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| 65 Irish newspaper titles are included |
Part of the DC Thomson Family History stable, the site launched at the tail-end of November 2011 with more than 3million pages in its database and a 10-year plan to digitise some 40million pages. Among the launch titles were Freeman's Journal (1820-1900), Belfast Newsletter (1828-1900) and a five-year spread of the Irish (Cork) Examiner. Back then, a month's access cost £29.95 (it's now £9.95!).
In the first couple of years, Irish papers didn't make much of a show in the portfolio and even 12-months ago, the BNA offered just seven Irish titles. But in mid-2014, someone pressed the green button and there's been title after title added. There's even a new one this week – the three-times weekly Newry Herald and Down, Armagh and Louth Journal – albeit with only one full year of editions (1858) available so far.
This means there are now 65 Irish newspapers, plus 297 from England, Scotland and Wales, in the online database.
All updates to the British Newspaper Archive are automatically added to the newspaper collection of sister database provider FindMyPast; a FindMyPast Ireland subscription would include access to all the Irish titles while a FindMyPast World subscription includes both Irish and British papers.