The Star Trek episode 'banned' for 34 years after it boldly ventured into the world of politics by predicting Ireland would unify in 2024

A Star Trek episode that made reference to an 'Irish unification in 2024' is still banned in Ireland.

Episode 12 of series three, titled The High Ground, was released in 1990, and involves a terrorist organisation taking a crew member of the Federation Starfleet starship USS Enterprise-D hostage in a bid to further their aims.

But a controversial moment in which an android character named Data, played by Brent Spiner, cites the 'Irish unification in 2024' as an example of a political aim achieved through violence, meant the episode only been shown once in Ireland in the 34 years since its release.

So great was the concern over the line's possible ramifications that the episode, which was first broadcast in the US, was neither shown on the BBC or Ireland's RTV network.

A redacted version was aired on Sky without the sensitive line in 1992. 

An episode of Star Trek titled The High Ground was never shown on release in the Ireland and Britain amid concerns over its political message about 'Irish unification in 2024'

A character called Data made reference to Irish unification as an example of a political cause achieved by violence

While the episode was aired in the US, it was never broadcast in Ireland and was shown just once on the BBC, in 2007

The High Ground was finally broadcast on the BBC on September 29 2007, in what is thought to be its only transmission.

Apart from Irish unification, Data gives two other examples of violence successfully achieving a political cause: Mexico's independence from Spain, and the Kenzie rebellion (an event in the Star Trek universe). 

The decision not to air the episode in 1990 reflects the febrile political situation at the time, during the Troubles in Northern Ireland, amid terrorist threats from the Provisional IRA, which had stated aims to liberate the region from British rule.

Over three decades later and Northern Ireland has elected its first republican First Minister, Michelle O'Neill, the region's leader of Sinn Fein - a party with roots as the political arm of the IRA.

Last month, the devolved administration, Stormont was up and running with the return of power-sharing after a two-year hiatus.

Melinda M Snodgrass, who wrote the Star Trek episode, said that the story deliberately resembled the Northern Ireland situation in the 90s.

The episode's writer Melinda M Snodgrass confirmed that the reference to terrorism was an intentional parallel of the febrile situation in Northern Ireland at the time

She said that she wanted to explore the idea that 'one man's freedom fighter is another man's terrorist'.

Star Trek's original season first hit screens in 1966 and ran for two years.

It returned for a second series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, which aired between 1987 and 1994. 

The BBC said it was unable to ascertain exactly why a ban was implemented, given that it 'dates far back'.