The 31-year-old man’s murr 1982 Fairview Park galvanised the gay rights movement Ireland
Contents:
- REMEMBERG DECLAN FLYNN, THE GAY MAN WHOSE BTAL KILLG AT THE HANDS OF TEENAGE HOMOPHOB KICKSTARTED THE IRISH PRI MOVEMENT
- SHOTS FIRED AT MOSW GAY NIGHTCLUB
REMEMBERG DECLAN FLYNN, THE GAY MAN WHOSE BTAL KILLG AT THE HANDS OF TEENAGE HOMOPHOB KICKSTARTED THE IRISH PRI MOVEMENT
* gay man murdered in fairview park *
Declan Flynn was remembered 40 years to the day after his murr galvanised the gay rights movement Flynn (31) was beaten to ath Fairview Park on September 9th, 1982, and his body was found the followg teenagers were later charged wh his murr but were given spend sentenc by the judge Mr Jtice Seán Gannon.
They had admted to “queer bashg”, as was lled at the time of gay men who met Fairview Jtice Gannon allowed the five to walk ee om the Central Crimal Court, sayg there was “no element of rrectn required” as they had “e om good hom and have experienced re and affectn”. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill The lg ed public outrage and led to one of the earlit and largt monstratns support of gay rights on the streets of Dubl. Mr Jtice Gannon had “disgraced himself and the legal system of the day”’s olst brother Christopher said the fact that so many people wh the gay and lbian muny remembered him was a great fort to the fay.
Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill Many speakers relled the dark days of 1982 when many people society thought “queer bashg” was an acceptable activy when homosexualy was still regard as a crime. Veteran gay rights activist Bill Foley said he knew Mr Flynn slightly and scribed him as a kd person who was always lookg out for others. In September 1982, Declan Flynn left a pub Donnyrney, Dubl and walked to Fairview Park, a well-known meetg spot for gay men.
SHOTS FIRED AT MOSW GAY NIGHTCLUB
Homosexualy was illegal and many queer people, like him, lived their liv fear, secrecy and shame. “When the judge let them off wh spend manslghter sentenc, sentially what said to was that a gay man’s life had no value, ” Tonie Walsh, curator of the Irish Queer Archive, told drag queen Panti Bliss on her rad show Pantisocracy. That march, Walsh said, was “the first large-sle massg of lbians and gay men Ireland”.
When protters arrived Fairview Park, Walsh thought they were gog to have ston thrown at them by anti-gay protters.
When the judge let them off wh spend manslghter sentenc, sentially what said to was that a gay man’s life had no value. This was not Ireland’s first gay rights monstratn — that had taken place the 1970s — but Flynn’s ath galvanised and gave life to the morn Pri movement.