The ''Northern Star'' was the newspaper of the

Society of United Irishmen The Society of United Irishmen was a sworn association in the Kingdom of Ireland formed in the wake of the French Revolution to secure "an equal representation of all the people" in a national government. Despairing of constitutional reform, ...

, which was published from 1792 until its suppression in May 1797 by a group of

Monaghan Monaghan ( ; ) is the county town of County Monaghan, Ireland. It also provides the name of its civil parish and barony. The population of the town as of the 2016 census was 7,678. The town is on the N2 road from Dublin to Derry and Let ...

militiamen.

Origin

The publication of an Irish newspaper that reflected and disseminated liberal views was an early goal of Irish republicans in the late 18th century. By the founding of the

in October 1791, the project was well underway and the first edition of the ''Northern Star'' appeared 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 ...

on 1 January 1792. Like the

United Irishmen The Society of United Irishmen was a sworn association in the Kingdom of Ireland formed in the wake of the French Revolution to secure "an equal representation of all the people" in a national government. Despairing of constitutional reform, ...

the first financial backers of the ''Northern Star'' were

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their n ...

and one of the United Irish leadership, Samuel Neilson, was made editor.

Content

Political content dominated the ''Northern Star'' but its publication of local news, as opposed to the focus on British and international affairs of other Irish newspapers of the time, brought it wide popularity. Leading members of the United Irishmen were regular contributors and mixed direct political analyses with cutting political satire. William Orr was among those who contributed to its content, his letters would lead to his eventual arrest and execution under the Insurrection Act of 1797. The newspaper also enjoyed an excellent voluntary distribution network as its penetration followed rapidly wherever the United Irishmen set up new branches. It was estimated that for each copy of the ''Northern Star'' sold there were at least five readers, as the reading aloud of articles from the paper was a regular feature of United Irish meetings. The newspaper was initially protected from the authorities due to the support of well-connected liberals but following the outbreak of war between Britain and

Revolutionary France The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...

in 1793 and the subsequent banning of the United Irishmen as a

seditious Sedition is overt conduct, such as speech and organization, that tends toward rebellion against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent toward, or insurrection against, establ ...

body it began to draw increasing attention. The massive popularity of the newspaper protected it from serious harassment until January 1797 when the establishment went into a state of panic following the French invasion scare at

Bantry Bay Bantry Bay ( ga, Cuan Baoi / Inbhear na mBárc / Bádh Bheanntraighe) is a bay located in County Cork, Ireland. The bay runs approximately from northeast to southwest into the Atlantic Ocean. It is approximately 3-to-4 km (1.8-to-2.5 mil ...

. The paper was alleged to be behind the

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...

-based ''Union Star'', a militant, low-circulation newssheet, often posted in public places, which specialized in naming informers, "notorious

Orangemen Orangemen or Orangewomen can refer to: *Historically, supporters of William of Orange *Members of the modern Orange Order (also known as Orange Institution), a Protestant fraternal organisation *Members or supporters of the Armagh GAA Gaelic foot ...

", and other enemies of the United Irishmen, being regarded by

Dublin Castle Dublin Castle ( ga, Caisleán Bhaile Átha Cliath) is a former Motte-and-bailey castle and current Irish government complex and conference centre. It was chosen for its position at the highest point of central Dublin. Until 1922 it was the s ...

as a republican hitlist.

Suppression

The extensive distribution network and potency of the ''Northern Star'' in spreading United Irish opinion alarmed the authorities and possession of a copy came to be regarded as an admission of seditious intent. The end finally came with the uncovering of supposed United Irish infiltration of the

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

, which resulted in the execution of four soldiers.

General Lake Gerard Lake, 1st Viscount Lake (27 July 1744 – 20 February 1808) was a British general. He commanded British forces during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and later served as Commander-in-Chief of the military in British India. Background He was ...

, already engaged in a brutal counter-insurgency campaign (the "dragooning" of

Ulster Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kin ...

) was quick to put much of the blame on the ''Northern Star'' and requested permission to suppress the paper." ''It is worse tonight than ever, and causes much mischief. May it not be suppressed?''" (letter, Lake to Thomas Pelham, Chief Secretary, 1 May 1797). In the event official suppression was not necessary as on 19 May 1797, three days after the execution of their ex-comrades, a mob of

militiamen anxious to prove their loyalty attacked the offices of the ''Northern Star'' and destroyed not only the printing presses but the building itself. The attack resulted in the demise of the ''Northern Star'' to the undoubted satisfaction of the authorities as no action was taken against those involved in the destruction. The

Chartist movement Chartism was a working-class movement for political reform in the United Kingdom that erupted from 1838 to 1857 and was strongest in 1839, 1842 and 1848. It took its name from the People's Charter of 1838 and was a national protest movement, w ...

later paid tribute to the ''Northern Star'' by using the same name for their newspaper that was founded in 1837 by

Feargus O'Connor Feargus Edward O'Connor (18 July 1796 – 30 August 1855) was an Irish Chartist leader and advocate of the Land Plan, which sought to provide smallholdings for the labouring classes. A highly charismatic figure, O'Connor was admired for his ...

References

Sources

*Brian Inglis, ''Freedom of the Press in Ireland, 1784-1841'' (London, 1954). ISBN B0000CIVP3 * A.T.Q Stewart, ''The Summer Soldiers'' (Belfast, 1995). {{ISBN, 0-85640-558-2 Defunct newspapers published in Ireland United Irishmen Publications established in 1792 Publications disestablished in 1797 1792 establishments in Ireland