The Origins & Organisation of British Propaganda in Ireland 1920

Brian P Murphy

Paperback 92 pages (March 2006)
Publisher: Aubane Historical Society and Spinwatch
ISBN: 1-903497-24-8 

"Brian Murphy gives striking evidence of the ruthlessness with which the British state was willing to lie and forge documents to serve their political ends. Its PR industry and practices of government propaganda and disinformation have had a long time to mature."

Edward S Herman, Co-author with Noam Chomsky, Manufacturing Consent.

In this 100-page book packed with detail, Murphy contrasts the widely differing Irish and British approach to information provision. He also outlines the extent to which modern historiography is still affected and distorted by the ‘spin’ disseminated by Basil Clarke, Charles Foulkes, Hugh Pollard, Major John Street and their colleagues operating from within Dublin Castle. In particular, Murphy mentions the work of Roy Foster and of Peter Hart as being distorted by over reliance on apparently factual information that was in fact designed to mislead.

That misinformation should have a ‘shelf life’ long after its original political and military purpose had passed indicates why historians should be ever skeptical of apparently pristine and original source material. It also indicates that readers should be ever vigilant and not take historical research itself at face value. Finally, this work will reinforce the need for journalists to be wary of the information machine that governments have at their disposal, used to define and to distort information in the interests of the status quo.

In his extensive foreword, David Miller, Professor of Sociology at Strathclyde University and author of ‘Tell me Lies: Propaganda & Media Distortion in the Attack on Iraq', outlines the links between what happened in Ireland in 1920 and events in Britain and elsewhere later in the Century. He indicates how Clarke and Admiral Reggie “Blinker” Hall, who was centrally involved in blackening the name of Roger Casement when Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and others were seeking clemency, were involved in subversion of left wing and industrial politics in Britain after World War One.

‘Brian Murphy offers a well-researched examination of a neglected aspect of the Irish War of Independence... it is a fascinating work.’

JOHN BORGONOVO, Editor Florence and Josephine O’Donoghue’s War of Independence

‘This important study reveals not only a critical past phase in the development of British propaganda, but also the sophisticated roots of the current phase.’

MARK CURTIS, author of Web of Deceit: Britain’s real role in the world

‘Brian Murphy’s skill as a researcher and analyst sharply focuses on the creation in 1920 of Dublin Castle’s Publicity department under Basil Clarke... facts were distorted; ‘official’ reports subtly changed – clearly a warning for researchers to take a more sceptical look when using newspaper and other reports during war.’

MEDA RYAN, historian, author of Tom Barry: IRA Freedom Fighter, and other works

‘An original and valuable study, an illuminating account of the propaganda war and an excellent exposé of the war of words in revolutionary Ireland.’

DR RUAN O'DONNELL, History Department, University of Limerick

‘This fascinating analysis of British manipulation of news in the 1920s should be of great interest to scholars of media propaganda today, as they examine how ‘public diplomacy’ works in times of war.’

FARREL CORCORAN, Professor of Communication at Dublin City University