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.

Mary Ellen Campbell was the first openly gay Deputy Lord Mayor in Belfast in 2016. During her time there she submitted a motion for an LGBTQIA+ stained glass window. Fast forward to 2025 and the window was launched in June 2025 by counsellor Micky Murray who was approaching the end of his time as Belfast's first openly Gay Mayor.

for more information on the LGBTQIA+ Heritage project please visit https://hereni.org/lgbtqia-heritage-project/

This video has been produced for the LGBTQIA+ HeritageProject in partnership with HereNI, Cara-Friend and The Rainbow Project withfunding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Subject to CC BY 4.0 Licence.

This video has been produced for the LGBTQIA+ HeritageProject in partnership with HereNI, Cara-Friend and The Rainbow Project withfunding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Subject to CC BY 4.0 Licence.

in this episode Joe Walsh talks to Eddie Stewart about coming out in Belfast in 1995 with the help of Cara-Friend, making friends on the social scene in the Crows Nest, Parliament and the opening of the Kremlin for which Eddie still has his membership card. Tune in for a mince down memory lane

This video has been produced for the LGBTQIA+ Heritage Project in partnership with HereNI, Cara-Friend and The Rainbow Project with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Subject to CC BY 4.0 Licence.

part 2 of interview with Cat Brogan speaking about being a Lesbian, love, life and campaigning and the start of Omagha Pride.

This video has been produced for the LGBTQIA+ Heritage Project in partnership with HereNI, Cara-Friend and The Rainbow Project with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Subject to CC BY 4.0 Licence.

Joe Walsh speaks with Cat Brogan in this 2 part episode, Cat paints a colourful picture about coming out in Rural Omagh and the early days before the internet was used for meeting people.

This video has been produced for the LGBTQIA+ Heritage Project in partnership with HereNI, Cara-Friend and The Rainbow Project with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Subject to CC BY 4.0 Licence.

In this episode in Irish for Seachtain na Gaeilge (Irish language week) Dr Richard O’Leary recounts his years of LGBTQ activism in the faith sector, the landmark legal case he took in 2006 against the Irish government and his latest career as a fairy storyteller or homoseanchaí. Richard was Interviewed by our volunteer Pádraig Donnelly

Sa chlár seo do Sheachtain na Gaeilge insíonn an Dr Richard O’Leary na blianta atá caite aige i mbun gníomhaíochta LADTA in earnáil an chreidimh, an cás dlí suntasach a thóg sé i 2006 i gcoinne rialtas na hÉireann agus a ghairm bheatha is déanaí mar homoseanchaí. Chuir ár n-oibrí deonach Pádraig Donnelly Richard faoi agallamh.

This episode has been produced for the LGBTQIA+ Heritage Project in partnership with HereNI, Cara-Friend and The Rainbow Project with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Subject to CC BY 4.0 Licence.