Tucked away on Eustace Street, just a few doors up from the Irish Film Institute, sits The Grá, a new queer-owned space. Part design studio, part ethical clothing boutique, part ice cream haven, The Grá is the latest addition to Dublin’s vibrant LGBTQ+ scene, and it’s a shop with a story stitched into every thread.

It all began with a life-altering family moment. “My sister was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and needed a liver transplant. We nearly lost her,” Conor Coyle, founder of The Grá, tells GCN. “It gave the whole family a massive kick up the arse. I was in a job I didn’t really love, so I decided to do something different, something that mattered.”

Thankfully, his sister made a full recovery and has since opened her own coffee shop in Monaghan. Their dad retired. And The Grá was launched, a passion project turned full-time creative venture, rooted in Irish culture and queer joy.

 

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Conor goes on to explain to us that in Irish, “‘grá’ means love and if you do something just because you love it, you say you’re doing it ‘for the grá’,”.

“We’re all doing it for The Grá now, for ‘The Love’ of it,” he adds.

The shop works with Ireland-based artists, many of them queer, to create vibrant, meaningful apparel, all printed in-house. Alongside the fashion, there’s 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.

Opening just in time for Pride Month, The Grá is more than ready to throw open its doors to the LGBTQ+ community. “Pride is going to be a big month for us; it’s our first month fully open, our first chance to support our community”

If you’re looking for a place that combines creativity, community, and a bit of good old Irish heart, The Grá might just be your new favourite stop.