A fire broke out on the roof of The Other Place on Cork’s South Main Street, forcing the LGBT resource centre to close after a 23 year residency, The Irish Examiner reports.

Support groups and social clubs have been put on hold until a planned move to a new premises on the North Mall is complete.

Clive Davis, the centre’s manager, is optimistic about the move, saying “It’s a new start, not just a new building. For years I had to put so much effort into the upkeep, be it crumbling walls or the burst pipes. I can now redirect that focus into what out identity is going to be”.

He went on to say how the public will determine the identity, “We’re going to have a series of public meetings to see what the community want to get out of The Other Place”.

The venue, which describes itself as being “not just a club, but a cafe, bookshop, information centre and sexual health clinic”, opened its doors in 1991, in order to provide a central meeting place for the LGBT community “to get the message out there about HIV and AIDS”.

Discussing changes in the role of the venue, Davis, who took a position at The Other Place six years ago told The Irish Examiner, “People don’t want to come in and talk about how they are gay anymore, so I took a conscious decision to develop community groups, like our choir or our dining group, where people who aren’t out yet can come into a group of 27 people who are OK with their sexuality”.

Speaking about why the multi-functional outlet is still relevant, Davis announced, “There are still a lot of people out there who aren’t tolerant and that’s why this place will still have a very important role when it moves on to its new building”.

A date has yet to be announced for the launch of The Other Place’s new venue .