Rocky Road to Dublin

The film opens with a brisk sketch of Irish history since the Easter Rising of 1916, showing how the revolutionary founders' dream of a republican Ireland was dashed in the following decades. It frames political disappointment as a central through-line for the state’s development.

Scenes of hunting and equestrian events illustrate the continued dominance of the Anglo-Irish aristocracy in post-independence Ireland. The film contrasts these upper-class pursuits with calls for reform and a more equal social order.

The film notes Ireland's lack of independence from American foreign policy, highlighting its posture at the United Nations since 1957. Conor Cruise O'Brien criticizes following Washington's line, proposing a more independent path and hinting at Sweden as a model.

Douglas Gageby, editor of The Irish Times, is shown arguing for open debate over the contraceptive pill in the paper's correspondence columns. The segment reflects tensions around censorship, noting that older generations resist change while younger people embrace new ideas.

The film discusses the Gaelic Athletic Association's policy of suspending members who watched or participated in English sports, a controversy that was finally dropped in 1971. The piece highlights the clash between national identity and foreign influences in sport.

A roll call of native and international writers whose works were banned is accompanied by church bells rung as at a funeral. A censorship appeal board member is interviewed, illustrating the ongoing tension between state censorship and artistic freedom.

Professor Liam Ó Briain contrasts Ireland with Britain, noting Britain's perceived loss of faith and moral values. He recounts anecdotes about film censor Jimmy Montgomery and the early challenges of censoring sound before cinema audio was available.

The hold of the clergy on education is highlighted, with a Christian Brothers school where boys recite catechism on original sin. The film contrasts this with newer social spaces like tennis club dance halls that offered more contact between sexes.

The close involvement of clergy with politics is described as a bad habit rather than a conspiracy, with little room for reform before the Second Vatican Council. The film suggests that relaxation would follow the Council's changes.

Father Michael Cleary appears in a women's hospital ward singing a secular song and participates in a wedding reception, presenting himself as relatable to the young. He defends a flexible stance toward culture, arguing that being on their wavelength helps reach people.

An anonymous young married woman recounts life under clerical instruction, using coitus interruptus to space children. In confession, the priest urges separate sleep from her husband, and the couple stops contraception, but the wife later experiences a miscarriage.

The documentary suggests that clerical and political orthodoxy is on the cusp of change, with censor Ó Briain hoping for a new tradition. It ends on a freeze frame of two boys in a boat, one looking straight at the camera, signaling a cautious gaze toward the future.