We are thrilled to announce a major milestone for the LGBTI+ community in Cork. Gay Project has officially purchased a community centre building that will serve as a dedicated, safe, and inclusive space for LGBTI+ individuals and allies! 🌈🎉
This achievement is the result of decades of hard work and vision from many passionate stakeholders, including Arthur Leahy, whose advocacy for an LGBTI+ community space began in meetings over 40 years ago. Arthur, and so many others who founded the Cork Gay and Lesbian Community Development Project, understood the importance of having a space we can truly call our own—where connection, support, and empowerment could flourish. Today, we stand on the shoulders of those trailblazers as we make this dream a reality, and we were delighted to have had Arthur finally turn the key 40 years later.
We’d like to thank and commend the staff, volunteers and dedicated members of the Gay Project Board for their tireless efforts in realising the vision of the Gay Project. And we’d also like to extend a special thank you to the HSE Cork South Community Work Department for their continued support.
The new centre will enhance the work of Gay Project ensuring a long lasting vibrant hub for social events, support services, workshops, and much more, helping to strengthen our community for years to come.
However, to ensure the space is accessible to every member of our diverse community, we will need to carry out some essential building works. This includes the installation of an accessible toilet and other renovations to make the centre fully inclusive.
Additionally, we’ll be launching a fundraising campaign to help cover the cost of these vital works and support a portion of the mortgage, ensuring that the centre remains financially sustainable and accessible to all for generations to come.
We would love your support in this exciting new chapter for our community. Every contribution, no matter how small, will bring us closer to fully realising this inclusive space. We welcome all personal donations through our website at https://donorbox.org/gay-project. More details about the project and how you can get involved in our upcoming fundraising campaigns will follow soon on www.gayproject.ie
In the coming weeks we’ll also be reaching out to our family and allies in the business community for support in this endeavour. We need your help in securing the future of safe and inclusive services for our community.
Together, we can build something extraordinary for the generations to come. 🏳️🌈💜
With deepest gratitude,
Gay Project Team & Board
Tríona Healy (HSE Cork South Community Work Department), Colleen Minihane, Arthur
Leahy, Carl Keegan, Stephan Spillane, Denis Cronin (Gay Project Board), Konrad Im (Gay
Project Manager). Photo Credit – Ryan O’Sullivan
Arthur Leahy. Photo Credit – Ryan O’Sullivan.
Arthur Leahy Turns The Key. Photo Credit – Ryan O’Sullivan.