Are you traveling or moving to Dublin and wondering where to meet queer women? Dublin is a small city, and while there aren’t any strictly lesbian bars, the nightlife is still vibrant, and there are some gay bars and even monthly lesbian parties.
Spinster, Bad Bobs, 35-37 East Essex Street
This is a monthly lesbian rooftop party and the best place to meet new people! I went there several times and always had a blast. The party is held at the rooftop of Bad Bobs and if you’re going there for the first time, you might have a hard time finding the place because it feels like a labyrinth taking all those stairs up! Even though it’s technically a rooftop, you don’t even realize it because of the heat lamps, but this also means that you can smoke there (which I found really annoying because I can’t stand smoking). But the party is always fun, and there are lady DJs to play music and keep you up all night. Check out their Facebook page for upcoming events and remember to post to their wall when they open the cheap list (this will give you a cheaper entrance fee of 5€).
The George, 89 South Great Georges Street
The George is the oldest and most famous gay bar in Dublin. It’s a typical gay nightclub with drag queens and all kinds of people. The best days to go there are Saturdays and Sundays.
On Saturdays, they have karaoke starting at 10 p.m. and I recommend you to go there earlier to get free entry. I’m not a singer but I enjoyed watching other people perform, and the karaoke is hosted by drag queens.
Sundays are famous for their bingo night – also hosted by the drag queens, and they even perform after the game is over. Awesome drag show and the bingo is always fun (even though I never win!).
The Front Lounge / Street 66, 33-34 Parliament St
All the queer people I met called this place The Front Lounge but it had actually changed its name, and it’s now called Street 66. So if you try to find this place on Google Maps, type Street 66. This is a great place to go before hitting up the dance floors of The George or Spinster. Or if you just want to have a drink mid-week as it seemed to be a very popular after-work place too. Here you can meet a bit older lesbians as its a more chill hang out spot compared to The George.
PantiBar, 7-8 Capel Street
This bar is a run by a famous Irish drag queen and gay rights activist – Panti Bliss. I felt like the crowd was mostly men so I wouldn’t call this a good place to meet women. However, is a great place to visit with friends and definitely check out their Facebook page for special events!
Where to Stay in Dublin
If you’re traveling to Dublin and want to be close to all of these gay bars, you’re in luck because all of these places are very close to each other in the center of the city (Temple Bar area). Some top-rated hotels in the area are:
The Merchant House which is a five-star hotel in the heart of Temple Bar. For pictures and the latest availability, check out Booking.com or HotelsCombined.com.
Brooks Hotel which is a 4-star designer boutique hotel. For pictures and the latest availability, check out Booking.com or HotelsCombined.com.
Cheaper options would be staying at hostels, and I can recommend Generator Hostel (check out on Booking.com or HotelsCombined) or The Times Hostel – Camden Place (check out on Booking.com or HotelsCombined). Both are around 15 minutes walk away from Temple Bar but in opposite directions.
For apartments, check out Bachelors Walk on Booking.com or HotelsCombined or use Airbnb. There are lots of nice Airbnbs in the center or at least very close by. If you’re not already using Airbnb, use my link to sign up and get 35€ in travel credit.
Facebook Groups
I found Facebook groups to be helpful for meeting new queer people. The best and most active group is called LQBTwentiesThirties Ladies which is a group for 20/30 something year old queer ladies to socialize. They organise different events and meet-ups every week, and you can also post there yourself and create new events. If you don’t know many LGBT folks in Dublin yet, this is a great place to meet new people and find friends to join you for Spinster for example.
If you’re into health and fitness, there’s also a group called LGBT Girls (Ireland): Health & Fitness. They also organize meetups, and the best way to join is to check out their group on meetup.com
3 comments
Althogi’m heterosexual, I appreciate thay you’re able to provide such insights and tips to the lesbian community.
Thanks for commenting 🙂
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