On Monday, September 14, Dublin’s queer apparel store and ice cream shop The Grá announced its closure. Launched as a passion project rooted in Irish culture and queer joy, the shop will remain open only until September 30.

Opened in June 2025, The Grá had quickly become an invaluable addition to Dublin’s vibrant LGBTQ+ scene. Nestled in the heart of Temple Bar, the shop was part design studio, part ethical clothing boutique, part ice cream haven.

The shop worked with Ireland-based artists, many of them queer, to create vibrant, meaningful apparel, all printed in-house. Alongside the fashion, there was also a charming ice cream counter (with the potato flavour being a highlight), making the shop a sweet, summery stop-in spot for anyone wandering through Temple Bar.

Conor Coyle, founder of The Grá, took to Instagram to announce the closure. “Unfortunately we’ve made the difficult decision to close the doors at The Grá.”

“We want to send a huge thank you to everyone that came into the shop and supported us. We loved what we were doing,” the statement continued.

“The cost of doing business in Dublin is high and increasing. We couldn’t make the maths work,” the post read.

“Thank you to our artists, vendors, partners, Temple Bar community and especially all the beautiful doggos that came in to say hello. We loved working with you. With grá from The Grá.”

 

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Soon after it was shared on Instagram, the post attracted a flood of messages from members of the community, who were saddened to see another space close. “Ahhh lads,” someone shared. “Really sad to see this, having a queer-owned business in the city, and one that used Gaeilge in its products, was a delight to see and support. Grá mór libh.”

“Ah this is sad news,” someone else wrote. “The Grá was a breath of cool, creative energy, great shirts and delicious ice cream. May your next projects bring the same energy and joy.”

“Really sad to hear this..hope Conor and all the crew are proud of all they brought to everyone, wishing you new adventures in the future,” another person wrote.

LGBTQ+ youth organisation Belong To also added to the comments, saying: “We’re so sorry to hear this Conor and all of the gang – thank you so much for all of your support and for the beautiful space you created!”

The Grá will remain open until September 30, with the team running an in-store sale until the final date. While the sale is available in the shop only, people who wish to support will also be able to place online orders until September 30, with shipping anywhere in Ireland and Europe.