Dedicated gay venues
2
Country
Ireland
Population
224K
LGBTQ+ status
Welcoming
In this guide · 3 sections

The honest summary: Cork's queer community is better organised than its nightlife. Two long-running organisations, a sexual health charity, a dozen LGBTQ+ sports and social groups, and since August 2026 a permanent LGBT history exhibition make the city worth knowing for more than a night out.

Community organisations

    • Gay Project, 10/10A High Street – the organisation for gay, bi, trans and queer men. It runs GOLD Café for older men, QueerVibes social cafés in the city and around the county, Rainbow Yogis, gaming nights, a book club, support services and monthly rapid HIV testing, and it publishes the Gay Card list of welcoming businesses. Many groups meet at Turners Cross Community Centre, so check its calendar.
    • LINQ Ireland, 11A White Street – founded in 1999 as LINC (Lesbians in Cork) and renamed in 2025, it supports lesbian, bisexual and queer women and is trans and non-binary inclusive. Drop-in times, support, social groups, a drama group and a bi group.
    • Sexual Health Centre, 16 Peter's Street – rapid HIV testing, STI screening, HIV support and LGBTI counselling. Monday to Thursday 9am-5pm, Friday 9am-1:30pm.
    • UP Cork – LGBTI+ youth group for 15-23-year-olds, run by Cork Youth Services and listed on Gay Project's site.
    • Cork Community Pride – the volunteer group that has run Cork Pride since 2026, after the old Pride company went into liquidation in 2025 (corkcommunitypride.ie).

History

The Cork Public Museum in Fitzgerald's Park opened "We Were Always Here – Cork LGBT History" on 19 August 2026, the first permanent LGBTQ exhibition in an Irish museum. It was built with the Cork LGBT Archive, which Orla Egan founded and which the museum has housed since 2017. The archive's website, corklgbtarchive.com, is the best source on queer Cork from the 1970s onwards.

Sports and social groups

Listed by GCN and Gay Project: Cork Rebels FC (football), Cork Hellhounds RFC (rugby), Na Laochra Aeracha (inclusive GAA, Saturdays at Tramore Valley Park), Cork Racketeers (badminton), Frontrunners & Briskwalkers Cork, Cork Ramblers (hillwalking), Queer Bike Rides Cork, and Choral Con Fusion, Cork's LGBT choir since 2010. Most welcome visitors to a session; contact them through social media first. Their regular sessions appear on our Cork events page.

Last verified: October 2026