In the Opinion of the Censor: RTÉ Documentary Reveals the Untold History of Ireland's Film Censorship
A new RTÉ documentary, In the Opinion of the Censor, has premiered on RTÉ One and the RTÉ Player, exploring the extraordinary and often absurd history of film censorship in Ireland from the Censorship of Films Act 1923 to the establishment of the Irish Film Classification Office in 2008. Presented by John Kelleher, Ireland's final film censor and first Director of Film Classification, the documentary reveals that approximately 2,500 films were banned and more than 11,000 were cut during the period it examines — a record of cultural suppression that is both remarkable and revealing about the Ireland of the twentieth century.
Background
The Censorship of Films Act 1923 was one of the first pieces of legislation enacted by the newly independent Irish Free State, and it reflected the conservative, Catholic-influenced values that dominated Irish public life in the decades following independence. The Act granted a single individual — the Film Censor — the power to ban or edit any film deemed "indecent, obscene, blasphemous, or contrary to public morality," a definition that was interpreted with extraordinary breadth by the nine censors who held the office over the following eight decades.
The history of Irish film censorship is a history of Ireland itself — of the tensions between tradition and modernity, between religious authority and individual freedom, between the Ireland that existed and the Ireland that was imagined by those in power. The films that were banned or cut tell a story about what Irish society was afraid of, what it wanted to suppress, and what it eventually came to accept as the country changed and modernised over the course of the twentieth century.
John Kelleher, who served as Ireland's final film censor from 2003 and subsequently became the first Director of Film Classification when the Irish Film Classification Office was established in 2008, is uniquely placed to tell this story. He was present at the transition from the old censorship model to the new classification approach, and his perspective on the history of the office — and on the films that were banned and cut — is both authoritative and deeply personal.
Key Developments
The documentary, directed by Andrew Gallimore and Lydia Monin, traces the evolution of the Censorship of Films Act from its origins in the early years of the Free State to its eventual replacement by the more liberal classification system of the IFCO. It features clips and discussions regarding several high-profile titles that faced censorship in Ireland, including Gone with the Wind, Casablanca, On the Waterfront, The Graduate, and The Last Temptation of Christ.
Among the most striking revelations in the documentary is the story of Casablanca, which was initially banned in Ireland due to concerns about the country's neutrality during the Second World War and was later passed with cuts designed to obscure the adulterous nature of the central romance. The Graduate was released in Ireland with eleven cuts that rendered the central plot point — the seduction of the protagonist by Mrs Robinson — unclear to Irish audiences. These examples illustrate the extraordinary power that the Film Censor wielded over the cultural life of the country, and the often arbitrary and inconsistent way in which that power was exercised.
The documentary includes footage of a notable Late Late Show debate involving Kelleher regarding the film 9 Songs, which signalled a shift toward more modern, transparent classification standards. Contributors include film expert Professor Ruth Barton, historian Dr Aoife Bhreatnach, editor Ciarán Carty, and actor Fionnula Flanagan, whose perspective on the impact of censorship on Irish cultural life is particularly illuminating.
The documentary premiered on RTÉ One and the RTÉ Player on Monday 27 July 2026, and has already generated significant discussion on social media and in the cultural press, with many viewers expressing surprise at the extent and duration of Ireland's film censorship regime.
Why It Matters
In the Opinion of the Censor matters because it shines a light on a chapter of Irish cultural history that has been largely forgotten or ignored. The censorship of films in Ireland was not a minor or peripheral phenomenon — it was a systematic, state-sanctioned suppression of cultural expression that lasted for more than eight decades and that shaped the cultural landscape of the country in ways that are still being felt today. The documentary is a reminder that the Ireland of the twenty-first century — open, cosmopolitan, and culturally confident — is a relatively recent creation, and that the journey from the Ireland of the Censorship of Films Act to the Ireland of today has been neither smooth nor inevitable. Understanding that journey is essential to understanding who we are as a society and how we got here.
Local Impact
The documentary's impact is being felt across Ireland, where it has prompted a wave of discussion about the country's cultural history and the legacy of censorship. In Dublin, where the IFCO is based and where the film industry is most concentrated, the documentary has been particularly well received, with filmmakers and cultural commentators welcoming the opportunity to reflect on the history of their industry in Ireland. The documentary is also available on the RTÉ Player, which means that it can be watched by Irish people living abroad — a significant audience given the size of the Irish diaspora and the interest that many members of the diaspora have in Irish cultural history. RTÉ has indicated that the documentary will be followed by a series of related programmes exploring other aspects of Irish cultural censorship, including the censorship of books and the role of the Catholic Church in shaping Irish cultural life.
What's Next
In the Opinion of the Censor is available to watch on the RTÉ Player following its premiere on RTÉ One. RTÉ has indicated that the documentary will be followed by a panel discussion programme in which Kelleher and other contributors will discuss the themes raised by the film and take questions from viewers. The documentary is also expected to be screened at a number of film festivals in Ireland and internationally in the coming months, and it has already attracted interest from broadcasters in the United Kingdom and the United States who are considering acquiring the rights for their own markets.
