They were responsible for censoring or outright banning books by the likes of Graham Greene, John Steinbeck and Aldous Huxley, as well as Irish writers and poets such as Edna O'Brien. However, the Censorship of Publications Board's days might now be numbered.

According to the Irish Independent, Fianna Fáil is looking to shut down the Censorship of Publications Board. Referring to his party's bill to abolish the organisation, justice spokesperson Niall Collins states "the fact that no new board members have been appointed since 2011 is a testament to the fact that the board has outlived its use, as the internet completely by-passes it." The board itself currently has no members, meaning no decisions can be made even if a complaint is submitted.

Although many books and periodicals in the twentieth century were censored for reasons of 'indecency', no books are currently restricted under this criterion. Some pornographic magazines such as Hustler are still restricted from sale. Several mid-century crime magazines that have long since ceased publication are still technically banned, as was the British version of the News of the World prior to its closure in 2011.

Currently, eight books are banned for containing information and advice about abortions, including 'sex guides' such as How to Drive Your Man Wild.

In June, Liam O’Flaherty’s novel The House of Gold was republished - marking the first time the book had been freely available in Ireland in more than 83 years, after being part of the Censorship board's first round of book bannings in 1930.

The Censorship of Publications Board was also in the news earlier this year when a member of the public referred Justice Minister Alan Shatter's 1989 novel Laura to the board. The novel, which was republished following renewed public interest, contains references to abortion. The incident saw responsibility for the board transfer from the Department of Justice to the Department of Arts and Heritage to help avoid any potential conflict of interest. However, since the board is currently inactive, no decision on the complaint has been made.

(Main image: Mikael Altemark)