End of an Era - No more Banned Books in Ireland

OhNoYouDidn't

Very interesting piece in today's Times about the effective end of book censorship in Ireland after 80 years. Books are banned for 12 years at a time and no books have been banned in 12 years.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2010/1218/1224285785943.html

Looking back on it, its amazing the stranglehold some Catholic loopers had over Irish society. Over 1,000 books banned in 1954.

But what I thought was most interesting was the reason books aren't banned isn't that legislation has changed, but simply because no-one is complaining any more.

As soon as Joe Duffy writes an autobiography, I am going to appeal to have it banned. Just to be deeply ironic and try and outwhinge the whinger king.

Sulmac

Since it hasn't done anything in twelve years, can we formally abolish the Censorship of Publications Board and repeal the laws associated with it?

Or is this issue not as important as blasphemy?

limklad

OhNoYouDidn't wrote: »

Very interesting piece in today's Times about the effective end of book censorship in Ireland after 80 years. Books are banned for 12 years at a time and no books have been banned in 12 years.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2010/1218/1224285785943.html

Looking back on it, its amazing the stranglehold some Catholic loopers had over Irish society. Over 1,000 books banned in 1954.

But what I thought was most interesting was the reason books aren't banned isn't that legislation has changed, but simply because no-one is complaining any more.

As soon as Joe Duffy writes an autobiography, I am going to appeal to have it banned. Just to be deeply ironic and try and outwhinge the whinger king.

It wasn't just Catholic Loopers to take the hit for this mess. There was lots of prods initially who felt the same as the initial views was similar to Victorian era views, that the women must be perfect house maids and the man must be the bread winner.
It was Politicians and other Self-Interest groups too and poorly educated population, that want their version of a perfect country and all the propaganda than been available. Arrogant bent il-tolerant Politicians will use anyone and any event to steer their way to get their view to mainstream, Look at Europe, Africa, South and Central America and over the last Century, blame all other views for causing the mess we are in to hid their own failing and blunders. Therefore ban the other view of though and call it propaganda that not in the National Interest otherwise known for decades as Anti-FF so call morality as DeValera as the riding champion.

limklad

Sulmac wrote: »

Since it hasn't done anything in twelve years, can we formally abolish the Censorship of Publications Board and repeal the laws associated with it?

Or is this issue not as important as blasphemy?

We need them to Ban Peedoephlies (Cannot Spell it corrected to bypass firewall) books.

and also especially FF Books (for Pay back for the non lost of innocent though that we should have had from those special book from the House of wimmen Play-boy etc, with indecent and obscene clothing or lack of, that we crave and smuggled in from the UK and France. Just to see those pretty knees was banned for a while as it aroused old dirty men:mad:).

ChocolateSauce

limklad wrote: »

We need them to Ban Peedoephlies (Cannot Spell it corrected to bypass firewall) books.

and also especially FF Books (for Pay back for the non lost of innocent though that we should have had from those special book from the House of wimmen Play-boy etc, with indecent and obscene clothing or lack of, that we crave and smuggled in from the UK and France. Just to see those pretty knees was banned for a while as it aroused old dirty men:mad:).

We need them to mind their own business and stop telling people what to think. We're not children and they're not our parents.

Thankfully, they appear to be doing just that. You should take a leaf out of their book.

limklad

limklad wrote: »

We need them to Ban Peedoephlies (Cannot Spell it corrected to bypass firewall) books.

What, Like Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita? All art should be free, regardless whether you appreciate it or not.

Eliot Rosewater

Yup, there's no such thing as free speech except for x y z. As soon as you put conditions on it it's no longer free speech.

I'm amazed at some of the books that were banned. Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell To Arms. John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath. Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. Why?!

later12

No more banned books? How boring. This one sounds fascinating, I'm going to search for it back in Dublin.

The Tailor and Antsy by Eric Cross; banned 1942.
Described by Gerard Whelan as a “luminous hymn to the real Ireland”, Cross’s compilation of stories told to him by a rural tailor, Timothy Buckley, proved too earthy for the board’s tastes. Buckley was forced, by several priests, to go on his knees and burn his copy of the book in his own fireplace.

hmmm

Sulmac wrote: »

Since it hasn't done anything in twelve years, can we formally abolish the Censorship of Publications Board and repeal the laws associated with it?

