After the Bloody Sunday massacre of 1972 escalated the fighting in northern Ireland into two decades of warfare between Irish Republicans and the British, the British government curtailed radio and television access for the IRA, its supporters, and some extreme loyalists in an attempt to "deny terrorists the oxygen of publicity." Programs making references to Ireland were censored, from deletion of dialog alluding to a united Ireland in a Star Trek episode, to the pro-Republican music of John Lennon.

However, there were odd loopholes in this endeavor. News reports, for instance, were allowed to show the face of Gerry Adams, Sinn Fein's president, but could not broadcast his voice. To get around this, actors were hired to lip sync Adams' words.

Featuring exclusive interviews with Adams, journalists, and one of Adams' myriad "voices," IRISH VOICES is a unique introduction into the media war that was part of the Irish struggle.