The October Bank Holiday weekend marked the opening of clubs and bars across the country, but for Fetish Folk the weekend marked Dublin’s first Rubber Weekend hosted by the Rubbermen of Ireland.
Gareth Kelly aka Gazmask, and Sam O’Carroll aka Pup Astra as Chairman and Secretary of the Rubbermen respectively organised a weekend of events for Rubber Kinksters and Fetish Folk with a focus on visability of rubber and kink in Irelands queer spaces as well as a rekindling of live fetish events on the island of Ireland after lockdown.
The Rubber Weekend kicked off with a Meet and Greet at Viva in Portobello, followed by a visit to Street 66 where the Rubbermen had an opportunity to show off in their gorgeous rubber outfits, attracting the attention of staff and bystanders alike.
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The Saturday marked the peak of the weekend with Ireland’s first Mr Rubber Ireland contest in over five years. After a thrilling day which included a guided tour through the National Gallery of Ireland in their gear, contestant interviews, and Rubber Dinner at the aforementioned Spanish tapas restaurant Viva, three contestants took to the stage to compete for the Mr Rubber Ireland 2021 title: Nick Bell, Corey Coleman, and Dan Roche.
To adjudicate the contestants was a jury made up of representatives of the Rubber community. On the Jury was Mr International Rubber (MIR 23) Adalberto, Mr Rubber Ireland 2016 Ronan Kinkster, and The Chairman of Rubbermen of Ireland, Gazmask. The judges made their decisions based on each contestant’s rubber image as well as an onstage interview.
After the judges had cast their votes a public vote of the attendees was held and overseen by tally master John O’Brien, Secretary of Leathermen of Ireland.
After a vocal performance by Pup Astra as Ireland’s entry to the Worldfetish 2021 competition, emcee Fionn Scott, Mr Leather Ireland 2019 and International Mr Leather (IML 41) Second Runner Up, took to the stage to announce the winner of Mr Rubber Ireland 2021: Dan Roche.
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In his speech, Dan aka Pup Rolo spoke about his dedication to our community, doubling down on his wishes to create an inclusive and more diverse fetish scene in Ireland, and thanked community organisers for their work in keeping our community connected during the pandemic.
The weekend came to a close with a Munch for the Puppies and Handlers attending the weekend hosted by Pup Astra, and Mr Rubber Ireland’s first public outing – a trip to The George Bar for the Drag Show and Bingo.
With over 150 attendees across the weekend, Dublin’s first ever Rubber Weekend, given the circumstances was a resounding success and the Rubbermen of Ireland are looking forward to hosting more events, including their regular club social, Sleek, and Dublin Rubber Weekend 2022.
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