Mercier Press at 80: Fascinating history of the Cork publisher established by an army captain
Mercier founder Seán Feehan to the right of John B Keane, as the Kerry author signed copies of his 'Letters of an Irish Publican' at the Mercier bookshop, Academy Street, Cork in 1974. Picture: Irish Examiner Archive
Mercier Press, the oldest independent publisher in Ireland, celebrates 80 years in business this year, a notable achievement in such a challenging industry. Founded in 1944 by Tipperary native Seán Feehan and his wife Mary, the Cork-based press went on to be a formidable and prolific presence in Irish publishing.
When he set up Mercier, Seán Feehan was a captain in the Irish Army, stationed at Collins Barracks in Cork. To call him the driving force behind the business would be something of an understatement. He was a man of unusual vision for his time, something which can be seen in an RTÉ archive clip from an interview he did with Breandán Ó hEithir for the television programme Féach in January, 1971.
