As an LGBT+ young person, I believe that the work done by youth workers is integral, especially in the LGBT+ community. However it often goes unnoticed. I believe that one of the reasons that youth workers are so important is that they introduce people to our community and educate many people on it. They educate […]

Coming from the tiny village of Rooskey in the famed ’No’ county of Roscommon, it was scary being an outsider. I remember the marriage referendum being made into a class discussion in school and the embarrassment I felt hearing the stifled laughs at the mention of the word ‘gay’. I remember how I felt at […]

The newly emerging body of queer criminological research which seeks to explain and understand the lives of LGBT+ who have encountered the criminal justice system is important in terms of shedding light on hidden communities which fall under the LGBT+ umbrella. However, in Ireland, we remain almost completely clueless about the situations of sexual minorities […]

“These children already exist. What are we to do with them? Send them to Mars?” Grainne Healy’s rhetorical question cut through the Prime Time debate on Marriage Equality like a knife. It was one of the moments in 2015 when we knew that the referendum was going to pass. Because the people wanted it to […]

This Saturday, the MASI Conference 2019: Towards A More Humane Asylum Process takes place in Liberty Hall. It will bring together people in the asylum system from all over the country to talk about bringing an end to the Direct Provision system. In advance of the event, let’s take a look at Direct Provision and exactly […]

Last year, an investigation was launched into the sudden appearance of Facebook advertisements promoting ‘conversion therapy’ and ‘sexual purity’, targeting users who, according to a staff member of the social media site, had shown an interest in ‘gender issues’ despite the existence of the ads going against the company’s advertising standards. The ads included content such […]

The premise of the show focuses around a young writer, whose name is Cliff Bradshaw who comes to Berlin, to find something to write about having previously been in both London and Paris. On arrival in Berlin, he meets a nightclub entertainer, called Sally Bowles, who works in the Kit Kat Club, of where I […]

Republic of Shame is the debut novel of an incredibly talented voice in Irish journalism, Caelainn Hogan who navigates the traumatic stories of the survivors with skill and sensitivity. Until alarmingly recently, the Catholic Church, acting in concert with the Irish state, operated a network of institutions for the concealment, punishment and exploitation of ‘fallen […]

Singer/songwriter Wallis Bird is an icon when it comes to Irish music. She has built a substantial discography that has always been integral in its honest storytelling. In her new album, she says she felt compelled to write about activism and politics and how she has reached a sweet spot age-wise where she feels self-assured […]

I never thought that I could put my experiences into a melody and have people latch onto it, or that they were something people would care about. It’s weird to write and sing about your own feelings and for someone to say they felt that way as well. I’ve always had this command of my […]