The events of the Irish Revolution (1912-1923) often featured on the front pages of French newspapers. The IMAGIN_IRL project analyses press articles, caricatures, and photographs to unpack the visual representation of the conflict in France at a time when photojournalism was in development. The project aims to understand the role of images, their relationships with text, and their ability to attract public attention in galvanising support for Ireland’s political emancipation. These words and images point, featured in the illustrated press, constructed a vision of the 'Other' that captivate the French popular imagination in the post-war era.

This study of the press is part of a larger project focusing on the Irish Revolution through the French lens. The multidisciplinary team formed for the project will map previously neglected sources and archives to explore French responses to the struggle for Irish independence, both through photographs and press articles as well as works of fiction (literature and film adaptations) and artistic creations. Our project ultimately aims to illustrate how the international dimension of the Irish conflict was a key aspect of the revolution that cannot be separated from the battles fought on Irish soil.