Major Minor Records Ltd of Oxford Street, London appealed to the Taoiseach, Mr Jack Lynch, in May 1987 to intervene with RTE in unbanning the Dubliners' record Seven Drunken Nights. It was presumably drafted in London on their behalf and was signed simply "The Dubliners".
The company's letter denied that the song in question "is suggestive in any way"; claimed that "it is the first Irish record for many years to break into record charts outside of Eire" and hoped Mr Lynch could help in "allowing the Irish population to hear this through the Irish radio and television stations."
RTE, invited to comment, replied through the deputy director-general, Mr John Irvine. He advised the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs that it was not RTE's policy to "ban records but it does exercise a general responsibility in respect of the suitability of broadcast matter."
In the case of this record by the group, "it was considered that the repetition of the keyline `I came home drunk on Monday night, Tuesday night, etc.' coupled with the story of adultery in the song could well be offensive to many listeners."