Ireland

The age of consent is 17 for homosexuals as for heterosexuals in Ireland. On the 19th of July, 2010 the President of Ireland, Mrs. Mary McAleese, signed the Civil Partnership Act. The law means for many thousand of men and women a strengthening and security of their civil rights. In January 2011, Senator David Norris launched his campaign for the presidency and was long considered a strong contender for winning the election, which would have given the Irish the first gay head of state in history. But Norris increasingly came under pressure in connection with earlier statements on paedophilia and was finally forced to concede in summer that, 15 years earlier, he had asked the Israeli authorities for leniency regarding a former lover who had been convicted for sex with a minor. At the election in October 2011, Norris only gained 6.2 % of first votes. An annual Gay Pride Festival takes place in Dublin, Cork and Galway as well as the famous gay and lesbian Film Festival every August bank holiday in Dublin. Also the annual Alternative Miss Ireland competition is held in Dublin where the winners of regional heats battle it out for the crown. Held in March each year, this is the highlight of the gay calendar and the event is hosted by Ireland's leading drag artiste Panti. For exact dates, please see our Events Calendar for at the back of this guide. A lively gay scene has developed in Dublin and Cork and be sure to check out the infamous drag shows in The George bar in Dublin.