The Phoenix (magazine)

The magazine was launched in January 1983. It was established by journalist and publisher John Mulcahy,Dublin, Ireland: The Irish Times, 7 Jan 2006, p. 14, "Publisher who became monarch of the magazine sector." who oversaw its operations until 2007.{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/john-mulcahy-obituary-fearless-journalist-and-publisher-1.3637117|title=John Mulcahy obituary: Fearless journalist and publisher|date=22 September 2018|quote=John Denis Mulcahy, who has died aged 86, was one of the most significant journalists and publishers of the last half-century in this country|author=Editorial|newspaper=Irish Times|access-date=1 December 2019|archive-date=27 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210927190825/https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/john-mulcahy-obituary-fearless-journalist-and-publisher-1.3637117|url-status=live}}[https://www.thejournal.ie/john-mulcahy-death-4225778-Sep2018/ Founder of The Phoenix John Mulcahy has died] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180912112314/http://www.thejournal.ie/john-mulcahy-death-4225778-Sep2018/ |date=12 September 2018 }} The Journal, 8 September 2018. The name Phoenix is a reference to its "emergence from the ashes" of two of Mulcahy's previous publications. These were the republican political magazine Hibernia, which ceased publishing in 1980 after a libel action, and the Sunday Tribune newspaper, which first collapsed financially in 1982.

Published by a company named Penfield Enterprises Ltd., and based on Baggot Street, the magazine had an ABC-audited circulation of 19,014 for 2004 and 18,268 in 2007.[http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/phoenix-boast-falls-flat-122390.html "Phoenix boast falls flat"], Sunday Independent, 25 February 2007

The primary editor of the magazine is Paddy Prendiville, who took the role about a year after the magazine was started.{{cite news|url=http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2003/05/25/story515697977.asp |title=Phoenix still rising after 20 years |last=O'Mahony |first=Catherine |date=25 May 2003 |work=The Sunday Business Post |accessdate=8 April 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929110545/http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2003/05/25/story515697977.asp |archivedate=29 September 2007 }}

The magazine secures much of its material from "insider"{{vague|date=November 2014}} sources, and promotes contact with its Goldhawk phone line.{{cite web |url=http://www.financialregulator.ie/publications/newsletters/regulatory-connection/Documents/Regulatory%20Connection%20Issue%2013.pdf |title=Financial Regulator's report 2007, p.7. |accessdate=20 June 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118223707/http://www.financialregulator.ie/publications/newsletters/regulatory-connection/Documents/Regulatory%20Connection%20Issue%2013.pdf |archivedate=18 January 2012 |df=dmy-all }}{{Cite web |title=Explainer - What is financial regulation and why does it matter? |url=https://centralbank.ie/consumer-hub/explainers/what-is-financial-regulation-and-why-does-it-matter |access-date=2024-03-09 |website=Central Bank of Ireland |language=en}}{{Failed verification|date=December 2024}}

Features in the magazine include a news column; detailed profiles ("Pillars of Society" and "The Young Bloods"); "Affairs of the Nation", which looks at political scandals; "Bog Cuttings" which consists of humorous and unusual events outside Dublin (often bizarre court cases), "Hush Hush" and "On the beat", which deals with security and intelligence matters; and a satirical section, "Craic and Codology". It also has an extensive financial column, "Moneybags".

Like Private Eye, the cover features a photo montage with a speech bubble, putting ironic or humorous comments into the mouths of the famous in response to topical events. Other features include an "Apology" section (where the magazine offers an ersatz apology for the failings or success of some person or event), "That Menu in Full", the use of ("That's enough of this. -Ed" type interjections) and their derivatives, and the Christmas Gift lists, where implausible gifts with ridiculous features are offered for sale.

In contrast to Private Eye, the Phoenix is printed on magazine stock rather than newsprint, and uses colour, including photography, quite extensively.

{{Update section|date=December 2022|reason=This section doesn't reflect any positions held since 2011}}

In the 1980s, the Workers' Party was a frequent target of satire and investigation over its funding methods, which resulted in Phoenix founder John Mulcahy receiving threats from the Official IRA.The Lost Revolution: The Story of the Official IRA and the Workers’ Party

In the late 2000s, it was highly critical of the Corrib gas pipeline and supported the Shell to Sea and Pobal Chill Chomáin campaigns against the laying of the pipeline. It published a supplementary summary and commentary on the Goldstone Report on the siege of Gaza{{cite web|url=http://www.irishleftreview.org/2010/05/28/phoenix-special-16-page-supplement-goldstone-report/ |title=Irish Left Review · The Phoenix Special 16-Page Supplement on the Goldstone Report |publisher=Irishleftreview.org |accessdate=20 June 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120802174937/http://www.irishleftreview.org/2010/05/28/phoenix-special-16-page-supplement-goldstone-report/ |archivedate=2 August 2012 }} and attacked the actions of the Israeli government over the illegal use of Irish passports in the assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, and the Gaza flotilla raid.http://www.thephoenix.ie/phoenix/subscriber/library/volume-28/issue-11/page-02-06.pdf{{dead link|date=December 2014}} The magazine was highly critical of the 2007–2011 Fianna Fáil–Green Party coalition. It called for the 2011 Irish budget to be defeated and pointed out that the money loaned as part of the EU stability fund would come at the cost of a crippling rate of interest.http://www.thephoenix.ie/phoenix/subscriber/library/volume-29/issue-01/contents.pdf{{dead link|date=December 2014}}

During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, The Phoenix was highly critical of Ukraine, and accused the Irish media of seeking to undermine Irish neutrality by exploiting "Ukrainian misery".{{cite news |last1=Burns |first1=John |title=These days The Phoenix is short on news and tediously long on vituperative attacks |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/these-days-the-phoenix-is-short-on-news-and-tediously-long-on-vituperative-attacks-z9z6rg6w7 |work=The Sunday Times |date=26 May 2022}}

• Magill
• Waterford Whispers News
• Private Eye
• Village (magazine)
• The Hibernia Magazine

{{reflist}}

• {{Official website|https://www.thephoenix.ie/}}
• [https://www.abc.org.uk/ ABC Data]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Phoenix}}

Category:Biweekly magazines

Category:Irish republican magazines

Category:Magazines established in 1983

Category:Magazines published in the Republic of Ireland

Category:Magazines published in Dublin (city)

Category:Political magazines published in Ireland

Category:Satirical magazines published in Ireland