This standalone page focuses exclusively on LGBT emigration, with particular reference to London.
The resources here highlight stories linked to the impact of emigration on the Irish forced to do so, particularly to a major city like London.
29 January 2026
‘Alban Currano tribute’ [Facebook post]
A moving, brief tribute to Alban (left) written by his friend Felix Craig (right) posted on The AIDS Memorial Facebook page.
29 May 2022
‘Dublin was no city for gay young men’ – the Father Ted star who thrived in London‘ [News Article]
An ultimately happy story about Father Ted actor and author Patrick Duggan. The 1980s and 1990s saw many escape a repressive Ireland but faced an AIDS crisis in London and other destination cities. Others were driven out by criminalisation e.g. being arrested and getting the next boat across the Irish sea.
7 September 2021
‘An Irish fighter who ‘was out on the streets and insisting on his right to be gay‘ [News Article]
Colm Ó’Clúbhán was a very interesting character. A gay man, he emigrated to London and became involved in all the left politics and cultural initiatives. He also lived in the gay squats on Railton Road in Brixton.
Arthur Leahy and Laurie Steele also lived in the squats on Railton Road and were involved in similar politics and cultural projects.
This article succinctly gives an insight into his story.
1963
‘Unmarried Mothers‘ [Poem]
Many Irish sought to emigrate to a safer place over many decades. A poignant poem by Austin Clarke (‘Unmarried Mothers’) focused on the experience of the Castlepollard Mother and Baby Home which ends with the great lines about the hope of those who were emigrating, escaping that oppression for a better life.
“Luckier girls, on board a ship,
watch new hope spraying from the bollard”
Clarke’s collected poems are accessible below.
Kieran Rose 