Sunday brunch at the Temple Gate Hotel in Ennis, and the members of Quare Clare share starters and stories from their week.
This is more than a social gathering. This is, perhaps, the only time this week that a noticeably queer group of people will be seen gathered in any public space in Co Clare.
Quare Clare was founded three years ago, when a person seeking asylum in Ireland because of their gender reported being unsure if they were safe in Co Clare as there was no LGBTQ+ visibility in the county.
The group has made significant strides in a short time and now boasts some 200 members from Clare, south Galway and Limerick.
Not surprisingly, the rise of far-right parties in recent years is a concern for the group ahead of the general election.
“When it comes to the far right, anybody from the LGBT community is going to be concerned. We’re watching the news, we see what is happening in places like Coolock [anti-immigration protests], where people are ganging up on minorities,” says Maurice O’Sullivan from Corofin. “We have seen similar things happening here in Clare where sites have been identified for direct provision. Locals have been coming out in force to protest.
“Everyone knows what this leads to, if they pick on one minority, as soon as they are out of fashion, they will pick on another. We would be in the firing line for that. We all know what that feels like.
“We are worried about groups of young males in particular. White Irish males. The far right recruit that demographic; they are easy targets. We know where this goes and that is why we are concerned.”
We have had a gay taoiseach from the Fine Gael party. I am not worried about homophobia in Fine Gael. Some of their other conservative policies would concern me
— Maurice O’Sullivan
O’Sullivan, who lived in England in the 1970s and 1980s before moving home to Ireland, believes Fine Gael are becoming more conservative, but are not yet “on a par with Margaret Thatcher”.
“I am not really concerned about the centre parties that sometimes lean right; it is parties like Aontú and Ireland First, those sorts of parties I would be concerned about,” he says.
“Fine Gael are conservative, and people still talk about the Blueshirts, but I wouldn’t put them on a par with Margaret Thatcher. We have had a gay taoiseach from the Fine Gael party.
“I am not worried about homophobia in Fine Gael. Some of their other conservative policies would concern me but I think they would be balanced well by Fianna Fáil or the Greens or even Labour.”
Transport is a serious issue for rural counties such as Clare. Bernie O’Gorman, chairwoman of Quare Clare, says this is a more acute problem for members of the LGBTQ+ community, who have limited social opportunities.
Quare Clare often fund taxis for their members to travel to their monthly movie nights or Sunday brunches, but these are expensive, and sometimes in rural Clare, non-existent.
“The issues that are affecting the LGBT community in Clare are the issues that are affecting everybody else,” says O’Gorman. “There isn’t enough public transport. I live in north Clare; it could take me three to four hours to get to Ennis.
“We have two members who live in Kilrush in west Clare. If they want to come to an event on a week night in Ennis, they will have to leave Kilrush at 5pm, hang around Ennis for hours until the event starts, and then they have to leave before 9pm to get the last bus home.
“So oftentimes Quare Clare would pay for a taxi home, but that could be up to €100 on a weeknight and more at the weekend.
“I can’t see any party really who is doing enough for transport in rural areas. All the initiatives that do exist here seem to be driven by regular local people, not elected people.”
Orla Vaughan, a member of the Quare Clare board, says the failure of the current Government to pass the hate speech legislation was “upsetting” for many minorities in Ireland. Hate-speech provisions were dropped from the Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Act, which was passed in October.
“Hate crime is on the rise and the hate-speech legislation failing is really upsetting, not just for the queer community but for communities in general,” she says. “We need more protection for all vulnerable people.”
She also questions the willingness of the current Government parties to create a more inclusive environment in the education system.
“What steps can be taken to educate teachers and give teachers confidence about creating a more inclusive environment?” she says. “This is something that I would be keen to hear from politicians.
“But is there a great want in the Government to change this?”
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