Connolly Hall Cork
Connolly Hall is the home of SIPTU (formally ITGWU) Trade Union in Cork.
Trade Unions have been important allies for the LGBT community in Cork, providing support for campaigns to decriminalise homosexuality and protect the rights of LGBT workers.
Connolly Hall has hosted some important events for the Cork LGBT Community.
In 1981 Connolly Hall was the venue for the 1st Irish National Gay Conference. A series of talks and workshops were held and 49 motions were passed at the conference, setting the agenda for LGBT activism in the following decades. A Gala Ball was held in Connolly Hall on the Saturday night of the conference, one of the first times that same-sex couples could dance together in a public venue in Cork.
In 1984 Connolly Hall was the venue for the Saturday night social of the 1st Cork Women's Fun Weekend. The weekend brought together women from all over Ireland and abroad. It became an annual event which is still running. Cork bands, including Brazen Bitch and Standing Ovulation played at the socials.
In 2020 Connolly Hall hosted the LGBT Equality Panel as part of a training event for the Irish Secondary Schools Students Union (ISSU).
In 2020 Connolly Hall also hosted the opening night of the Cork Outing the Past LGBT History Festival.