MOTHER co-founders Lisa Connell and Cormac Cashman on Cultúr Club 2024
Ahead of St. Patrick’s Festival’s Cultúr Club on Saturday 16 March, Sarah Gill chats with MOTHER co-founders Lisa Connell and Cormac Cashman on Irish pride, queer clubbing, and what’s to be expected from the 2024 offering.
Founded in 2010, MOTHER is a weekly club night in Dublin city centre celebrating LGBTQ+ club culture that’s grown in leaps and bounds to become a veritable institution of Irish nightlife.
As part of St Patrick’s Festival, MOTHER returns to proudly present Cultúr Club, a very special night of live music, queer performance and art in celebration in one of Ireland’s most iconic spaces, The National Museum of Ireland.
Across three stages, including a 3500-capacity main stage dance tent, a drag cabaret circus tent and the outdoor arena in Clarke Square, Cultúr Club is bringing an array of live music, DJ, and drag talent from across the LGBTQ+ community, traversing musical styles from electronic and disco to trad, techno and beyond for a massive multi-stage queer dance party.
To give us a little insight of what’s in store, and an idea of the highlights and progress from the past 15 years, co-founders Lisa Connell and Cormac Cashman share the MOTHER story so far…
Lisa, tell me a little bit about your background and how you decided to create MOTHER
MOTHER is a weekly club night based in Dublin city centre founded in 2010 to, among other things, raise vital funds for the national LGBTQ+ press, GCN. I was working with GCN and Cormac was an emerging promoter with a very successful LGBTQ+ student night, Prhomo.
We created MOTHER in a very specific context, that of the recession and for a very particular set of needs. Fundraising for a beloved community resource and the desire to create a safe and queer space for the community at a challenging time for all. The recession affected everyone differently but we had a belief that dancing and gathering together needed to be prioritised.
Coming up to 15 years of MOTHER, from a basement breakfast nook to a veritable institution of Dublin nightlife, how does it feel to reflect on how much it’s grown and how much Irish society has progressed?
Humble beginnings with disco lights duct-taped to pod tables and decks assembled on high couches didn’t dampen our delight at creating a new queer space in the city. From night one we had our not-so-secret to success, our beloved Resident DJs, they are the beating heart of all that we do and keep the party going. We love them.
Ireland has witnessed seismic social change since 2010, much of which was led and supported by the LGBTQ+ community. Marriage Equality, Gender Recognition, Repeal of the 8th to name a few.
We were happy to do our bit and play our part with lots of activism and fundraising across two referendums (Mar Ref and Repeal the 8th), and supporting our trans family all along the way. Trans rights are human rights.
It brings us so much joy to witness the magic that can happen in a queer space when people are connecting, letting loose and given permission to be themselves.
he evolution in understanding in society that clubbing is a legitimate cultural expression that adds value to people's lives and our communities is a really positive first step.
What have been some of the highlights for you over the years?
We have had the privilege of supporting some of the most iconic acts in the world across the past decade. The MOTHER DJ’s supported Grace Jones for her Olympia shows a few years ago. That stands out as a highlight for sure.
Generally though, we just love creating parties that platform LGBTQ+ talent and create space for queer joy to flourish!
We’ve all felt that transformative power of togetherness on the dance floor — can you describe the feeling of a MOTHER event to those who are yet to attend.
MOTHER is a sweaty joy filled hug of a day/night out. Expect to dance a lot, have a laugh with your friends and leave feeling a little bit lighter. We’re all about queer joy and fun. We provide a space for people to be themselves, and within that space the LGBTQ+ community shines.
The atmosphere and joy that comes from being at a MOTHER show is a vibe. 10/10. And that all comes from the crowd who attend.
Club culture in Ireland seems to be approaching a turning point, what are some improvements or changes you want to see or make in the future?
For us, the evolution in understanding in society that clubbing is a legitimate cultural expression that adds value to people’s lives and our communities is a really positive first step.
I think being locked inside for a few years really made a lot of people value the joy that comes from a communal experience, whether that be on a sweaty dance floor, or a couple of drinks with pals in the smoking area.
We could go on and on about licensing laws, and how to bring about change for that aspect of clubbing and that will come,, but i think people are getting to a place now that it’s generally understood that we need a new approach to how we treat nightlife, and the vital part it does and should play for many in a society.
In a world where the context for many minority communities is still so challenging, particularly for LGBTQ+ folk, the antidote is queer joy and expression.
What can we expect from Cultúr Club this year?
Returning as part of St. Patrick’s Festival 2024 on 16 March, Cultúr Club is a very special night of live music, queer performance and art in celebration of Irish LGBTQ+ club culture and the transformative power of the dancefloor.
Across three stages including a 3500-capacity main stage dance tent, a drag cabaret circus tent, and the outdoor arena in Clarke Square, Cultúr Club programmes an array of live, DJ, and drag talent from across the LGBTQ+ community, traversing musical styles from electronic and disco to trad, techno and beyond for a massive multi-stage queer dance party.
It’s a very special thing to have LGBTQI+ pride be celebrated on this national stage part and parcel with Irish pride — how does it feel to be at the helm of something so important to so many people?
In a world where the context for many minority communities is still so challenging, particularly for LGBTQ+ folk, the antidote is queer joy and expression. Also, with the rise of the far right in Ireland, it’s very important for queer and Irish pride to be allied in this way. Irish Culture is queer culture and vice versa.
Cultúr Club takes place on Saturday 16 March at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks as part of St. Patrick’s festival. Tickets are on sale now via Eventbrite.
You can find MOTHER online.
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