For the second year in a row, Ireland’s most southerly island Oileán Chléire (Cape Clear) in West Cork will be hosting its Gaeilge-focused Pride celebration, Bród Chléire. Following its successful launch last year, it returns in 2024 on Friday and Saturday, August 16 and 17.
“We were thrilled with how last year turned out, with the locals on Chléire warmly welcoming over 100 queer visitors for Bród Chléire 2023, which doubled the population of the island over the weekend!” said Ruairí Ó Donnabháin, artist, Irish language planning officer at the Cape Clear Cooperative and co-organiser.
He went on to say, “Bród Chléire 2024 continues on from last year, with its focus on the Irish language, while celebrating all things LGBTQ+ and Gaeilge. And we’re able to achieve all of this in the beautiful surroundings of Chléire”.
Speaking about the island, where he’s been living since 2017, Ruairí said that it “has such an important heritage as a Gaeltacht, that it is imprinted on every part of the island. And with Bród Chléire, we wanted to add another part to this long, storied history.”
Indeed, Ruairí has co-organised Ireland’s first-ever Gaeltacht for LGBTQ+ adults, which is taking place in the week leading up to Bród Cléire. Running from August 12 to 18, this sold-out week-long summer camp has been designed specifically for LGBTQ+ learners of Gaeilge at all levels of ability.
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Organised with Meitheal Chléire and AerachAiteachGaelach, the Gaeltacht for LGBTQ+ adults “is a new chapter of Chléire’s now long tradition of hosting generations of people on the island over the summer months to learn Gaeilge,” said Ruairí. Since 1967, when Coláiste Pobail Chléire opened, young people have been coming to Chléire each summer to learn Gaeilge and experience island life.
In terms of Bród Chléire itself, the Pride festivities begin at 5pm on Friday, with Cape Clear Ferries bringing visitors out to the Fastnet Rock Lighthouse from North Harbour, to take in the stunning views of the 133-year-old lighthouse and Roaringwater Bay, all in the company of DJs aboard.
Back at North Harbour, there will be a cabaret night held at Cotter’s from 9pm, where poetry, song and music will be shared.
On Saturday, visitors will have the first part of the day to explore Chléire. Then starting from 3pm at an GTeic Chléire at the Cape Clear Cooperative in North Harbour, there will be a launch event for Eoin McEvoy’s translation of the popular young adult novel Heartstopper.
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At 8pm, there will be a screening of the as Gaeilge play (with Béarla subtitles), Grindr, Saghdar agus Cher at Coláiste Pobail Chléire, Crathach Thiar on the South Road. It follows three different perspectives of three young LGBTQ+ characters in Dublin: a countryman as he enters a gay bar for the first time, a lesbian at a “Build a Willy” event at her cousin’s hen party, and a scene queen and his unexpected haircut.
The hour-long play from AerachAiteachGaelach is an energetic, urgent and exciting journey that explores the complexities, possibilities and dangers of being young and LGBTQ+ in contemporary Ireland. In 2023, it featured in the Galway International Arts Festival and the International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival.
To close out Bród Chléire, at Cotter’s from 10.30pm a Céilí will take place, followed by The Craic Mechanics who will have everyone on their feet dancing to their favourite cheesy pop songs for their Sing Along Social.
They can be credited as organising Chléire’s first ever Pride march of sorts, when last year they got everyone into a conga line around Ciarán Danny Mike’s pub, as people sang out loud and proud Diana Ross’ 1980 classic queer hit, ‘I’m Coming Out’!
Tá fáilte romhat teacht chuig Chléire agus Bród Chléire 2024!
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