Hilton Edwards is the a new weekly club that will run on Sunday nights at SPY - the new venue at Powerscourt shopping center. The Launch Night is tomorrow (December 31st - New Years eve), while it is produced by the same team as HAM (Fridays at the POD) it will be more relaxed. The promoters are aiming it towards an older crowd " You won't find disco kids in tight T-shirts dancing there." 

Yesterday's Irish Times (29th December) carried a feature on Dublin's gay scene titled 'Dublin's in the pink' - The article interviewed promoters of many gay venues in the city including the new club at SPY. Click here to view the article.

New Waterford club will open on Saturday Night (December 30th) at the The Forum - Regal Room with Mrs Claus Very Pink Christmas Party - Adm £5 - Doors 11:30pm

This is the third year in a row that the George has hosted a panto, Oliver Twist is the latest classic Christmas story to get the Shirley treatment...

The cast are currently in practice for the show which will run twice over the Christmas period, the 26th and 27th.. Most of the usual cast are involved including Dolly and Dizzy, Vada (who forgets to show up cos she's "alternative") The event see's the welcome return of Penny Bridge who is making her come back in the story. 

The plot is a mixture of Oliver, Annie and the Blair Witch Project - with the usual good guys Vs. bad guys panto action ("Oh no there's not!")

For a taster of what to expect check out our feature on 'Shirley's Sinderella Story' (Xmas panto 98) here

For full Christmas/New Years 2000 Listings click here

The Last ever LUBE Fetish Party at Lynch's will be held on Friday 29 December 2000 at 9pm Admission for Members is £2 and £3 to all others. As usual there is a strict dress code for the evening. To check what is wearable and whats not click here
Lube are now looking for a new venue, the group have been holding regular club nights in Lynch's but as reported earlier this month lynch's is to close in January. If you know of a venue that might be interested in hosting LUBE's dress code nights click here

Popular Irish boyband westlife played a concert at one of London's biggest gay Clubs on Saturday night. Fans were treated to new songs mixed with songs from the first westlife album. Band member Bryan was in high spirits - playing with the crowd, dressing in a sailors hat and doing an unplanned solo version of 'who let the dogs out' except he changed the lyrics to 'who let the Queens out'. For a full review visit our music section 

The playground is launching a new "Mixed" Saturday club night called 'score' at the Ormand Hotel. The club will open just before Christmas on Saturday December 23rd. The playground recently relaunched on Sunday nights at the same venue after spending some time in Pegs at the Earl of Kildare hotel. Visit our page on the playground in our 'Out + About' section.

The future of popular gay bar 'Lynchs' is currently unknown - recent conversations on the Gay-Ireland mailing list have revealed that the lease is up on the inner city pub in January and the current owner has decided not to renew it - The question on everyones lips is whether Lynch's will continue as a gay bar. 

Lynch's situated on Thomas Street started a weekly gay night on Saturday nights which proved so popular that it eventually became gay seven nights a week - the pub targeted an older crowd than the other bars in the city and introduced several features - including a dark room. It would be more profitable to keep the bar as a gay venue. Another rumour circulating is that the bar will be knocked down in the new year to make way for development. We will post more information as it becomes available, in the meantime visit our guide to Lynch's in the Out + About section.

Glória, Ireland's only lesbian and gay choir, will host its annual Christmas concert in Trinity College Chapel at 7.30pm on Friday week, 15 December. (The chapel is on the left as you come through the main gate.) The concert is in aid of CARI, the Children at Risk in Ireland Foundation. Admission £5. Tickets available at the door. 

Meanwhile Reach, the gay Christian group, will hold its annual carol service, again in the Unitarian Church on St Stephen's Green, on Saturday next, 9 December, at 7.30pm. (The church is on the same side as the Stephen's Green Shopping Centre, below the College of Surgeons.) For the second year running, the singing will be led by Glória. Donations are in aid of community charities. 

These are Glória's first public engagements in Dublin following its [her?] phenomenal success at GALA Chorus's Festival 2000 in San Jose in July where more than 5,000 singers from almost 150 gay and 
lesbian choirs sang their heads off for a week in a wonderful public display of community pride. Our Glória did us proud! Here now are two opportunities to hear this very accomplished community choir and to show them, by your participation, how much you appreciate them.

Read our online interview with Gloria in the Organisations Section.

'Spy' is the latest trendy venue to spring up in Dublin - built on the site of the former gay club 'Hooray Henry's' at the back of Powerscourt Shopping Center, it is due to open at the end of the Month. The man behind the POD 'John Reynolds' is also behind this new venture - it is originally going to target an over-25 market and will be very relaxed and laid back, altho some nights will operate on a members only basis. 'Hilton Edwards' is the name of the Sunday night event at SPY produced by the people who do HAM on Friday nights at the POD. Hilton Edwards (named after the founders of the Gate Theatre) will launch on New Years Eve 2000 at 8.00 

Trinity LGB society have set up a social group for those who enjoy things a little more serious and more cultural than the typical student fare. They are looking to recruit mature students, postgraduates, final year students, members of staff and recent graduates. For more information contact lgb@ireland.com 

Friday 22nd of December looks like annual bath night with two clubs in different parts of the country holding foam parties.

Limerick’s first ever Christmas Foam Party is held at Yum Yums in the
Glentworth hotel and The Kremlin in Belfast are having a 'moist' party which boasts 'killer foam' - both clubs are holding foam parties as part of their Christmas celebrations. Gay-Ireland.com will post a full guide to christmas during the week. Watch this space.  

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