Special Collections holds three bound volumes of The Hibernian Chronicle:
(i) Volume 2 of the paper (1770), and lacking only 3 issues:
4 January, 8 January, 11 January, 15 January, 18 January, 22 January, 25 January, 29 January;
1 February, 5 February, 8 February, 12 February, 15 February, 19 February, 22 February, 26 February;
1 March, 5 March, 8 March, 12 March, 15 March, 19 March, 22 March, 26 March;
2 April, 5 April, 9 April, 12 April, 16 April, 19 April, 23 April, 26 April, 30 April;
3 May, 7 May, 10 May, 14 May, 17 May, 21 May, 24 May, 28 May, 31 May;
4 June, 7 June, 11 June, 14 June, 18 June, 21 June, 25 June, 28 June;
2 July, 5 July, 9 July, 12 July, 16 July, 19 July, 23 July, 26 July, 30 July;
2 August, 6 August, 9 August, 13 August, 16 August, 20 August, 23 August, 27 August, 30 August;
3 September, 6 September, 10 September, 13 September, 17 September, 20 September, 24 September, 27 September;
1 October, 4 October, 8 October, 11 October, 15 October, 18 October, 22 October, 25 October, 29 October;
1 November, 5 November, 8 November, 12 November, 15 November, 19 November, 22 November, 26 November, 29 November (lacks pages 3-6);
3 December, 6 December, 10 December, 13 December, 17 December, 20 December, 24 December.
(ii) A volume with issues from 6 May 1782 to 26 July 1784, as follows:
1782: 6 May, 23 May and 19 December;
1783: 13 January, 16 January, 30 January; 6 February, 10 February, 13 February, 24 February; 3 March; 12 June; 10 July, 24 July; 4 August, 7 August, 11 August, 21 August, 25 August; 16 October; 6 November, 13 November, 20 November; 11 December, 18 December and 29 December.
1784: 15 January, 19 January; 9 February, 16 February, 23 February; 8 March, 11 March, 15 March, 18 March, 29 March; 3 May, 6 May; 7 June, 10 June, 24 June, 28 June; 1 July, 15 July, 22 July and 26 July.
(iii) A combined volume for 1792, also containing issues of The Cork Gazette and The New Cork Evening Post. The volume runs from 14 May to 24 December 1792 and contains 48 of the 66 issues from that period, as follows:
14 May, 21 May, 24 May, 28 May, 31 May;
4 June, 11 June, 14 June, 21 June, 25 June, 28 June;
9 July, 12 July, 16 July, 19 July, 23 July, 26 July, 30 July;
2 August, 6 August, 9 August, 23 August, 30 August;
3 September, 6 September, 13 September, 20 September, 24 September, 27 September;
1 October, 4 October, 8 October, 11 October, 15 October, 18 October, 22 October, 25 October, 29 October;
5 November, 8 November, 12 November, 22 November, 26 November, 29 November;
6 December, 10 December, 13 December, 17 December, 20 December, 24 December.
This volume is also available online through the Irish Newspaper Archives database, which also contains two random issues from 1783 (24 January and 21 August).
Other holdings
The largest collection of this newspaper is held by the National Library of Ireland (1769-1802), with microfilm copies of these in Cork City Libraries and Cork County Libraries. Cambridge University Libraries hold issues from 1772, and these are available through the Eighteenth Century Collections Online (ECCO) database.
Production of The Corke Journal passed to Eugene Swiney’s son John in August 1771, but the paper does not seem to have lasted much longer under his management, and it was in any case supplanted by the arrival of The Hibernian Chronicle in October 1769. Published by William Flyn (c.1740-1811), a Dubliner who had been active in Cork as a bookseller and printer since at least 1766, The Hibernian Chronicle became the principal organ for the increasingly prosperous Catholic middle class. The paper continued into the 19th century under Flyn’s son-in-law, James Haly (c.1765-1850), who changed the title in 1802 to the Cork Mercantile Chronicle.
The Hibernian Chronicle appeared twice weekly, Monday and Thursday, and was published at the 'Shakespeare', near the Exchange (near present-day Castle Street).
The contents of the issues of The Hibernian Chronicle held in Special Collections have been listed and are available here:
Kennedy, Máire. "William Flyn (1740-1811) and the Readers of Munster in the Second Half of the Eighteenth Century," in John Hinks et al, eds. Periodicals and Publishers : The Newspaper and Journal Trade, 1750-1914. (London : British Library, 2009): 73-94.
