Catholic Standard (Ireland)

The Catholic Standard was an Irish weekly Roman Catholic newspaper. It ceased publication in 1978.

The Standard was founded in May 1928 in Dublin, Ireland. It changed its name to the Catholic Standard in July 1963.

Peter O'Curry became editor in 1938. He claimed to have raised the readership from 8,000 to 80,000 a week.^[1] During his tenure, writers such as Francis MacManus, Patrick Kavanagh, Benedict Kiely and Gabriel Fallon contributed to the paper. James White (later director of the National Gallery) was arts critic.

During the Second Vatican Council, Michael O'Carroll CSSp commented on the debates and decisions of the Council for the newspaper. He also wrote every editorial that appeared in the paper for 14 years.^[2]

During the 1970s the newspaper came under pressure due to costs and falling circulation. The editor from 1971 to 1973 was Donal Mooney, who left for London to join the Irish Post. After him came John Feeney, sacked in 1976. Reporters Jim Doyle and Mary Lawlor were sacked in 1975. Managing Director at the time was Otto Herschan, who controlled property and Catholic papers in Britain. Board member Father Peter Lemass appealed to the then archbishop of Dublin, Dermot Ryan. He in turn sought help from a number of people, including Paddy McGrath, of the Irish Sweepstake, Eamonn Andrews the TV entertainer and Denis Coakley, the head of Erin Foods, who became board members. Each donated several thousand pounds to save the Standard, with Paddy McGrath contributing at least £30,000.^[3]

However internal wrangling and staff dismissals hastened the death of the newspaper, which folded in 1978.^[3]

References

• John Dunne, Headlines and Haloes, (Dublin 1988).
• Otto Herschan, Holy Smoke? (Dublin, TAF Publishing, 2011).