Patrick Donahoe - Famous U.S. Publisher

Patrick Donahoe, a native of Monery, achieved fame as a pioneer of publishing in the USA during the 19^th century. He was the founder of The Pilot, America’s oldest surviving Catholic newspaper.

He was born on 7^th March 1811, the son of Terence and Jane (Christy) Donahoe, Monery. His mother died while he was an infant and, when he was ten years old, he emigrated to the US with his father. They settled in Boston where he received his education. After leaving school, he entered the printing trade, which he soon mastered. In 1835 he established a very successful ship passenger and foreign exchange business. However, his main interests lay in the publishing world, and he worked closely with George Pepper, a well-known publisher who in 1829 had founded the Catholic journal The Jesuit, later known as the Irish and Catholic Sentinel.

In 1836, Donahoe published the first edition of his own newspaper, The Pilot. This was to become the most influential Catholic newspaper in the US, and remains to this day, America’s oldest Catholic newspaper. It catered for the interests of Irish American Catholics, many of whom had fled to the US to escape the horrors of the Great Famine. Donahoe traveled all over the US building up the circulation of the newspaper among the hundreds of thousands of newly-arrived Irish immigrants.

Among its contributors were several well known Irish writers. These included Thomas D’Arcy McGee, who served as Assistant Editor for three years before being appointed Editor in 1846. McGee was to play a leading role in the Young Ireland movement which led the abortive rising in Tipperary in 1848. Another was the Fenian leader John Boyle O’Reilly who had escaped from prison in Fremantle, Australia in 1869, before arriving in the US and settling in Boston. O’Reilly served as editor of The Pilot from 1870 until his death in 1890.

By now a man of great wealth and influence, Donahoe opened several new business ventures including his own bank, “The Emigrant Savings Bank”. He also worked tirelessly to improve the lot of the Irish immigrants in the US. He secured work for many immigrants on their arrival and helped many more until they could support themselves. He generously paid the passages of many of these people. Among his other charitable works included the founding of the “Home for Destitute Children” in Boston, his generous support of many Church and charitable institutions, including Father Matthew’s temperance crusade. He was also a staunch supporter of the Democratic party in the US.

Recruitment Poster for the "Irish Brigade" - Note Donahoe's name as sponsor on the bottom-left corner

"The Pilot" reports Donahoe's death - March 23 1901

He also played an important role on the side of the Union forces in the American Civil War, and was instrumental in the raising of two regiments, (the 28^th and 29^th Infantry) from the largely Irish population of Massachusetts.  Donahoe was generous in his support for  the Irish regiments. The 28^th Massachusetts, generally known as "The Irish Brigade" was instituted in September 1861, and soon earned a reputation for gallantry on the field of battle, with the quotation from George A. Townsend "When anything absurd, forlorn, or desperate was to be attempted, the Irish Brigade was called upon" speaking volumes for their efforts. The regiment suffered heavy casualties in the battles of Fredericksburg (1862), the Wilderness (1864) and Spotsylvania (1864)

Donahoe's business fortunes declined sharply after the great Boston fire on 1872 which destroyed his publishing plant and other properties, and which precipitated an economic depression. In 1876, financial difficulties compelled him to sell his newspaper, to Archbishop Williams and John Boyle O’Reilly. He later founded Donahoe’s Magazine, a widely-circulated monthly periodical dedicated to Catholic and Irish American interests. In 1891 he repurchased The Pilot, having earlier restored his banking business.

He died on 18^th March 1901, aged 90. His funeral in Boston was a massive event, with the Pope sending his Apostolic Benediction and the Irish-American community gathering in throngs to honour his memory. Following his death, The Pilot was taken over by the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. It remains, to this day, the most influential Catholic publication in the Boston area.