The George has long been a cornerstone of the LGBTQ+ community in Ireland. Established in 1986, it opened before being gay in Ireland was legal and over the last 40 years has acted as a safe haven for members of the LGBTQ+ community.
We spoke to iconic drag artists Davina Devine and Victoria Secret who have been performing in The George for over two decades about what The George and this milestone anniversary means to them.
The George is an institution of Dublin night life as a whole, but also a massive pillar of the LGBTQ+ community. What are some moments where you’ve really seen how much it means to people?
“Honestly, I think when you see how they use this space to celebrate moments in their life, that’s how you know this is a place that they want to be in, whether they’ve just gotten engaged, whether it’s their birthday parties, or they’ve got divorced, who knows, they make this place the center of marking that occasion. And I think that only comes from a place that’s really special”, says Victoria
Davina adds “You know, I think it’s very interesting as well, a lot of people that might struggle with sexuality, come here and find their tribe. They always want to, kind of bring their family into it, and bring their extended friends in and almost like, show off what they found, the joy that they found in here. So I think that’s always very interesting as well. And we’ve seen couples get married in the city and then come to do a little photo outside the George, especially if they met here”.
When you look at Dublin’s nightlife over the last 20 years or so, so many places have closed down , what is it that you think gives The George such lifeforce?
Davina answers first saying “I think it’s got such a strong identity. It’s a got lot of heart and soul, and we’ve kind of been the standard, for a long time, you know? We’ve kind of been consistent. We’ve always been there, the mantra has always, kind of stayed the same. I think the heart is really what’s kept us still beating”.
Victoria agrees; “Totally, and it’s more than a bar. It ends up being a community hub as such. That’s not to say it’s an outreach center or anything like that, but lots of community organizations use this space to reach out to the community, or even to fundraise. I think in the last month there’s been about five different fundraisers here. It’s more than just a place to go for a drink. It’s a place to connect with people”.
“It’s a mothership”, Davina jumps in.
How do you think the existence of a place like this has propelled drag performance in Ireland to where it is today?
“Honestly, I started a bit after Davina, so I got to watch her on stage before even stepping one foot on the stage. I think we all definitely inspire each other to level up all the time with some amazing drag in the country from like Shirley to Veda to Dolly to Davina beside me”, says Victoria.
She continues “I think we all, from working together, learn so much about the industry that we’re in, but like, we’re all inspired by pop culture too. You know, the pop divas that we see on what they’re doing on stage and trying to recreate some of that magic on stage in our own venue”.
“I’ve traveled around the world, and I’ve worked with lots of different places, and honestly, and I’m not just saying this, I don’t think anyone does it like the Irish. I think there’s a certain kind of charm or uniqueness that we have that I haven’t seen anywhere else”, Davina responds.
“The Irish craic” as Victoria puts it.
You have both had long careers. What was the drag landscape like here when you first started? In what ways do you think it has evolved?
“I started in 2002 and things were very different. People could smoke and everything indoors”, Davina says.
“Your wigs would actually stink from the cigarettes!’ Victoria explains.
“It was such a different time and everything has changed. I think the internet has changed things very slowly but even down to buying drag you know, everybody was kind of teaching each other, it was like an apprenticeship in that kind of way”, says Davina
“There was a queen who used to do her eyes with a toilet roll because she couldn’t figure out how to do an eye shape, we all have learned from each other, throughout those years too” Victoria adds laughing.
You’ve both performed all over the world. You host your own podcast. What is it about this place that just keeps you coming back every time?
Victoria answers saying, “The audience is so good here, I mean, as you said, we’ve performed in so many different countries, but nothing holds a candle to that. I think when you hear artists from around the world saying; ‘Oh my God, we love the crowd here in Ireland’, we get to experience that every week. So, we’re spoiled in many ways. And honestly, New York and L.A. could never”, she jokes.
Davina adds “Also aside from that, The George as an actual venue and as a bar, it’s such an amazing space to perform in. It’s got an amazing stage, amazing lighting rig etc, there’s not a lot of venues that actually have that. We’re kind of limited in Dublin. So just logistically, it’s a great space to perform in.”
Do you think that the existence of a place like the George, because it’s become such a cultural icon, has paved the way for access to drag in Ireland?
“Oh, god, yeah, absolutely. There’s so many things like, Shirley has been doing bingo here for a long time, and that was the only kind of bingo event that’s happening. Now, look, there’s lots of bingos, and then there’s, drag brunches popped up everywhere. But we were the original, that that’s just the way it was, you know”, Davina agrees
As Victoria puts it; “There’s something magic within these four walls that people have tried to recreate in other paces. But you can’t beat the original. Also, I feel like The George is a character, it’s not just a bar”.
“She’s a queen in her own right” Davina adds laughing.
It is a massive part of the Dublin zeitgeist, everyone knows what it is.
“Of Ireland, really. I know people throw out the word iconic, but it is actually a very iconic venue. We even see walking tours pass by here and they stop, and they talk about it. That says a lot”, Davina explains.
As a country, we’ve come massively, far, and The George has gone from a place where people are seeking refuge to just this massive cultural icon. What do you hope for the future of The George and places like it?
“I would love to see a late night opening on a Sunday, give us til’ 3am! I just hope people look after The George like it is another friend, there’s new generations coming along all the time”, Victoria says.
“And they don’t know the history, they haven’t experienced it, they haven’t lived it, so I think it’s about being aware of the past, because without it you wouldn’t have the present”, Davina explains further.
Finally Victoria adds; “The power of having a space for your community is massive, you need to gather, you need somewhere where people can feel safe, whether or not you’ve been lucky enough to have been accepted by your family, or maybe you felt very uncomfortable to be out, The George is there for you all of the time, she’s the friend you go to for the breakup”.
