Too much for the Irish? Rihanna's topless image is covered up on billboards across Dublin
By SARAH BULL
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She shocked locals when she stripped off in a field in Northern Ireland to shoot her video We Found Love in 2011, and it seems the people of Ireland still haven't recovered Rihanna's raunchy video shoot.
Images of the singer topless have been plastered on billboard around the Irish city to promote her Diamonds world tour stop at the Aviva Stadium on June 21st.
Pictures of the star have been covered up with items of clothing which conceal the singer's modesty.
Street style: A poster for popstar Rihanna was censored with a home made boob tube on Church Street in Dublin
It's a cover up: Rihanna was famously ordered to cover her breasts by a Co Down farmer during a video shoot for her single We Found Love in September 2011
Censored: Rihanna's promotional poster had two strapless dresses stapled across her chest on the billboard
Several of the billboards have been covered with dresses stapled across Rihanna's chest, concealing her the topless photo used to promote her Unapologetic album and Diamonds tour.
One billboard had two strapless dresses attached to each breast, while another had a piece of patterned black material across the middle.
Posting an image of the cover-up, Twitter user Charlene Lydon wrote: 'North King Street, Dublin says a resounding no to Rihanna's boobs.'
And Paul Duane, who posted the second image, tweeted: 'Someone has stapled a dress to a Rihanna poster on Church St. Well done, you complete nutcase.'
Innovative: Dresses and large pieces of material have been used to give Rihanna back some of her modesty
The original: The image was taken from Rihanna's album cover and now used to promote the singer's Diamonds World Tour
However twitter user @worldwearyindublin dismissed talk of censorship and said the stunt was street art.
The original image shows Rihanna with the world apologetic written in black across one breast, with her elbow concealing the other.
The deliberate customisation of the billboards is also reminiscent of New Yorkers covering up an image of Beyoncé in a bikini in ads for H&M on bus stops around the city.
A source said at the time: 'There is a billboard of Beyoncé at the bus stop at grand and Columbia - one of the H&M ones of her in a bikini.
'Every day someone tapes a cover over it, now it is opaque sheeting and every day people rip it down.'
Rihanna's world tour promotional images are not the first time the singer has angered residents of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
In September 2011, Rihanna had been filming the video for her latest single, We Found Love, with Scottish DJ Calvin Harris – which at one point saw the singer go topless – when 61-year-old farmer Alan Graham spotted her stripping down to a bikini made up of red handkerchiefs.
The furious farmer, who asked for filming to be halted, later defended his actions, saying Rihanna’s behaviour was ‘inappropriate’.
Following in the example: The censoring is similar to the way New Yorkers covered a bikini shot of Beyoncé earlier this year
The devout Christian farmer said: 'If someone wants to borrow my field and things become inappropriate, then I say, "Enough is enough".
'I wish no ill will against Rihanna and her friends. Perhaps they could acquaint themselves with a greater God.'
Mr Graham had agreed for one of his fields in Bangor, County Down, to be used for recording but was not aware what the production team had in mind for the star.
Rihanna is currently in London ahead of her performance at Twickenham Stadium this weekend, before she heads to Birmingham and then to Ireland.
Dressed down: Rihanna has been out and about in the UK while on tour this week
Causing controversy: Rihanna caused offense as she went topless while shooting her video in a field in Northern Ireland in September 2011
Pour it up: Rihanna has been storming stages across Europe with her raunchy show and will play Twickenham Stadium on Saturday
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2341657/Dubliners-cover-Rihanna-topless-images-billboards-city.html#ixzz2WGkPBkUo
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