There was a huge turnout last night for the launch of The Girl Against Fluoride's naked calendar at the White Lady Gallery in Dublin.

The calendar contains naked photos of numerous anti-fluoride campaigners, including the Girl Against Fluoride herself, Aisling Fitzgibbon, as well as the Fine Gael councillor and former Mayor of Skibbereen, Karen Coakley. The presence of a Fine Gael councillor in the calendar has already attracted attention, inspiring a piece in the Examiner today. Also in the calendar is Anne Cullinane, a town councillor from Clonakilty. The photos were taken by photojournalist, Niall Carson.

The calendar was launched officially by Niall Stokes, editor of Hot Press. Others who spoke at the launch were Aisling FitzGibbon, Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley, Hot Press writer Adrienne Murphy and scientist Declan Waugh who is just back from making a keynote speech at an international conference on fluoride in Tehran, the capital of Iran.

Proceeds from the sale of the calendar will help to fund expert witnesses coming to Dublin to give evidence in the High Court action being taken by Aisling FitzGibbon against the Irish government to challenge the policy of mandatory fluoridation.

"The naked calendar is exactly the right kind of gesture for the anti-fluoride campaign to make," Hot Press editor Niall Stokes says. ""The message is that those who are opposing have nothing to hide – whereas those who are intent on continuing the policy of mass medication of the Irish people certainly do. A huge amount of effort has gone into the campaign against fluoride and it is gathering momentum. But given the extent to which we have had to rely on the courts in the past for vital progressive measures to be enacted, the High Court case is of enormous importance – so every possible support should be given to Aisling to ensure that it is as effective as possible."

The bill being brought before Dáil by Brian Stanley was on the timetable for business today. While there is no chance that it will succeed, it should certainly give even greater focus to the debate.