 Despite containing several brutal scenes of violence, the film was  given a very lenient PG rating in Ireland mainly because of its  historical context. The censor issued a press statement defending  his decision claiming the film was a landmark in Irish cinema and  that he believed "because of the subject matter, parents should have  the option of making their own decision as to whether their children  should see the film or not". The Film subsequently became the second  most successful movie ever released in Ireland.