| abstract | - Mr Gay Ireland is an annual contest for gay men, with regional heats held in gay venues around Ireland, with a grand final held in late October. In previous years the final has been held in The George, Dublin. Founded in 2005 and originally called Mr Gay Dublin, the event is organized by the Dublin Gay Theatre Festival. Mr Gay Ireland has become more than a beauty contest and has become a nationwide community civic and social project designed to overcome negative stereotypes of gay people and to encourage a civic and social action for HIV/Aids amongst the contestants and their friends. The success of Mr Gay Ireland and Mr Gay Northern Ireland as a HIV/Aids benefit is a tribute to the tremendous cooperation from the community and the very high standard of contestants themselves. The contest in previous years has been hosted by Brendan Courtney, alongside Dolly Grip, one of the George's resident drag queens. Mr Gay Ireland is run by a group of volunteers from the International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival a registered, not for profit company, limited by guarantee. Since its inception Mr Gay Ireland has donated almost 50,000euros to charitable causes including Round Tower Housing Association (HIV/Aids), St. James Hospital Foundation (HIV/Aids) Belong To Youth Development, The KAL case and GCN. Each year the competition will exclusively benefit HIV/Aids charities in Ireland. Mr Gay Ireland 2008 Barry Meegan made the Grand Final in the Mr Gay International Competition in Hollywood in January. Both he and Mr Gay Northern Ireland represented Ireland in the Mr Europe Competition in Budapest July 1-6th. Mr Gay Ireland 2007 John Rice was 3rd in Budapest in 2007. Mikey Robinson, Mr Gay Northern Ireland 2007 made the top 8 in Budapest (‘07), following Mr Gay Ireland 2006 Keith Kearney’s second place in Mr Gay Europe in Amsterdam in 2006. It is the only ‘all- Ireland’ event of its kind and it does a lot to welcome rural communities to Dublin – many for the first time. Diversity is the key and we have had entrants from 18 to 40, and many nationalities competing for the prize. Mr Gay Dublin ‘07 is Spanish and Mr Gay South West ‘08 is Polish.
|
