Flags flew at half-mast outside Cork City Hall on Sunday, May 18, as the city paid tribute to Siobhán O’Dowd, a pioneering force in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights, social justice, and community development in Ireland. Siobhán passed away peacefully at her home on Saturday, May 17, aged 61, following a brief illness.

Siobhán dedicated more than 30 years to activism, becoming a cornerstone of Cork’s equality movement. Her work helped to reshape Irish society into a more inclusive and compassionate place, particularly for women and members of the LGBTQ+ community. She was a founding member of several key organisations, including the LINC resource centre for women in Cork (soon to rebrand as LINQ Ireland), the AIDS Alliance (now the Sexual Health Centre), and the Cork LGBTI+ Interagency Group.

Her passing on the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) is deeply symbolic. It marks not just the end of a life but the continuation of a legacy rooted in resistance, dignity, and care values that Siobhán embodied every day. Only weeks earlier, she was recognised for her lifelong contributions with one of the Lord Mayor of Cork’s Civic Awards for 2025, a testament to her impact.

In a heartfelt statement, LINC paid tribute to their co-founder, describing her as “a passionate advocate, a community builder and a tireless campaigner for justice and equality.” The organisation acknowledged the profound imprint she left on the many communities she supported and nurtured: “Her legacy runs deep through the communities she served and loved. That she passed on IDAHOBIT day, a day so closely aligned with the values she held dear, is especially poignant. We are heartbroken at her loss and she will be missed beyond words.”

Siobhán is mourned by her partner Tina O’Toole; close friends Ronnie and Marea, Joan, and June; and a wide circle of friends and fellow activists in Cork, across Ireland, and internationally, especially those at Ballyphehane Togher Community Development Project. She is also deeply missed by her mother Kathleen Casey, sister Martina, brothers Gearóid and Niall, sisters-in-law, brother-in-law, nieces, nephews, and the extended O’Toole and Griffin families, particularly Uncle Willie and her aunts.

Siobhán O’Dowd will lie in repose at her home on Monday, May 19, from 6pm to 8pm. A celebration of her life will take place at the Glucksman Gallery, University College Cork, on Tuesday, May 20, at 2pm, followed by a private cremation service.

May she rest in power.