The Starry Plough (Irish: An Camchéachta) is the official newspaper of the Irish Republican Socialist Party.
The name of the paper is taken from the flag of the same name. The decision to use the name the Starry Plough was inspired by a newspaper produced by Official Sinn Féin in Derry City in the early 1970s. Produced by the local branch of Official Sinn Féin in Derry, it was edited by Jackie Ward (who went on to edit The United Irishman)and Joe Sweeney (who sided with the IRSP following the split with the Officials). The suggestion for the IRSP newspaper was made by Derry members to the IRSP Ard Comhairle in early 1975. The Irish translation An Camchéachta was provided by Mairin Bean Ui Chionnaith, an Irish-language scholar and republican.
The first edition of the new (IRSP) The Starry Plough was published in April 1975 under the editorship of Mick Ahern. It included details of the first IRSP public meeting (Dublin, 12 February), an editorial on the IRSP, an interview with Seamus Costello, Easter Rising commemoration notices and a statement from the National Executive of the IRSP.
1975
1976
![]() The Starry Plough (January 1976) (3) | ![]() The Starry Plough (February 1976) (3) | ![]() The Starry Plough (March 1976) (3) |
![]() May | ![]() June | ![]() December |
1977
1978
1979
1980
![]() February (2) | ![]() March (6) | ![]() July 1980 |
![]() The Starry Plough (September 1980) (2) | ![]() November (2) | ![]() 1980 Hunger Strike Special (2) |
1981
1982
1983
![]() The Starry Plough (August 1983) (2) | ![]() The Starry Plough (September 1983) (2) | ![]() The Starry Plough (October 1983) (2) |
![]() The Starry Plough (Nov/Dec 1983) (2) |
1984
1987
1988
1989
1990
1999
2001
2002
![]() Feb/March 2002 | ![]() April/May 2002 | ![]() June/July 2002 |
![]() The Starry Plough (Oct/Nov 2002) (2) | ![]() The Starry Plough (August/September 2002) (3) | ![]() The Starry Plough (Dec 2002/Jan 2003) (2) |
2003
2004
2005
2006-2011
(1) Donated by Colm Mistéil
(2) Donated by @irish_republican_archive
(3) Donated by Jason McLean
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