I’ve been wondering lately about when I went back into the closet.

Please don’t misunderstand me – I’m not actually in any closet. I’ve been out and loud and proud for 20 years.
Last May I stood on the streets of my home town in a high-visibility orange vest with ‘YES EQUALITY’ emblazoned on it, and knocked on people’s doors in the evening, to campaign for a yes vote in the marriage referendum.
I came out at work in the mid 90’s when I did not know a single other gay person in my place of employment.
I went on a gay pride parade in Dublin in 1996. I was one of a thousand participants that year (last year estimates put the participant numbers at 50,000 people). I suppose you could say that I was screaming. I was here, I was queer, get used to it.
As it were. Continue reading The strong, silent type →

There is a general election in 9 days. It was announced approximately a fortnight ago – there’s one thing to be said for Irish elections – they are pretty zippy – none of these yearlong campaigns that seem in evidence in certain larger countries across the ocean to the west.

I’ve already described my adventures in getting my vote transferred to Dublin and how I intend to vote for candidates based entirely on their looks. Continue reading Vote early, vote often →

Being diabetic is not massively disruptive to my life. Granted I know little else, having been a mere 3 years old when I was diagnosed. It must have been upsetting for the parents though. Also quite worrying– seeing as it’s a fairly serious long-term, chronic illness with some deeply unglamourous long term side effects if neglected.

It’s the short term side effects that are the most dramatic however – the hypoglycaemia. Continue reading My elegant illness →

Today, on the day of love, I am lying unshaven, on the sofa in tracksuit and flip-flops debating to myself about which film to go see in the cinema later this evening.  I will be going to the film alone.
This is not a pity me party. In the last few years I have become quite at ease with doing stuff on my own. Continue reading Happy Valentine’s Day →

I have spent the last 2.5 days in the midlands of Ireland in a 4 star hotel where, in a conference centre, I have been meeting a work client.

I am well aware that what I am going to describe is not actually traumatic in any real sense but I am utterly exhausted by my exertions over the last 3 days – even though nothing was required of me save my charming self and good humour. Continue reading Shellshocked →

I will be acting a lot over the next few days.
Not with a drama group though.
With a client.
OK so I won’t be officially acting,  as I won’t be pretending to be someone I am not. There are no lines to learn or stage directions to memorise. But there is certainly a role to be played. Continue reading Show your teeth →

A few days ago I wrote about it being 6 months since I returned to Ireland.
Today is another 6 month anniversary. It may not appear as momentous but there is little doubt in my mind that it is far more significant in the longer term. I smoked my last cigarette on August 8th last year. Continue reading The unsmoking diary →

I am sprawled on the sofa like a blimp with a pot of tea, a packet of Hob Nobs and a hangover.

Last night a friend called over. We were om a mission to check out the local nightspots in my new / his old neighbourhood. Continue reading Pub-crawl →