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I 



THE EARLIEST PERIODICAL JOURNALS PUBLISHED m 

 DUBLII^. By E. R. M'CLINTOCK DIX. 



[Plates VI., YII.] 



[COMMTTNICATED BY COUiS^T PLUNKETT.] 



[Eead February 27, 1900.] 



AccoiiDiNG to tlie accounts given by both Andrews in his " History of 

 British Journalism" and by Dr. Madden in his "History of Irish 

 Periodical Literature," the predecessors of the modern newspaper were 

 pamphlets which first appeared irregularly, and with various titles or 

 headings. 



In England, the first regular appearance of such pamphlets, that 

 is at fixed dates, occurred about the year 1621 or 1622, one of the 

 •earliest being entitled " The Weekly JSTewes." Others like it followed, 

 and soon took hold upon their readers, and became the channels for 

 conveying both home and foreign news, especially during the Crom- 

 wellian period. Such pamphlets subsequently were often called 

 "Mercury" or " Mercurius," some adjective being attached to it to 

 indicate its character. Then the term "Intelligencer" was used, or 

 " Intelligence." Later on the appellation " JN'ews Letter " was given 

 to them. At this period they did not appear more than two or three 

 times a week ; many only once a- week. 



Por many years it was supposed that the earKest appearance of 

 such " IS'ews Letters " in Dublin took place about the year 1700 ; and 

 for a time " Pue's Occui'rences " was credited with being the earliest 

 published paper or journal ; but the late Sir John Thomas Gilbert in 

 his "History of the City of Dublin" showed that, as early as 1682, 

 the " Dublin jSTewsletter," published by Robert Thornton, was entitled 

 to the priority hitherto assigned to " Pue's Occui'rences." Sir John T. 

 Gilbert's " History of Dublin " was published in 1861 ; and no second 

 edition has appeared. His unexpected death prevented such a re- 

 issue in his lifetime ; and, as his researches were ceaseless, it is possible 

 that he came across still earlier forms of the " J^ews-Letter " ; but, as 

 far as I am aware, he has published nothing on the subject. 



E.I. A. PEOC, SEE. in., VOL. VI. D 



