''Fortnight'' was a monthly political and cultural magazine published in

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

."Fortnight:A Chapter Closes"
The magazine was founded in 1970 with the aim of providing analysis and criticism of politics, culture, and the arts from those from both inside and outside the local mainstream. ''Fortnight'' was read by and contributed to by people from all over the spectrum.

Gerry Adams Gerard Adams ( ga, Gearóid Mac Ádhaimh; born 6 October 1948) is an Irish republican politician who was the president of Sinn Féin between 13 November 1983 and 10 February 2018, and served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for Louth from 2011 to 2020. ...

is credited as saying "A month without ''Fortnight'' would be twice as long." Previous contributors include politicians and journalists. Most notably,

David Trimble William David Trimble, Baron Trimble, (15 October 1944 – 25 July 2022) was a British politician who was the first First Minister of Northern Ireland from 1998 to 2002, and leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) from 1995 to 2005. He wa ...

- ex-leader of the

Ulster Unionists The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) is a unionist political party in Northern Ireland. The party was founded in 1905, emerging from the Irish Unionist Alliance in Ulster. Under Edward Carson, it led unionist opposition to the Irish Home Rule movem ...

and

Mary Robinson Mary Therese Winifred Robinson ( ga, Máire Mhic Róibín; ; born 21 May 1944) is an Irish politician who was the 7th president of Ireland, serving from December 1990 to September 1997, the first woman to hold this office. Prior to her electi ...

, later

President of Ireland The president of Ireland ( ga, Uachtarán na hÉireann) is the head of state of Ireland and the supreme commander of the Irish Defence Forces. The president holds office for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms.Constitu ...

- contributed material to ''Fortnight''. Other politicians who wrote for the magazine included Peter Robinson. Other notable contributors include:

Newton Emerson Newton Emerson (born 1969) is a political commentator in Northern Ireland. He described himself as a ' liberal unionist' in 2001. He contributes to both the ''Sunday Times'', and ''The Irish News'' as well as ''The Irish Times''. He first came ...

(who spawned the popular satirical website '' Portadown News''),

Ed Moloney Edmund "Ed" Moloney (born 1948–9) is an Irish journalist and author best known for his coverage of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, and the activities of the Provisional IRA, in particular. He worked for the ''Hibernia'' magazine and ''Magill ...

Eamonn McCann Eamonn McCann (born 10 March 1943) is an Irish politician, journalist, political activist, and former councillor from Derry, Northern Ireland. McCann was a People Before Profit (PBP) Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Foyle from 201 ...

, Fionnula O'Connor, Brian Trench,

Gene Kerrigan Gene Kerrigan is an Irish journalist and novelist who grew up in Cabra in Dublin. His works include political commentary on Ireland since the 1970s in such publications as ''Magill'' magazine and the ''Sunday Independent'' newspaper. He has also ...

Mary Holland Mary Holland (born June 24, 1985) is an American actress, comedian, and writer. Early life and education Holland was born and raised in Galax, Virginia. She attended Interlochen Center for the Arts and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from North ...

, Douglas Gageby (the former editor of ''

The Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is considered a newspaper ...

''),"Editor's Thanks", ''Fortnight'', December 2, 1985 p. 27.

Barry White Barry Eugene Carter (September 12, 1944 – July 4, 2003), better known by his stage name Barry White, was an American singer and songwriter. A two-time Grammy Award winner known for his bass voice and romantic image, his greatest success came ...

of ''

The Belfast Telegraph The ''Belfast Telegraph'' is a daily newspaper published in Belfast, Northern Ireland, by Independent News & Media. Its editor is Eoin Brannigan. Reflecting its unionist tradition, the paper has historically been "favoured by the Protestant pop ...

'',

Conor O'Clery Conor O'Clery is an Irish people, Irish journalist and writer. Background Born in Belfast, Conor O'Clery graduated from Queen's University Belfast in 1972. He was deputy editor of The Gown, the Queen's University Belfast, QUB student newspaper. ...

, John Cooney, Dick Walsh and

Nell McCafferty Nell McCafferty (born 28 March 1944) is an Irish journalist, playwright, civil rights campaigner and feminist. She has written for ''The Irish Press'', ''The Irish Times'', '' Sunday Tribune'', ''Hot Press'' and ''The Village Voice''. Early l ...

. Editors have included Tom Hadden, Andy Pollak (1981-1985), Leslie Van Slyke, Robin Wilson (later to found the Democratic Dialogue thinktank), John O'Farrell and Malachi O'Doherty. Literary editors have included the poets James Simmons and

Medbh McGuckian Medbh McGuckian (born as Maeve McCaughan on 12 August 1950) is a poet from Northern Ireland. Biography She was born the third of six children as Maeve McCaughan to Hugh and Margaret McCaughan in North Belfast. Her father was a school headmaster ...

. Cartoonist

Martyn Turner Martyn Turner (born 1948) is an English-born Irish political cartoonist, caricaturist and writer, working for the Irish Times since 1971. His cartoons appear four times a week in the newspaper, parodying current events. Life Early life and educ ...

has been a regular contributor since the magazine was founded, and also edited the magazine for a number of years. ''Fortnight'' was supported by grants from the

Arts Council of Northern Ireland The Arts Council of Northern Ireland (Irish: ''Comhairle Ealaíon Thuaisceart Éireann'', Ulster-Scots: ''Airts Cooncil o Norlin Airlan'') is the lead development agency for the arts in Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1964, as a successor to ...

. It won the

Christopher Ewart-Biggs Memorial Prize The Christopher Ewart-Biggs Memorial Prize was created in 1977, in memory of Christopher Ewart-Biggs, British Ambassador to Ireland, who was assassinated by the Provisional Irish Republican Army in 1976. Founded by his Widow Jane Ewart-Biggs (fol ...

for 1982. In late 2011, it was announced ''Fortnight'' would cease publication. The final issue was published in 2012. In September 2020 a 50th Anniversary edition of the magazine entitled Fortnight at 50' was published. The fortnight website was also reinstated and several new editions have been published throughout 2021."Fortnight is back"
/ref>

References

External links

''Fortnight'' website
Christopher Ewart-Biggs Memorial Prize recipients Defunct magazines published in Ireland

Fortnight A fortnight is a unit of time equal to 14 days (two weeks). The word derives from the Old English term , meaning "" (or "fourteen days," since the Anglo-Saxons counted by nights). Astronomy and tides In astronomy, a ''lunar fortnight'' is ha ...

Magazines published in Northern Ireland

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