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NO RINGING TONE FOR TAF
Tel-A-Friend, Dublin's Gay Switchboard and more commonly known as TAF, has been off the air since late June.
The Switchboard, which has been operating with considerable hassle since the fire at the Hirschfeld Centre last year, normally operates 2 telephone lines for three hours every evening. For the past two weeks it has been piggy-back riding on the three-night-a -week AIDS Helpline phone number (Dublin 307888).
TAF was formed in 1974, making it Ireland's oldest gay organisation. In 1979 it moved into the Hirschfeld Centre with the National Gay Federation,which financially supported the befriending and information telephone service up until last year's fire. The Switchboard has excellent relations with The Samaritans and other help agencies. It handles about 5.000 calls per year from gay people throughout the island. TAF also organises the very successful ICEBREAKERS meetings in Dublin for gay people "coming out of their closet" and others feeling isolated or lonely.
The National Gay Federation has been helping the Switchboard to find suitable, short -term accommodation.
Postal enquiries to TAF are still being accepted at the old address, i.e. 10 Fownes Street, Dublin 2. Letters for answering by Dear Dorothyshould be sent to GCN at PO.BOX 931, Dublin 4.