuses on socialist solidarity issues around the world.
The name of the paper is taken from the flag of the same name
The Starry Plough (flag)
The Starry Plough banner was originally used by the Irish Citizen Army, a socialist, Republican movement. James Connolly, co-founder of the Irish Citizen Army with Jack White, said the significance of the banner was that a free Ireland would control its own destiny from the plough to the stars.This...
. The decision to use the name Starry Plough was inspired by a newspaper produced by Official Sinn Féin in Derry City
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
in the early 1970s. This was at the suggestion of Derry Members to the IRSP Ard Comhairle in early 1975. The Irish translation An Camcheachta was provided by the late Mairin Bean Ui Chionnaith, an Irish scholar and a staunch Republican. The first edition of the new Starry Plough was published in April 1975 under the editorship of Mick Ahern. Subsequent editors included Osgur Breatnach, James Daly, Mary Reid, and (again) Mick Ahern. Important contributors have included Bernadette McAliskey, Tom Hayes, Ite Ni Chionnaith, Eamonn McCann, Niall Lenoach, Redmond O'Hanlon, Gery Lawless, Siobhan Molloy, and London SWP cartoonist Phil Evans.