Censorship of library books erased sex from print and allowed abuses to flourish 

Ireland has a long history of both official and public censorship of books considered indecent and immoral

Through State censorship and vigilante censure, we created a stultifying silence in Ireland, allowing abuses to flourish, forcing powerless children to endure countless indignities. 

Libraries are not as quiet as their reputation suggests. Newspapers rustle, readers gossip in low whispers. A class of primary-school children, too boisterous to be truly quiet, try to quell their excitement as they scatter among the shelves. 

Libraries are busy community spaces now, places where people congregate and communicate. Recently, this humdrum beauty has been disrupted by small groups of loud, gesticulating people waving books in librarians’ faces. They film their protests for a worldwide audience before dramatically destroying a book they hate and fear: This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson.