Gay Life
Although Ireland's celebrated gays include Oscar Wilde, Somerville and Ross, Eva Gore-Booth and, contemporarily, TV host Graham Norton, prejudice against the gay community remains considerable in the country. In 1988 the European Court of Human Rights decreed that Ireland's anti-gay law contravened the European Convention on Human Rights, and in 1990 the law was repealed and the age of consent lowered to 17. The result is that, despite the hegemony of the Catholic Church, gay voices are increasingly making themselves heard in public debate, and Dublin now has a visible gay scene. A good starting point for any gay travellers to Ireland is Outhouse , 6 South William St (tel 670 6377) which has a gay community centre and a cafe/restaurant. Alternatively, you can ring Gay Switchboard Dublin (Mon-Fri & Sun 3.30-6pm & 8-10pm; tel 872 1055) or the 24-hour information and events line (tel 1550/122 345). Lesbian travellers may wish to contact Lesbians Organizing Together, which has a drop-in centre at 5 Capel St (Mon-Thurs 10am-6pm, Fri 10am-4pm; tel 872 7770). It's also a good idea to get a copy of the excellent freebie Gay Community News - which you can pick up at the Temple Bar information centre or Books Upstairs. Gay and mixed meeting places include, The Globe, The Front Lounge, Pravda and Hogans . A lot of mainstream venues have themed nights and gay events, and many of the city-centre pubs have a very mixed clientele. More specifically gay places include: Front Lounge , Parliament St. More a mixed than an exclusively gay venue, its atmosphere is certainly camp which appeals to quite a large gay crowd. The George Bar and Bistro , 89 South Great George's St (tel 478 2983). Three bars in total at this gay venue: the Loft disco, trendy bar with music and a quiet bar. From Wednesday to Sundays there's also a lively and vibrant club open until 2.30am, with a "no effort, no entry" dress code. Hogans , 11 South Great George's St. Busy and stylish mixed crowd. Molloy's , High St, Christchurch, Dublin 2. This is the venue for Dublin's most popular lesbian night, Stonewaltz , on Friday nights. Out on the Liffey , 27 Upper Ormond Quay. More relaxed than the George , this pub is popular with gays and lesbians alike.
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