Joe Walsh has a quick chat with Ciaran Heggerty about a new play he has written " The Upsidedown House" and will be shown in the MAC Theatre 22 Oct - 2 Nov 2025. A first love story, one last time.Heartfelt, hilarious, and wildly imaginative, The Upside-Down House is a time-bending story of love, memory, and learning to letting go.When Older returns to the abandoned house of his youth, he’s confronted by the memory of his first love - vivid, funny, and impossible to ignore. As the house collapses around them, they’re swept through a dreamlike maze of their past, reliving the electricity and heartache of their secret romance.Think Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind meets Normal People. The Upside-Down House is the latest production from the UK’s award-winning Tinderbox Theatre Company, premiering at the Belfast International Arts Festival.
The LGBTQIA+ Heritage Project is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. License: This video is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.

Part 2: In this episode of Queeritage, Joe Walsh sitsdown with acclaimed author and playwright PaulMcVeigh to explore what it meant to grow up gay in Belfast during the Troubles

Paul discusses his novel The Good Son and his play The Big Man, which premieredat the Lyric Theatre as part of the Belfast International Festival, offer powerful insights into masculinity, identity, and survival.

Paul also speaks about his more recent projects, including I Hear You, and where listeners can find his work—check out local stores such as Paperxclips and No Alibis for copies of his books.

The conversation rounds out with a look at modern queerintimacy, sex, and hookups, contrasting past and present experiences of connection in Belfast’s LGBTQIA+ community.

Creative Commons Licence Notice:
This episode is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Feel free to share it, but please credit Queeritage and do not alter or use itcommercially.

Part 1: In this episode of Queeritage, Joe Walsh sitsdown with acclaimed author and playwright PaulMcVeigh to explore whatit meant to grow up gay in Belfast during the Troubles. From navigating thecomplex social terrain of bars like TheCrow’s Nest, to confronting the culture of groping in old gay venues,Paul shares candid reflections on queer life in a city shaped by conflict andconservatism.

We delve into the nuances of coming out—and not comingout—in a time when visibility could be dangerous, and discuss how theseexperiences have informed Paul’s creative work. check out local stores such as Paperxclips and No Alibis for copies of his books.

Trigger Warning: This episode containsdiscussion of sexual assault, the Northern Irish conflict, and mild swearing. Listenerdiscretion is advised.

Creative Commons Licence Notice:
This episode is released under a Creative CommonsAttribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Feel free toshare it, but please credit Queeritage and do not alter or use itcommercially.