Minister for Publicity

The Minister for Publicity was the name of a government department in the Government of the Irish Republic, the 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 of 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. The post was abolished at the end of the Second Dáil.

List of office-holders

Director of Propaganda 1919–1921
No.	Name	Entered Office	Left Office	Party
1.	Laurence Ginnell	1 April 1919	17 June 1919		Sinn Féin
2.	Desmond FitzGerald[3]	17 June 1919	11 February 1921		Sinn Féin
3.	Robert Erskine Childers[4]	12 February 1921	8 March 1921		Sinn Féin
Minister for Publicity 1921–1922
No.	Name	Entered Office	Left Office	Party
1.	Desmond FitzGerald	26 August 1921	9 September 1922		Sinn Féin

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Dáil Éireann Department of Publicity: History and Progress
2. ^ Laurence Ginnell
3. ^ Desmond FitzGerald acted as substitute Director of Propaganda while Laurence Ginnell was imprisoned.
4. ^ Robert Erskine Childers acted as substitute Director of Propaganda while Desmond FitzGerald was imprisoned.