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10 fun facts about gay Ireland

CAHIR O’DOHERTY

Irish Voice Reporter

Published Wednesday, October 21, 2009, 12:06 PM

Updated Wednesday, October 21, 2009, 1:19 PM

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Read more: Ireland, Dublin, LGBT Issues, Special Interest Groups, Gay Ireland, Entertainment, Performing Arts, Theater, Theatrical Plays, Barry Meegan

2009 Mr. Gay Ireland Max Krizinowski is crowned.

Gallery / 10 fun facts about gay Ireland / Click here

Brendan Behan, the famous Irish playwright (and discreet bisexual) once quipped: “An Irish queer is a fellow who prefers women to drink.”

It’s a memorable line but the truth is that there’s always been a tradition of flamboyant men in Ireland, how else to explain Cu Chulainn, Oscar Wilde, Boy George or even "Riverdance"?

Nowadays Ireland offers several gay and lesbian friendly cities featuring attractions and events to appeal to all comers and the international GLTB tourist market has taken notice.

To really get you in the mood for a visit, visit our photo gallery above of IrishCentral’s 10 fun facts about Gay Ireland!

1. A Mr. Gay Ireland’s to top anyone’s morning. Here’s two sides to the 2007 model Barry Meegan.

2. Mr. Gay Ireland 2009, Max Krizinowski (37) is crowned in Dublin.

3. There’s even an Irish delegate for the position of Mr. Gay Europe. The 2009 version is Jason Masterson.

4. It’s not just the big cities that get in on the GLTB action. This lovely lad is Derek Moran, 20, Mr. Gay Newry 2008. Derek is also an Irish Army soldier.

5. Dubliners have a tradition of wittily re-naming their public statues and monuments. This homage to Oscar Wilde, the patron saint of Irish gays, is known locally as “the queer with the leer” and “the fag on the crag.”

6. Anyone who thinks that the Irish don’t know what a bromance is has never been to a Hurling Cup Final. Go for the lively atmosphere but stay for the tackles.

7. Rock chick Sinead O’Connor has at various times claimed to be a priest, a lesbian and not a very confirmed fan of the Pope. Only one of these statements may be true. She’s certainly admired and loved by Irish gays and lesbians.

8. Believe it or not this man was once the only known Gay in Ireland (we mean the one on the right, legendary Irish talk show host Gay Byrne). How times change!

9. The Dublin Gay Theatre Festival plays from October 23 to November 1 2009, a week long program of productions from Africa, UK, USA and Ireland.

10. In Ireland drag is mostly still in its infancy (choreography is not just for "Riverdance," girls) but one very notable exception is Panti, the ultra glamorous queen of Dublin’s gay nightlife.

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One possible itinerary for an Ireland vacation is a trip along the Causeway coast from Belfast to Londonderry. Start off in Belfast, where you can visit the new entertainment complex, Waterfront Hall, as well as the Cathedral Quarter featuring St. Anne’s Cathedral. Want a little history in your Ireland vacation? When you leave Belfast, you can stop at Newtownabbey’s Loughshore Park, which is where the Titanic first sailed from the shipyards of Harland & Wolff. On an Ireland vacation, you can see sights almost a millennium old. Carrickfergus has a 12th-century Norman Castle. If you would like your Ireland vacation to have a literary theme, head to Kilroot, where Jonathan Swift, who would go on to write Gulliver’s Travels, worked as a minister. At the Glens of Antrim. Admire the waterfalls and be sure to take the Antrim Coast Road. If you are looking for some culture during your Ireland vacation, the village of Glenarm has both a castle and traditional folk music sessions. Cushendall features the red sandstone Curfew Tower, which is four stories high. The Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge spans a 24-meter chasm. Some Ireland vacations revolve around pubs. But on this itinerary, you get to go to the village of Bushmills, which is home to the world’s oldest licensed whiskey distillery. One of the most spectacular sights on your Ireland vacation will be the famous Giant’s Causeway, which is outside of Bushmills. Ireland vacations may also include history from other countries. Ships from the Spanish Armada sank along the rough coastline near the Giant’s Causeway. At Port na Spaniagh, divers recovered treasure from the Girona, one of the galleons of the Armada. The Mussenden Temple may have been inspired by Rome’s Temple of Vesta. Downhill, Benone and Magilligan Beaches are so long that you may find yourself alone on these dramatic beaches. Finish your Ireland vacation in Londonderry, which is the only completely walled city in the British Isles. The walls date from the 17th century.

10 fun facts about gay Ireland

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