How much do these people get paid?

I couldn't find a website for the board, but I did find this

The Censorship of Publications Board will examine any book or periodical referred to it by a Customs and Excise officer and any book referred to it by a member of the public. It may also examine any book or periodical on its own initiative. In Ireland, there is no category of restricted access - a publication is either prohibited or it is not prohibited. The Board does not prohibit publications very often, and in some years, nothing is prohibited.

The Board has regular meetings to discuss publications referred to it.The Censorship of Publications Board will examine any book or periodical referred to it by a Customs and Excise officer and any book referred to it by a member of the public. It may also examine any book or periodical on its own initiative. In Ireland, there is no category of restricted access - a publication is either prohibited or it is not prohibited. The Board does not prohibit publications very often, and in some years, nothing is prohibited.

The Board has regular meetings to discuss publications referred to it. Every member of the Board will have read the publication before the meeting.

I think everything written by Dan Brown is obscene - where do I submit my list? I have several hundred others to follow.

mike65

Eliot Rosewater wrote: »

I'm amazed at some of the books that were banned. Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell To Arms. John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath. Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. Why?!

First book - too "sexy", second book - too honest an account of poverty, third book - messing with fertility.

Enkidu

Eliot Rosewater wrote: »

Yup, there's no such thing as free speech except for x y z. As soon as you put conditions on it it's no longer free speech.

I'm amazed at some of the books that were banned. Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell To Arms. John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath. Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. Why?!

You think that is confusing, their motion picture analogue banned Disney's Fantasia. Things were banned for the stupidest of reasons. Some books were banned simply because somebody could possibly make an "immoral" interpretation of the text. Even if such an interpretation was not a natural one.

Manach

Before ye all high-five for living in such a world than has uncensored books, consider recent moves by the UK to muzzle the internet for the sake of the children (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/internet/8216268/Could-a-block-on-internet-pornography-work.html)
Arguable if this is a good/bad idea - but consider how easily it be also embrace the filtering out of wikileaks.

The_Minister

You know what?

Remember that e-Book A Paedophile's Guide to something-something (don't dare to Google)?

That is where I set the bar as to what should be banned.

hmmm

The_Minister wrote: »

You know what?

Remember that e-Book A Paedophile's Guide to something-something (don't dare to Google)?

That is where I set the bar as to what should be banned.

And everyone else has their own personal bar - so where should the bar be set? And why do we only ban books, why don't we ban discussion of things you consider obscene? And why do we allow people to think these things, surely we should ban thoughts also? If we could only ban thoughts and books and discussions, we would never be troubled by these things.

mikemac

Eliot Rosewater wrote: »

I'm amazed at some of the books that were banned. John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath.

Excellent book, a family dealing with poverty, migration/emigration and their farm being ruined
The local parish priests would certainly be aware of all these issues in Ireland
So what was the problem?

Poverty wasn't some alien concept to Ireland
Sure in the 1930's there was the economic war which crippled the cattle industry in Ireland and ruined people. Thanks for nothing Dev!

Sergeant

What is obscene is that there is a five person board still in place, just in case a piece of literature is written that is so utterly offensive that they need to protect the plain people of Ireland. I presume that even though they haven't met recently, they are on some type of retainer?

OhNoYouDidn't

feelingstressed wrote: »

Excellent book, a family dealing with poverty, migration/emigration and their farm being ruined
The local parish priests would certainly be aware of all these issues in Ireland
So what was the problem?

Poverty wasn't some alien concept to Ireland
Sure in the 1930's there was the economic war which crippled the cattle industry in Ireland and ruined people. Thanks for nothing Dev!

there was crime in Ireland yet they banned detective novels....

OhNoYouDidn't

Sergeant wrote: »

What is obscene is that there is a five person board still in place, just in case a piece of literature is written that is so utterly offensive that they need to protect the plain people of Ireland. I presume that even though they haven't met recently, they are on some type of retainer?

They still ban magazines, mostly porn

Cavehill Red

Yay, Necronomicons all round this Christmas!