The Cork LGBT Archive has announced the development of Ireland’s first and only Permanent LGBTQ Exhibition. The exhibition is scheduled to open in the Cork Public Museum in August 2026, coinciding with a significant anniversary: 50 years since Cork’s first Gay Centre opened in 1976.

Launched in 2013, the Cork LGBT Archive collects, preserves and shares the history of LGBTQ+ communities in the county. The collection amassed is both physical and digital, with the archive’s volunteer group and public engagement programme offering publications, exhibitions, documentaries and walking tours.

The exhibition has been developed in collaboration with the Cork Public Museum to ensure it aligns with the museum’s policy of displaying a more inclusive history and heritage. This comes following the establishment of the museum’s other permanent exhibitions, the Traveller exhibition and the Jewish exhibition.

The Permanent LGBTQ Exhibition will be the first and only exhibition of its kind in a public museum in Ireland. Throughout history, Cork has been home to many firsts for the Irish LGBTQ+ community, including the first National Gay Conference (1981), the first Irish Lesbian and Gay Film Festival (1991) and the first LGBTQ+ float in a St Patrick’s Day parade (1992).

The exhibition will allow visitors to learn about the rich history of the Cork LGBTQ+ community, recognising that gender variance and same-sex love have always been a part of local and national life.

 

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Orla Egan, Exhibition Curator and Founder of the Cork LGBT Archive, shared, “Too often the history of the LGBT community has been invisible, ignored or erased. Having Cork’s LGBTQ history on display in the Cork Public Museum will ensure that it is accessible and cannot be forgotten or ignored.

“It sends a powerful message of respect and inclusion for a community that too often has experienced prejudice, punishment and exclusion. This is even more important in today’s world, when we are witnessing an increase in transphobia and homophobia in the world.

“By creating this permanent exhibition, Cork can be a much-needed shining beacon of inclusion and respect for the LGBTQ community,” Egan continued.

The Cork Public Museum gets a wide range of visitors, roughly 44,500 a year, both local and international. This also includes school children, who visit the museum on class outings. Research has shown that people in the LGBTQ+ community are aware of their identity from an early age but can sometimes feel pressured to hide due to negative messages they receive from their parents, schools and community.

On this, Orla Egan added: “Think how important it would be for that young person to come on their school trip to the Cork Public Museum and to see themselves reflected in the exhibition – to know that we have always been here and that they are part of a dynamic and vibrant community. Think also of the message that it will give to their teachers and schoolmates. Imagine if a visit to this exhibition could lead to a reduction in the harassment all too often experienced by LGBT people in Irish schools, and its consequent impact on their mental health.”

Curated by Orla Egan, along with Richard Keyes McDonnell, Jamie Furey and the archive volunteers, and designed by Darren O’Connor, the Permanent LGBTQ Exhibition is a monumental moment for Cork and the local community.

As part of Heritage Week, the Cork LGBT Archive will be providing free guided tours of the exhibition on Wednesday, August 19. Tours will be held at the Cork Public Museum from 11am to 3pm.

 

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Furthermore, the original Pride flag designed in 1978 by Gilbert Baker is due to be displayed in the exhibition following its opening, as the first stop on its world tour.