Colin Sheridan: The Phoenix magazine made powerful people uncomfortable

In an often deferential Ireland, The Phoenix developed a reputation for asking questions that others would not

Founder of Phoenix magazine John Mulcahy, left, and editor Paddy Prenderville at its 20th anniversary in May 2003 Picture: RollingNews.ie

Tue, 16 Jun, 2026 - 16:57

Colin Sheridan is a writer and columnist. A former officer in the Irish Defence Forces he has extensive deployment experience as a peacekeeper with the United Nations, having lived and worked in the former Yugoslavia, West Africa, Afghanistan, Lebanon and Palestine.

There was a drollery about The Phoenix that drifted through corridors of power, media and public life for decades. Folks claimed they bought it every fortnight not to see which poor devil was actually in it, but to ensure they weren't. Like all good jokes, it contained more than a grain of truth.

After 43 years on Irish newsstands, The Phoenix is due to cease publication this summer, dropping the curtain on one of the most singular titles in our journalism. Its shuttering marks the finish of a rag that was feared, admired, resented, mocked and, crucially, read.