The Ban: A censorship loophole during the conflict in Northern Ireland

After a year of deadly Irish Republican Army (IRA) attacks in Northern Ireland, Margaret Thatcher’s government introduced a broadcasting ban in 1988. The ban forbade UK radio and TV from airing the voices of IRA members and Sinn Fein leaders.

Media outlets circumvented the law by having actors dub the speeches, with Gerry Adams famously voiced by Stephen Rea. Revisit this surreal period through interviews with Adams, Rea, and Sinn Fein press officer Danny Morrison, who calls the censorship a farce. This film reflects on the power of voice and how governments continue to use security threats to restrict free speech and protest.

The Ban is a documentary film by Roisin Agnew.