Minister for Publicity

The Minister for Publicity was a position in the Ministry of Dáil Éireann, the government of the Irish Republic, a self-declared state which was established in 1919 by Dáil Éireann, the parliamentary assembly made up of the majority of Irish MPs elected in the 1918 general election.

History

In April 1918, a Sinn Féin Department of Propaganda was established at No. 6 Harcourt Street in charge of Robert Brennan.^[1] The portfolio was created to promote the new government of Ireland throughout the country. After the First Dáil came into being a similar department was set up under the new Dáil, concentrating more on overseas publicity. Both Departments co-operated in issuing publicity material.^[1] The first Director of Publicity under Dáil Éireann was Laurence Ginnell.^[2]

In the First Dáil, the post was called Director of Propaganda.^[3]

List of office-holders

Director of Propaganda 1919–1921
Name	Term of office		Party		Dáil Ministry
Laurence Ginnell	1 April 1919	17 June 1919		Sinn Féin	2nd DM
Desmond FitzGerald[a]	17 June 1919	11 February 1921		Sinn Féin	2nd DM
Erskine Childers[b]	12 February 1921	8 March 1921		Sinn Féin	2nd DM
Minister for Publicity 1921–1922
Name	Term of office		Party		Dáil Ministry
Desmond FitzGerald	26 August 1921	9 September 1922		Sinn Féin	3rd DM • 4th DM

1. Desmond FitzGerald acted as substitute Director of Propaganda while Laurence Ginnell was imprisoned.^[4]
2. Erskine Childers acted as substitute Director of Propaganda while Desmond FitzGerald was imprisoned.

References

1. "Dáil Éireann Department of Publicity: History and Progress". Archived from the original on 2 December 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2009.
2. "Laurence Ginnell". Houses of the Oireachtas. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
3. "HEADS OF DEPARTMENT – Dáil Éireann (1st Dáil) – Wednesday, 2 April 1919". Houses of the Oireachtas. Archived from the original on 31 August 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
4. "APPOINTMENT OF SUBSTITUTE-DIRECTOR OF PROPAGANDA – Dáil Éireann (1st Dáil) – Tuesday, 17 June 1919". Houses of the Oireachtas. Archived from the original on 31 August 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.