New Books in Popular Culture Páraic Kerrigan, "LGBTQ Visibility, Media and Sexuality in Ireland" (Routledge, 2020)
Nov 16, 2025
Páraic Kerrigan, an Assistant Professor at University College Dublin, dives into the evolution of LGBTQ visibility in Irish media. He discusses how crucial events like Declan Flynn's murder sparked activism and shaped media representation. The conversation covers significant moments from the 1970s through the 2000s, including activism linked to the AIDS crisis and the media-savvy strategies utilized during the pivotal 1988 Late Late Show debate. Kerrigan also touches on the impact of the Celtic Tiger and post-decriminalization shifts in queer representation.
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Queer Production Studies Reveals Hidden Forces
- Kerrigan develops "queer production studies" to study how industry practices shape on‑screen LGBTQ visibility.
- He argues representation must be read alongside legal, industrial, and sociocultural contexts to understand visibility.
Declan Flynn As A Catalytic Moment
- Kerrigan opens with the 1982 murder of Declan Flynn to show brutal homophobia and its catalytic role for activism.
- He frames Flynn as "Ireland's Stonewall" that galvanized media activism and public protest.
Activists Used Scarce TV Space Strategically
- Early activists targeted scarce Irish TV deliberately to reach mass audiences and counter vile stereotypes.
- Edmund Lynch used his RTE insider role to place gay voices on national programs like Last House.
