FROM THE TEAM
Welcome, dear reader, to the October 2025 issue

A time for action
I t has been a busy period for

Em — bracing my identity
As part of GCN and Belong To’s ongoing collaboration to platform a new generation of LGBTQ+ voices, Beth Clancy shares what it’s like coming out in a small town.

In pursuit of queer joy and resistance
Books — Activism — Ireland

The Galas
LGBTQ+Awards

COMMUNITY CHAMPION
After leaving her post as CEO of LGBT Ireland in August, Paula Fagan received Person of the Year at The GALAS in recognition of the incredible work she did throughout her tenure. Ahead of the ceremony, Alice Linehan sat down with the award recipient to discover more about her life and career.

DAVE THOMAS
Originally from Dublin, Dave Thomas decided to move to Arklow in County Wicklow 22 years ago, where he is now a fundamental part of the local community and a true changemaker. But his activism started long before that, and Beatrice Fanucci spoke to The GALAS Person of the Year nominee to find out more.

LYNDA SHERIDAN
Lynda Sheridan is a proud trans woman who has dedicated her life to fighting for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community in Ireland. Nominated for Person of the Year, she opened up about her experiences to Beatrice Fanucci .

JENNY MAGUIRE
Nominated for two individual awards at The GALAS 2025, Jenny Maguire is a force to be reckoned with. The eventual recipient of the Joe Drennan LGBTQ+ Young Trailblazer trophy, she spoke with Sarah Creighton Keogh ahead of the ceremony to share her key ingredients for driving a movement.

COMMUNITY ORG -VOLUNTEER STAFF
AWARD RECIPIENT Trans & Intersex Pride Dublin Bold,

COMMUNITY ORG -PAID STAFF
AWARD RECIPIENT GOSHH (Gender, Orientation, Sexual Health, HIV)

VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
AWARD RECIPIENT Gemma Cooney Gemma Cooney is a

EVENT OF THE YEAR
AWARD RECIPIENT Roscommon Pride 2024 Roscommon Pride was

JOE DRENNAN LGBTQ+ YOUNG TRAILBLAZER
AWARD RECIPIENT Jenny Maguire Making history as Trinity

INTERNATIONAL ACTIVIST
AWARD RECIPIENT Viktória Radványi Viktória Radványi’s leadership within

EMERGING JOURNALIST
AWARD RECIPIENT Conor O’Carroll Conor O’Carroll is an

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
AWARD RECIPIENT Nazlı Yıldırım Photographer Nazlı Yıldırım was

SPORTS
AWARD RECIPIENT Frontrunners & Briskwalkers Cork With over

NOEL WALSH HIV ACTIVISM
AWARD RECIPIENT Bill Foley Activist Bill Foley received

OUTSTANDING COMPANY
AWARD RECIPIENT Catapult Catapult leads by example, weaving

OUTSTANDING SMALL BUSINESS
AWARD RECIPIENT Adonis Flower Designers Adonis Flower Designers

LGBTQ+ ALLY
AWARD RECIPIENT Mammies for Trans Rights In an

LGBTQ+ EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUP
AWARD RECIPIENT INTO LGBT+ Teachers’ Group The INTO

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
AWARD RECIPIENT Michael D. Higgins Later this year,

A glorious 30 years
It’s a Tuesday evening, and Glória LGBT+ Choir’s rehearsal room is packed with members warming up their vocal chords. As Sarah McKenna Barry takes an empty chair in the back row, the tenor to her right informs her that she’s picked a good place to sit.

MORE THAN MUSIC
Ahead of her biggest gig yet in the Button Factory, Sarah McKenna Barry caught up with Elaine Mai to chat about her second album, Palestinian advocacy and the catharsis of music production.

Directory

Directory

Feature
In the second instalment of her series diving into the history of Dublin’s queer bars from 1973 to 1993, Hana Flamm turns attention towards JJ Smyth’s, which became a hotspot for the city’s lesbians. Image courtesy of Irish Queer Archive/National Library of Ireland .

TWO YEARS OF GENOCIDE IN GAZA
By Zoë Lawlor, Chairperson of the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC)