Venue: The George
Town: Dublin, IE

The George is a LGBTQ bar and nightclub on South Great George's Street in the city centre of Dublin, Ireland. It is one of Ireland's oldest and biggest gay bars and is regarded as the best known gay bar in Ireland. South Great George's Street has historically been a popular location for gay men in Dublin. Opened in 1985, The George began as a gay-owned venture, eight years before homosexuality was legalised in Ireland. It was subsequently purchased by the group of bars and clubs owned by the Capital Bars Group and today it is owned by the Mercantile Entertainment Group who own several venues around the city including the popular music venue, Whelans. Originally a traditional pub on the corner of George's Street, The George was purchased by Cyril O'Brien who loved the atmosphere of the bar but wasn't quite so sure about the décor and thought the place could do with a revamp. In 1984 the area above the pub was transformed into a gay disco bar called 'The Loft', with the downstairs pub remaining as a straight venue. In May 1985 the venue expanded downstairs to the area now known as 'Bridie's Bar', at which point the overall venue became known as The George. Eventually, The George became a dedicated gay bar. It was only the second bar in the city to be owned by a gay proprietor and to be opened specifically as a gay bar; the other was 'The Viking' on Dame Street. Prior to this point, the city had multiple 'gay friendly' bars, however these venues did not openly trade as gay bars or advertise for LGBTQ clientele. The George provided a safe space where gay people could socialise with their friends without fear and prejudice. Through the years, the bar continued to grow in popularity and post decriminalisation in 1993 there was an explosion of numbers onto the gay scene and for the first time The George expanded. In 1998, The George extended again into the building next door, which had originally been an Indian restaurant. For many years it was the only large gay venue in