February 2025 Group of the Month: Cork LGBT Archive

February is LGBTQ+ History month so, this month, we very excited to highlight the work of the Cork LGBT Archive and we chatted with Orla Egan who, over the last few years has driven so much of their work. When we asked Orla to tell us about the group she shared that . . .

The Cork LGBT Archive gathers, preserves and shares the rich history of Cork's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender communities, bringing this previously hidden history to light and making Cork's queer history impossible to ignore!

We have a physical collection, a digital archive and an outreach programme. We are committed to Animating the Archive and bringing the history to life in multiple different ways, including walking tours, talks, documentaries, books and exhibitions.

We asked about the communities which the group work with and also how they engage with them.

The Cork LGBT Archive makes a wide range of historical materials available and accessible for the general public, students, researchers and activists, through our digital archive, physical collection and through publications, exhibitions, film, walking tours and talks.

Through our volunteer programme we engage with a group of young people, primarily young LGBT people, many of whom are autistic.

We collaborate with other LGBT organisations, sharing archival materials and historical expertise and feeding into their projects. We developed a new Cork LGBT Cycle tour in collaboration with Queer Bike Rides.

We asked Orla to share how the work has contributed to preserving community heritage and if it has broadened the appeal of community archives to a wider group of people.

Oral told us they have brought to light a previously hidden history and highlighted the rich history of Cork's LGBT communities. Our work has been used in publications, college courses, exhibitions and a teaching resource for schools. The Cork LGBT Archive has developed a model of good practice on how to create a community digital archive and we willingly share our knowledge and experience with others throughout Ireland and internationally. We have presented papers and screened our documentaries at events nationally and internationally. Our numerous media appearances include television, radio, podcasts and print media.

We asked for examples of running activities that have beneficial impacts on the physical, mental and social wellbeing of individuals and communities?

Our volunteer programme provides an opportunity for people to engage with our history and heritage, as well as providing an important safe community space for our volunteers. In their feedback our volunteers talk about the great sense of community, belonging and connection they find at the archive. This is particularly important at a time when we are seeing an increase in homophobia and transphobia in our society. Being part of the archive gives our volunteers a sense of belonging and connection with our community. This has been proven to improve the mental health, well-being and resilience of young people. Details of this can be found in the Belong To LGBTQI+ Youth Ireland 2024 report.

We asked Orla what makes this group special. She told us . . .

In 2024 we hung a huge banner - Cork's Queer History on Display - outside a venue on a main street in Cork City Center. It was advertising the display of three of our exhibitions as part of Heritage Week: Queer Republic of Cork exhibition, Cork Queeros exhibition and our new Cork Women’s Weekend exhibition.

The visibility of this event was amazing. Even for those just passing the venue they couldn't help being aware of Cork's rich queer history. The feedback from those who visited the exhibitions was incredibly positive and moving, showing clearly the impact and importance of this work.

Great to see so much queer representation and history on display. It’s crucial to respect our queer heritage and take Pride in the wonderful people who paved the way for us! We’re Here, we’re Queer, We have ALWAYS been here and we always will be. With love and with power.

Super proud to be able to read about those who fought so we (the younger gen) could be more accepted!

You can find out more about the Cork LGBT Archive online here.

Sadly, the archive group and their work are currently unfunded so Orla asked us to share details of how you can help as part of this post. We hope they can continue delivering their wonderful work for a long time to come and if you are able to spare some money to donate, please follow this link.