One of its rival newspapers in the 19th century was The Skibbereen Eagle, founded in 1857. It had become "famous by declaring it was 'keeping an eye on the Czar of Russia' over his expansionist designs on China". On the centenary of the event, Brendan McWilliams gave a slightly different account in The Irish Times, saying that on 5 September 1898 The Skibbereen Eagle's editorial stated "We will still keep our eye on the Emperor of Russia and on all such despotic enemies, whether at home or abroad, of human progression and man's natural rights.".
