The George, Dublin

The George

A view of the front facade of The George, 2014
General information
Address George's Street
Town or city Dublin
Country Ireland
Coordinates 53°20′37″N 6°15′53″W / 53.343747°N 6.264655°W / 53.343747; -6.264655Coordinates: 53°20′37″N 6°15′53″W / 53.343747°N 6.264655°W / 53.343747; -6.264655
Opened May 1985 (1985-05)
Owner Cyril O’Brien
Website
thegeorge.ie

The George is a pub and nightclub on South Great George's Street in the city centre of Dublin, Ireland. Opened in 1985—eight years before homosexuality was legalised in Ireland—it is one of the nation's oldest gay bars and clubs. It is regarded as one of the best known gay bars in the city.[1] South Great George's Street is a popular location for gay men in Dublin.[2]

For many years it was the only large gay venue in the city, however the improved economy and liberalisation of Irish attitudes to homosexuality in the 1990s resulted in a diversification of the Dublin gay scene. This somewhat reduced the club's pre-eminence, though it is still a central fixture of gay nightlife in the city. The George began as a gay-owned venture but was subsequently purchased by the group of bars and clubs owned by the Capital Bars Group. It retains an iconic status but has recently seen competition from newer gay venues, such as the Front Lounge on Parliament Street and Pantibar on Capel Street. Formerly The Dragon, also on South Great Georges Street and run by the same owners was closed in January 2015 for renovations. The oldest and smallest part, referred to as 'Jurassic Park' by gay Dubliners, is a quiet bar frequented by an older crowd, while next door, the newer venue extends over two floors and regularly stages popular Drag shows as well as personal appearances by Irish and international acts. It's also home to arguably Ireland's best-known drag queens—Shirley Temple Bar, Panti, Veda Beaux Reves

In June 2008, on the evening of the Dublin's Gay Pride festival, a hoax caller said he planted a bomb at the venue. The Gardai evacuated the venue at 11pm until the all clear was given 90 minutes later. The festivities then resumed to normal.[3]

History of The George

The George, Dublin

Originally an ‘old man’s bar’ on the corner of George’s Street, The George was purchased by Cyril O’Brien who loved the atmosphere of the bar but wasn’t quite so sure about the décor and thought the place could do with a revamp.

Back then The George was the corner bar downstairs, now known as Jurassic Park, which remained a straight bar while the bar upstairs was transformed into a gay disco bar called ‘The Loft’. ‘The Loft’ was decorated with Tivoli lighting, which one customer remarked “Must be what the inside of a hairdresser’s brain looks like!” Eventually, The George became a dedicated gay bar.

It was only the second bar in the city to be owned by a gay proprietor and to be opened specifically as a gay bar; the other was ‘The Viking’ on Dame Street. The George provided a safe space where gay people could socialise with their friends without fear and prejudice. Through the years the bar continued to grow in popularity and post decriminalisation in 1993 there was an explosion of numbers onto the gay scene and for the first time The George expanded.

In 1998 The George extended again into the building next door, which had originally been an Indian restaurant. [4]

Notable personalities

The George attracts visitors, both gay and straight.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Phelan, Andrew. "Mother shouted anti-gay abuse at pub bouncers". Evening Herald. Retrieved on 9 May 2011. 'A mother-of-one who hurled "anti-homosexual abuse" at doorstaff at one of Dublin's best-known gay bars has been convicted of public order offences...'
  2. ↑ "UVF had no need of British collusion for Dublin and Monaghan atrocities". Sunday Independent. Retrieved on 8 April 2007. "The Garda report found that the man was a 'homosexualist' and was in Dublin because he liked to frequent establishments in South Great George's Street popular with gay men at the time".
  3. ↑ O'Keeffe, Alan (23 June 2008). "Pub bomb scare mars city's huge Gay Pride festivities". Dublin: Evening Herald. Retrieved 14 January 2012.
  4. ↑ http://www.thegeorge.ie website
  5. ↑ Dwyer, Ciara (18 April 2010). "Waking hours: Derek Mooney". Sunday Independent. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
  6. ↑ Sheehy, Clodagh (28 May 2010). "I might marry a woman yet, hints Mooney". Evening Herald. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/23/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.