From 12-16 May there will be celebrations galore to mark that bastion of Dublin (or even Irish) gay life - The George. This year, The George will have been open 25 years to gay Irish folk young and old. From the official press release:
The George has been the lynchpin that holds Dublin’s gay scene together and has been a leader in the social evolution of gay Ireland. Over the years it provided a safe space where gay people could socialise with their friends without fear and prejudice. More than that, it also provided a common public domain for gay people to meet and exchange views at a time when homosexuality was a crime in Ireland (decriminalised in 1993). The George was a key venue where gay people organised and began the movement for the fight for equality. It has provided visibility, a space for the community to gather and exchange political views and engineer social change for gays in Ireland. The GCN which is 22 years old this year was once delivered to the George in a brown paper bag! The George will go on being the lynchpin that holds Dublin’s gay scene together.
“The George is synonymous with being gay in this country, so even if you are a teenager, trying to come to terms with yourself and living an isolated life you know The George is there, and you know that one day you will walk through its doors and inside there will be hundreds of people just like you. As such, the value and importance of The George, both historically and currently, cannot be underestimated”, George customer.
Some of the highlights of the planned celebrations include:
Videodrome on Wednesday 12 May
Veda Beaux Reeves will take you on a party trip down memory lane, a retrospective of video art and multimedia performances down through the years. As a birthday treat guests will be the first to see the launch of her newest work the Miss You Much (Just A Tad) video with special performances by Shirley Temple Bar, Davina Devine & Guests.
Show starts at 11.30pm
Dance with Davina! on Thursday 13th May
Davina Devine hosts a sizzling hot summer party to celebrate The George’s coming of age with pumping tunes to get you in the mood for ‘a cruel hot summer’! There will also be some great holiday giveaways - holiday vouchers to the value of €500.
Show starts at 11.00pm
The Queen Turns 25, Silver Jubilee Birthday Bash on Friday 14th May
Time to get your glad rags on and head to The George for a birthday bash to remember, with a guest performance by ‘Four Poofs and a Piano’, the house band on the Jonathan Ross Show. More hairdresser than barbershop, the hilarious quartet will help blow out the birthday candles, while The George’s resident drag queens perform a tribute performance. Glass of free bubbly on arrival, birthday cake and more, this is the ultimate party in town!
Tickets priced at €10.00 available from The George.
Shirley’s Silver Jubilee Bingo Jamboree - Sunday 16th May
All eyes will be on Shirley Temple Bar’s brand new electronic bingo balls for her 25th birthday celebration bingo show. The old machine had to go (after 13 years with Shirley, you’d be wrecked as well!) Bingo has now been brought right up to date for the 21st century, this will have all of the usual hilarity and glamour of the Sunday bingo which I had the pleasure of attending a couple of weeks ago. Such a fun night with prizes too 
Show starts at 9.00pm.
The full list of events is listed on the brand new website for The George.
Cool
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