Ireland has a really interesting religious past – and a history of being both totally progressive and completely conservative. Prior to the emergence of its massive religious influence, women enjoyed the same rights and privileges as their male counterparts and the freedoms that included. However, over the years that equality vanished and so did a lot of personal freedoms, no matter which gender you claimed. These lost choices included perusing even the least controversial nudie magazines. Thousands of books and magazines were officially banned in Ireland and it wasn’t until 1995, that Ireland officially allowed the buying and selling of Playboy magazine for the first time in thirty-six years. Millions of “article” readers rejoiced.

Fast forward a mere twenty years and Ireland became the first country to allow gay marriage by popular vote – which is an amazing and historic feat that is quite progressive and ahead of the times. However, well over two hundred other magazines are still banned in Ireland, and so are a lot of books about sex. One of the prohibited publications that is still (and permanently) banned is Playgirl. Go figure.