Tonie Walsh
Encyclopedia
Tonie Walsh in Dublin, Ireland
, is an LGBT rights activist, journalist
, disc jockey
and founder of Irish Queer Archive
.
, County Tipperary
His 20s were spent mainly in the gay civil rights movement in Dublin, during which time he was one of the prime movers behind Dublin's LGBT
community space, the Hirschfeld Centre].
Walsh was president of the National Lesbian and Gay Federation (NLGF) from 1984 to 1988, at a time when it was co-litigant with Senator David Norris in his constitutional action (Norris v. Attorney General
). During this period Walsh worked as a staff reporter with Ireland's first commercial gay magazine, OUT, which folded in 1988. Walsh along with gay activist Catherine Glendon founded Gay Community News
, an A3 newspaper which he also edited during its first two years. GCN is Ireland's longest running gay publication.
After ten years of activism, Walsh followed his boyfriend to London
where he remained for a time, before returning to his native town and launching himself as a DJ and club promoter. Throughout the 1990s, Walsh played at well known club nights among them Horny Organ Tribe, Elevator, the fetish club GAG, Powderbubble, H.A.M., Cork
's club Telefunkin and the HIV
/AIDS
fund-raising alternative beauty pageant Alternative Miss Ireland
.
In 1997, he reorganised NLGF's archive holdings into what would later become the Irish Queer Archive
(IQA). Drawing on materials from IQA's collection, Walsh curated both "Pride and Protest" at Belfast's Central Library (2005) and "Revolting Homosexuals" (Outhouse and GUBU, Dublin 2004). On the 16th June 2008, the Irish Queer Archive officially transferred its materials to the National Library of Ireland
marking it as a significant and historical event.
Walsh retired in 2006 as a professional DJ and club promoter to concentrate on a number of research and writing projects.
Walsh is an older bother of Royseven
lead singer Paul Walsh. He is the great-grandson of Hector Hughes
, former Labour MP for Aberdeen (UK).
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, is an LGBT rights activist, journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
and founder of Irish Queer Archive
Irish Queer Archive
Irish Queer Archive is a comprehensive collection of material in Ireland relating to homosexuality, LGBT literature and general queer studies....
.
Biography
Walsh spent most of his childhood in ClonmelClonmel
Clonmel is the county town of South Tipperary in Ireland. It is the largest town in the county. While the borough had a population of 15,482 in 2006, another 17,008 people were in the rural hinterland. The town is noted in Irish history for its resistance to the Cromwellian army which sacked both...
, County Tipperary
County Tipperary
County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...
His 20s were spent mainly in the gay civil rights movement in Dublin, during which time he was one of the prime movers behind Dublin's LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
community space, the Hirschfeld Centre].
Walsh was president of the National Lesbian and Gay Federation (NLGF) from 1984 to 1988, at a time when it was co-litigant with Senator David Norris in his constitutional action (Norris v. Attorney General
Attorney General of Ireland
The Attorney General is a constitutional officer who is the official adviser to the Government of Ireland in matters of law. He is in effect the chief law officer in Ireland. The Attorney General is not a member of the Government but does participate in cabinet meetings when invited and attends...
). During this period Walsh worked as a staff reporter with Ireland's first commercial gay magazine, OUT, which folded in 1988. Walsh along with gay activist Catherine Glendon founded Gay Community News
Gay Community News (Dublin)
Gay Community News, based in Dublin, is Ireland's longest-running LGBT publication. First published on 10 February 1988 when Tonie Walsh and Catherine Glendon, both activists on the Dublin gay scene, decided it was time for Ireland’s gay and lesbian population to have a free publication of their...
, an A3 newspaper which he also edited during its first two years. GCN is Ireland's longest running gay publication.
After ten years of activism, Walsh followed his boyfriend to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
where he remained for a time, before returning to his native town and launching himself as a DJ and club promoter. Throughout the 1990s, Walsh played at well known club nights among them Horny Organ Tribe, Elevator, the fetish club GAG, Powderbubble, H.A.M., Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
's club Telefunkin and the HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
/AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
fund-raising alternative beauty pageant Alternative Miss Ireland
Alternative Miss Ireland
The Alternative Miss Ireland is an annual event which takes place in Dublin, Ireland on the Sunday closest to St. Patrick's Day, 17 March. It occurs over about 3 and a half hours and features a pastiche of the beauty pageant rounds inspired by Andrew Logan's Alternative Miss World, with...
.
In 1997, he reorganised NLGF's archive holdings into what would later become the Irish Queer Archive
Irish Queer Archive
Irish Queer Archive is a comprehensive collection of material in Ireland relating to homosexuality, LGBT literature and general queer studies....
(IQA). Drawing on materials from IQA's collection, Walsh curated both "Pride and Protest" at Belfast's Central Library (2005) and "Revolting Homosexuals" (Outhouse and GUBU, Dublin 2004). On the 16th June 2008, the Irish Queer Archive officially transferred its materials to the National Library of Ireland
National Library of Ireland
The National Library of Ireland is Ireland's national library located in Dublin, in a building designed by Thomas Newenham Deane. The Minister for Arts, Sport & Tourism is the member of the Irish Government responsible for the library....
marking it as a significant and historical event.
Walsh retired in 2006 as a professional DJ and club promoter to concentrate on a number of research and writing projects.
Walsh is an older bother of Royseven
Royseven
Royseven are a six-piece alternative rock band from Dublin, Ireland. Their debut album The Art of Insincerity was released in October 2006. The band received the Hope for 2007 award at the 2007 Meteor Awards....
lead singer Paul Walsh. He is the great-grandson of Hector Hughes
Hector Hughes
Hector Samuel James Hughes was a Scottish Labour Party politician.In the Labour landslide at the 1945 general election, he was elected as Member of Parliament for Aberdeen North...
, former Labour MP for Aberdeen (UK).