Newspapers: Historical Newspapers - Microfilm

For further information on how to book microform reel(s) and a microform reader/printer/scanner see Special Collections & Archives Request Service.

Special Collections has extensive historical newspaper collections on microfilm. Collections include:

• Irish Political and Radical Newspapers in the Twentieth Century.
• Irish Politics and Society Through the Press. Guides are available online: Guide to the collection and index. 
• Northern Ireland Political Literature on Microfiche. Indices are available in the Reference Reading Room: TRF 052 NORT Index y1966-85 (lists publications and corresponding microfiche); TRF 052 NORT Index y1966-89 (lists index of places)

There are a variety of different types of historical newspapers on microfilm:

• National newspapers such as The Irish Times
• Regional newspapers such as Clare Journal and Ennis Advertiser (January 1828-April 1917) 
• Gaelic Irish language newspapers such as An Claidheamh Soluis (1899-1930)
• Eighteenth Century newspapers such as The Freeman's Journal (1763-1924)
• Northern Irish newspapers such as The Belfast Newsletter (1738-1922) 
• British newspapers such as The Times [London] (January 1831-December 1983) 
• American newspapers such as The Pilot [Boston] (1838-1925) 
• Canadian newspapers such as The Morning Chronicle [St. John's, Newfoundland] (1863-1867)
• Australian newspapers such as The Bulletin (January 1880-April 1965) 
• South American newspapers such as The Southern Cross (Jan 1875-Dec 1975)

Consult the listing of newspapers below to find out which microfilm cabinet the newspaper is in.

Special Collections has the full run of The Public Register or The Freeman's Journal (1763-1924), better known as The Freeman's Journal. It was the leading nationalist newspaper of its day and it was the primary media supporter of Charles Stewart Parnell in the 19th century. Below is the first issue of The Freeman's Journal.

Microforms are any forms, either films or paper, containing microreproductions of documents for transmission, storage, reading, and printing. Microform images are commonly reduced to about one twenty-fifth of the original document size. 

Microfilm comes on a reel and is stored in microfilm boxes.

Yikes -- what is this stuff?

Never worked with microforms before? Fear not, we can help... For in-person assistance, see the the staff at the Special Collections Desk or email specialcollectionsarchives@ucc.ie.

NEWSPLAN: Report of the NEWSPLAN Project in Ireland details which newspapers are available on microfilm and where the microfilms are available.The volume covers newspapers from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.