Ireland's Own
Encyclopedia
Ireland's Own is a family magazine published weekly in Ireland
. It specialises in lightweight content, traditional stories, knitting patterns, and uncontroversial family content, including puzzles and recipes. It was launched in 26 November 1902 by John M. Walshe of People Newspapers, and originally cost just 1d
.
For the first half of 2007, the magazine had an average circulation of 40,905, according to the Audited Bureau of Circulations. The People Newspaper Group (which also included the Wicklow People, the Wexford People and the Waterford People) is now owned by the Irish media giant Independent News and Media.
(which were denounced as "scandal-sheets" that lowered the moral tone of late 19th century/early 20th century Ireland. The magazine's appearance coincided with a broad stressing of Irish identity as a reaction to British imports. Among the other examples were the creation of the Gaelic Athletic Association
to promote Gaelic games and to halt the growth of soccer
and rugby
(1880s), the appearance of the Gaelic League to promote the Irish language
(1893), and the growth in the Irish-Ireland movement reflected in the creation of the Abbey Theatre
to promote Irish arts (1904) and the creation by Arthur Griffith
in 1904 of Cumann na nGaedheal to protest at the visit of King George V
and his queen, Mary of Teck
.
Ireland's Own saw its role as projecting an image of Ireland free from "alien" influence, hence a content free from anything perceived as "scandalous" or "anti-Catholic". A critic described such magazines as offering "a formula for 'healthy fireside reading' combining patriotism, pietism and national news with a minimum of foreign coverage or intellectual speculation." The concept of such a magazine is traced back to the series of pietistic family magazines launched by James Duffy
in the mid 19th century.
.
Ireland's Own celebrated its centenary in 2002.
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...
. It specialises in lightweight content, traditional stories, knitting patterns, and uncontroversial family content, including puzzles and recipes. It was launched in 26 November 1902 by John M. Walshe of People Newspapers, and originally cost just 1d
Penny
A penny is a coin or a type of currency used in several English-speaking countries. It is often the smallest denomination within a currency system.-Etymology:...
.
For the first half of 2007, the magazine had an average circulation of 40,905, according to the Audited Bureau of Circulations. The People Newspaper Group (which also included the Wicklow People, the Wexford People and the Waterford People) is now owned by the Irish media giant Independent News and Media.
Original aim
The magazine was designed to offer "wholesome Irish Catholic fare" to challenge the appearance of British newspapers in Ireland like the News of the WorldNews of the World
The News of the World was a national red top newspaper published in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011. It was at one time the biggest selling English language newspaper in the world, and at closure still had one of the highest English language circulations...
(which were denounced as "scandal-sheets" that lowered the moral tone of late 19th century/early 20th century Ireland. The magazine's appearance coincided with a broad stressing of Irish identity as a reaction to British imports. Among the other examples were the creation of the Gaelic Athletic Association
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
to promote Gaelic games and to halt the growth of soccer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
and rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
(1880s), the appearance of the Gaelic League to promote the Irish language
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
(1893), and the growth in the Irish-Ireland movement reflected in the creation of the Abbey Theatre
Abbey Theatre
The Abbey Theatre , also known as the National Theatre of Ireland , is a theatre located in Dublin, Ireland. The Abbey first opened its doors to the public on 27 December 1904. Despite losing its original building to a fire in 1951, it has remained active to the present day...
to promote Irish arts (1904) and the creation by Arthur Griffith
Arthur Griffith
Arthur Griffith was the founder and third leader of Sinn Féin. He served as President of Dáil Éireann from January to August 1922, and was head of the Irish delegation at the negotiations in London that produced the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921.-Early life:...
in 1904 of Cumann na nGaedheal to protest at the visit of King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
and his queen, Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
.
Ireland's Own saw its role as projecting an image of Ireland free from "alien" influence, hence a content free from anything perceived as "scandalous" or "anti-Catholic". A critic described such magazines as offering "a formula for 'healthy fireside reading' combining patriotism, pietism and national news with a minimum of foreign coverage or intellectual speculation." The concept of such a magazine is traced back to the series of pietistic family magazines launched by James Duffy
James Duffy (Irish publisher)
James Duffy was a prominent 19th century Irish author and publisher.-Career:Duffy was educated at a hedge school and began his business as a bookseller through purchasing Protestant bibles given to Catholics. He then traveled to Liverpool where he traded them for more valuable books...
in the mid 19th century.
Editor's description
Its current editor, Phil Murphy, on the occasion of its centenary, described it with the words- 'Ireland's Own and contention are complete strangers to each other — and that would be a deliberate policy. It's not 'Dublin 4' and trendy 'liberalism' and that aspect of Ireland, which is pretty shallow and skin deep anyway. We're slightly old-fashioned in our ways, for which we make no apologies. We attract a lot of our readership from people who probably have a yearning for what they consider to be the 'good old days, when things were better' as they see them. We do not take a hard-faced attitude towards our journalism or our magazine. We accept the fact that people do have a yearning for the old days, and nostalgia is a significant part of the magazine.'
Criticised as old fashioned
In terms of overall design and content, Ireland's Own is regularly described by critics as "outdated" and "old-fashioned", with its reliance on nostalgia that rarely reflects present realities. Its look and content has barely changed since the 1950s. Its demise has long been predicted, given its disproportionate appeal to the two segments presumed weakest to guarantee its future: elderly readers in rural Ireland, and those who have low disposable incomes; however it remains a constant presence in the publishing market. One explanation for this is that the magazine taps into the younger nostalgia market who grew up with "Ireland's Own" and have a desire for familiarity and to rediscover a simpler Ireland in the face of monumental (and not always positive) changes in Ireland.Examples of content
Its Christmas 2003 edition contained a series of articles, both fact and fiction, on such topics as "Gathering the Holly", "Who is Father Christmas?", "The Christmas Fairy" and "Christmas Long Ago".Published in Wexford
In contrast to most Irish magazines, Ireland's Own is not Dublin-based but is edited in WexfordWexford
Wexford is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. It is situated near the southeastern corner of Ireland, close to Rosslare Europort. The town is connected to Dublin via the M11/N11 National Primary Route, and the national rail network...
.
Ireland's Own celebrated its centenary in 2002.