Rory O’Neill : Shameless (re-release)

Topics covered : Mental health, homophobia, same-sex marriage referendum in Ireland, rejecting shame.

This week marks 10 years of the marriage equality referendum in Ireland when the country overwhelmingly voted 'yes' and in doing so became the first country in the world to grant equal marriage rights to same-sex couples by popular vote.

3 years ago I spoke to bar owner, drag queen and activist, Rory O’Neill aka Panti Bliss.

Originally from Ballinrobe in Mayo, Rory lives in Dublin city with his husband Anderson and their dog Penny.

We spoke in late February 2022 and at times there is an eerie poignancy to our conversation as it happened as Covid restrictions were being lifted here in Ireland, but before the invasion of Ukraine.

In this conversation we speak about his now iconic Noble call in the Abbey Theatre and the events which led to it, he speaks about the impact the pandemic had on him, the freedom his alter ego Panti gives him, how he rejects shame of any kind and how he would like to be remembered.

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