This essay is based on two periods of censorship in Ireland: censorship of 'evil literature' in the second quarter of the twentieth century and the Emergency censorship 1939-1945. It will be argued that the main motivator behind the 1929 censorship was the Church while censorship during the Emergency was driven by political considerations. It will be made evident that the government's role became increasingly strong as church influence diminished and in some cases acted against what …showed first 75 words of 2760 total…

…showed last 75 words of 2760 total…censorship during the Emergency was driven by political motivations. Other motivations such as nationalism and anti-communism were also responsible for censorship during these two periods, though to a lesser degree. It is obvious that the Church was not a protagonist during the Emergency as the Catholic Hierarchy were themselves censored. However, there were political motivations behind both periods of censorship and it is evident that the government's role became stronger as the church's role diminished.