La Fronde - an Irishman's Diary on the world's first feminist newspaper

The French newspaper, La Fronde, is reputed to be the world's first feminist newspaper. It was founded in by Marguerite Durand in Paris, France in December 1897. I have just written an Irishman's Diary newspaper article about La Fronde. Read it here.

Advertising poster for La Fronde. Image source.

The newspaper's title had connotations to the uprising against the French monarchy by the aristocracy in the 17th century. At the time, the mob in Paris used a slingshot or catapult (known as une fronde) to smash windows as a sign of protest.

First edition of La Fronde from 9 December 1897. Image source.

The French National Library has digitised 12 years worth of the newspaper and it is available to view and download from their digital library Gallica. In a side note, as you can see from the front page reproduced above, the date was shown in the Jewish, Russian, Protestant and French Republican calendar.

You can find out more about the history of La Fronde, (in English) on the British Newspaper Archive's blog and (in French) on the RetroNews website.

The Bibliothèque Marguerite Durand mentioned in my article is located in Paris. Have a look at their website for more information.

'The Troubles' in the French newspaper Libération

The blanket protests, hunger strikes and deaths in prison in Northern Ireland during the period known as the Troubles (1968-1998) grabbed headlines and media attention right around the world.

In this article in the academic journal Etudes Irlandaises, Karine Deslandes, says that it was the hungers strikes that were the most closely followed Troubles-related news story in France during the whole of the Troubles. 

A photograph from Libération of the blanket protest by republican inmates in Long Kesh prison.

The hunger strike has been used as a means of protest in Ireland since pre-Christian times, but it came to international attention in the early part of the twentieth-century with the hunger strikes of Thomas Ashe and Terrence MacSwiney in 1917 and 1920 respectively.

The French left-leaning daily newspaper, Libération, followed the story of the Troubles very closely. The journalist, Sorj Chalandon (who had been writing about Ireland since the 1970s), wrote hundreds of articles from and about Ireland during this time. This includes reportage articles, news stories and opinion pieces.

Bobby Sands died on 5 May 1981 after sixty-six days on hunger strike. His funeral on 7 May 1981 was an international media event. It was covered by camera crews from twenty-three nations and four-hundred reporters were said to be present. This is a news report from the Irish state broadcaster RTE on the funeral.

Libération was not being printed between 23 February 1981 and 11 May 1981 due to industrial relations issues. However, when it started up again, Chalandon made sure to mark Sands' death and funeral with a three page spread on the story. Chalandon later said that the hunger strike greatly influenced his thinking and his relationship with Ireland. He said that it led him from being a "passer by" to someone who "belonged in this street".

May day traditions in France and Ireland

On this, the 1st of May, I thought it would be interesting to look at some of the traditions that are associated with the day in France and Ireland. 

FLOWERS

In France, it is custom to offer lily of the valley to your loved ones on May 1st. It has long been associated with this time of year (since Celtic times or before) and is supposed to bring good luck and happiness. Learn more about the tradition here.

It's big business in France. In 2019, €22 million was spent on it in France. An incredible 60 million sprigs of lily of the valley were produced (80% of it came from the Nantes region where 7,000 people were employed in the harvest). Figures from the French Ministry of Agriculture.

Un brin de muguet [a sprig of lily of the valley]. Image source.

In Ireland, yellow flowers such as gorse (furze) were popular as they reflected the sun. May 1st is known in Ireland as the festival of Bealtaine. It has its roots in both Christian and Celtic / pagan traditions. Read more about Bealtaine here in this article on RTE Brainstorm.

Gorse bush [ajonc]. Image source.

WORKERS' DAY

May 1st is recognised worldwide as the workers' day. It was established as such in 1889 by the International Socialist Congress. It has been celebrated in France since then. Find out more about how it was reported in the French press over the years and see newspaper articles about it here on the website of Gallica (the French National Library's digital website).

Demonstrations are organised by the main trade unions and take place in cities all over the country. In 2019, it is estimated that between 164,000 (according to the police) and 310,000 (according to the trade unions) people marched in the demonstrations in France (figures from Europe 1). In 2020, it will take a virtual form online as France is still in lock down due to the Coronavirus.  

May Day demonstration, Paris 1909. Image source.

During the Bealtaine festival in Ireland, bonfires would be lit to mark the changing of the seasons and the approach of summer. See here for information on the May Day traditions in Ireland and again see the article on RTE's Brainstorm.

Dancing around the Maypole. Image source.