Today, in one of my classes for Irish literature the effects of the 1929 Censorship Act in Ireland were discussed. The act impacted on irelands writers and readership for generations. It prevented any books, prose or poetry that depicted controversial and impure scenes or dialogue from being sold in Ireland. Really any literature that addressed topics such sex/sexuality were seen as manifestations of evil that needed to be stopped.
The newly formed Irish government sought to control its people by preserving what it believed to be Irish culture. This preservation of Irish culture was truly a preservation of Irish-catholic culture. A culture that stressed the importance of morality, penalised sinners and punished those who did not align. A culture where church and state were beginning to form interlinking ties, which are still unravelling to this day.
As a result of this nonsecular government numerous Irish authors left the country to seek publication abroad. Without being able to make money at home, loosing their job over banned works and/or simply civil disobedience left them no other choice.
This discussion got me thinking about the effects this has had on my country, being that this age of censorship was only two generations ago. It’s clear to see that Irelands readership missed out on exposure to other cultures and most importantly their own culture.
The act wished to effect that the people of Ireland had not the incline or capability to dwell on, or contemplate thoughts about sex, sexuality or anything else deemed immoral. The censorship ignored these topics, burying them further down into the Irish psyche.
I believe this deprived our readers, resulting in consequent narrow worldview and a lack of emotional and intellectual satisfaction. It is no wonder that even in contemporary times these are subjects we still avoid talking about on a daily basis. In fact, no one can deny that mental illness is still taboo in this country.
Writers in any society serve a crucial cultural purpose. Their works shape our minds, ignite cultural change and reflect contemporary society. Local stories has the power to resonate with people, reassuring them and their thoughts by representing what it truly means to be a part of their culture. Without access to the works of national authors our readership suffered. We were failed by the government, who denied what it meant to be Irish and insisted on shaping a contrived and contorted image of our culture.
A terrific video about the thoughts on Irish censorship circulating at the time-> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCPxL5pZI9E.
LearningLikeLisa 