A hilariously savage panel of roasters took over the Abbey Theatre last Sunday to tear down one of Ireland’s greatest icons, Panti Bliss. Marking the 10th anniversary of Marriage Equality, the Roast of Panti Bliss was an incredible night of wild laughter and fundraising for yours truly, GCN.

Hosted by TV presenter and fashion designer Brendan Courtney, this first-of-its-kind event took place at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, on Bank Holiday Sunday, May 4. 10 years after the Marriage Equality referendum, Panti returned to the same stage where she delivered her iconic Noble Call – a key moment in Ireland’s fight for same-sex marriage.

Setting the tone for the rest of the night, Brendan Courtney held nothing back when he entered the stage to introduce the Queen of Ireland herself, sharing wild stories from 30 years of friendship with Panti.

Brendan then welcomed to the stage the superbly talented panel of notable figures who dished out hilarious, no-holds-barred roasts. The star-studded lineup included actor and writer Tara Flynn, TV personality Katherine Lynch, TV host Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh, presenter James Patrice, drag icons Davina Devine, Dizzy Dyin4it and Mr Pussy, triple-threat performer Paul Ryder and journalist and presenter Elaine Crowley.

Between sizzling one-liners and hilarious hot takes, the roasters had the entire audience clutching their pearls as they tore Panti and each other down in the name of fundraising, with all funds raised on this incredible night going to sustain the work GCN does as Ireland’s free independent LGBTQ+ media.

Speaking about the event, GCN’s Manager, Stefano Pappalardo, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled with The Roast of Panti Bliss — what an unforgettable night of laughter and celebration! To mark the 10th anniversary of Marriage Equality and celebrate one of Ireland’s biggest queer icons on the same stage where Panti held her iconic Noble Call, one of the pivotal moments in the Marriage Equality campaign, was truly a joy. This event also served as a fundraiser for GCN, to ensure we can continue our mission of informing, educating, connecting, platforming, and entertaining the LGBTQ+ community. Having sold out in under 48 hours, this was also one of the fastest-selling shows on record at the Abbey Theatre.

“A huge thank you to The Queen of Ireland, Panti Bliss, for being the most incredible guest of honour, to Brendan Courtney for being the dream host and to our wonderful roasters, who did a fantastic job of bringing loads of laughter and some pretty epic shade. We’re also incredibly grateful to the team at the Abbey Theatre, our wonderful sponsors at Boots, whose generous support made this night possible, our friends at Craft Cocktails for providing drinks for the night, and Budget Event Hire.ie for donating a throne fit for a queen. And finally, thank you to everyone who came along, we hope you had an amazing night and we are extremely grateful for your support!”

GCN has been Ireland’s LGBTQ+ paper of record since 1988, serving as a vital resource to inform, educate, platform, and connect the community. It is the trading name of the NXF (National LGBT Federation CLG, Registered Charity Number: 20034580).

With a not-for-profit model, GCN operates on limited funds and resources and has been greatly impacted by rising business costs, like rent, electricity and paper. Amid an increasingly hostile global political climate and the rise of hate and misinformation, now more than ever, our community needs a free, accessible, independent media organisation that tells our side of the story.

If you couldn’t make it to this fabulous event but would like to support the work we do, please consider donating what you can here.

The Roast of Panti Bliss was proudly sponsored by Boots.

Thank you also to our friends at Craft Cocktails and Budget Event Hire.ie.

Photos by Babs Daly.