2010-11-28 Domestic Cablegate coverage: Ireland [Update 2]

Domestic coverage in Ireland minimal, despite significance of cablegate releases to Irish interests

As of 21:32 GMT, domestic coverage of WikiLeaks' latest release of US State Department cables has been minimal. The Irish Times, Ireland's foremost native broadsheet, has not yet reported on the leak, which went to press in The Guardian, Der Spiegel, Le Monde, El Pais and the New York Times at around 18.20 GMT.

The Irish Times most recent coverage, published on its website, is an article drawn from Reuters, outlining the the basic stories in the lead up to the release of the cables. There appears to be no interest in whether there will be any releases pertaining to Ireland.

Irish Times: WikiLeaks 'attacked' ahead of leak

There has, as yet, been no information in the Irish press regarding the 910 cables contained in the release dispatched from the US embassy in Dublin city, nor of the 15 cables from Belfast, in Northern Ireland. These figures are drawn from the interactive infographic on the website of the German publication, Der Spiegel, and can be reviewed there.

Der Spiegel: The US Embassy Dispatches: Interactive Atlas

Update 1: 00:00 GMT: Irish newspaper sites have now broken the story. Coverage continues to duplicate primary stories of other news sites. Cursory article focus has been on the middle east. No mention has yet been made of the 910 Dublin embassy articles, which are yet to be released.

Independent: Arab rulers 'asked for Iran attack'

Irish Times: Arab leaders sought Iran attack

Update 2: 02:30 GMT: The Irish Times has now made reference to the 900 Dublin cables. A story by London Editor Mark Hennessy expands briefly on the content of earlier reports, with a short reference to the relevance of the releases to the Irish public.

Irish Times: Arab leaders urged US to attack Iran, says WikiLeaks

The story has now broken on RTÉ News.

RTÉ News: WikiLeaks condemned over document release

The RTÉ story is expanded upon by an online article. The report is poor by investigative standards. Emphasis is entirely on the U.S. perspective, and neglects to quote any but U.S. sources, preferring to leave Washington talking points unchallenged.

RTÉ News Online: WikiLeaks condemned over document release

General Context

Speculation has, over 2010, been minimal about the import of WikiLeaks' activities to Irish interests. Irish national television and radio company, Raidió Telefis Éireann, has run interest segments on news broadcasts after WikiLeaks' high profile releases this year. Coverage in the national newspapers has been cursory, recapitulating on the general story, and offering no Irish perspective on the WikiLeaks' organization.

Gerry Adams, a member of Irish political party Sinn Féin, and a figure allegedly associated in the past with paramilitary activity in Northern Ireland, wrote an op-ed for the Guardian about the possible relevance of WikiLeaks to political matters in the North of Ireland.

WikiLeaks and British lies in Ireland