The Quay Co-Op provided a common shared space for not just us lesbians and gay men, but a broad range of activists in the 1980s & 1990s - creating a safe space, a sense of community and a vision of a better Cork and society. It provided this sustenance for the spirit while simultaneously providing nourishing innovative food for our bodies!” CATHAL KERRIGAN The Quay Co-Op has been a beacon of hope and a place of safety and support in my life for the past 40 years. When I came out as a lesbian in Cork in 1981, the mission of the Co-Op to be feminist, socialist, and inclusive, reassured me that my life had value in spite of the hateful narratives and oppressive practices that prevailed in Ireland at the time. The women and men who have worked tirelessly in the Co-Op to fight against inequity and discrimination continue to inspire me. They leave a lasting legacy, not just in terms of bricks and mortar, successful businesses, great vegetables, and recipes but in the lives that have flourished because they found community there. Happily, that community has expanded to Cork City and Ireland and outwards to the world but I still see the Quay Co-Op at its heart.” JOAN MCCARTHY It was very clear in the early days that the only way to sustainably continue to operate as a hub for forward thinkers who wanted to make a difference was to also become a viable business. Today, the Quay Co-op on Sullivan’s Quay houses a vegetarian restaurant, a deli- café, and a bakery, as well as selling vegan, vegetarian, organic, health and well-being products in their stores in the city, in Ballincollig, and in Carrigaline. It is a worker’s co-operative; providing jobs for 50 workers and all profits are reinvested back into the people and the business. So, with so much achieved for the LGBT+ community over the last 40 years, you might think that there is nothing left to fight for at the Quay Co-op. Recent national and global struggles within the community are a stark reminder that the fight for equality is an ongoing one. High too on the agenda is the fight for animal rights, including urging the Irish Government to end the cage age and stop the barbaric live exports of our Irish animals. The looming climate crisis is also pushing the Quay Co-op to become a better sustainable business while simultaneously encouraging that ethos through the products they sell and through communications with their community. Commenting on our 40th anniversary
QUAY CO-OP 40TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
I started work in the Co-op in 1982. It was the closest thing we had to a lesbian and Gay centre in Cork in those days. But not just that, there was so much going on in the building in those days. The Cork Gay Collective, the Lesbian Line, a women’s only meeting space and library, CND, Anti-Apartheid, a separate food Co-Op, and various other groups and movements. The Co-op has changed somewhat over the years, it is more of an established business now. We are still very proud of our early days and of all that happened and continues to happen at The Quay Co-op. Our radical roots still inform everything that we do.” JOHN CALNAN
This year, 2022, the Quay Co-op celebrates 40 years of being in business in Cork. Naturally, with such a milestone, came some reflection on years past and, perhaps more importantly, has brought a sharp focus on what their members and workers want to achieve for the future. For those that don’t know the history; since the Quay Co- op opened in 1982, its members and workers have been involved in fighting for some of the most pivotal social justice campaigns for the community, locally and nationally. Upon opening, the Quay Co-op quickly became known as a space that offered a warm welcome to those who sought to organise against prejudice and for equality. Below, some key LGBT+ figures from the Quay Co-op’s history and current team members express what being part of the Quay Co-op has meant to them: “The Co-op for me is only a short temporary position until I decide what to do with myself. Or so I told myself 12 or 13 years ago. So, I think it’s time to accept I’m probably here for the long haul. Maybe I should ask myself why I stayed for so many years… It’s not just a group of health food shops and a vegetarian restaurant. Yes, that’s important, but for me, it’s the historical and continual fight for social justice that the Quay Co-op has always strived for that is the essence of the place. We strive to put people first, regardless of race, religion, and sexuality. The Quay Co-op is and always has been a safe place for people to express themselves and strive for a better Cork, a better Ireland, and a better world. The REAL Co-op is the people inside, who are the heart and soul of what we are and who strive for something better in this world.” TJ KEANE Quay Co-op Chairman
The Quay Co-Op is a wonderful story of vision, determination, hard work, cooperation, and a belief that change is possible... Little did we realize in the early 80’s as unemployment and poverty bit deep into the fabric of Cork, that new shoots were rising…Rising at city centre level in the Quay Co-Op, and rising and growing in the northside of the city through the work of the Cork Anti-Poverty Resource Network. Little did we realise, that as we reached hands of solidarity and practical support across the city, linking communities on the margins of the city, both organisations would stand the test of time... and define reality and our world from the inside out...I am very proud indeed to have been among the first 7 signatories to apply for legal status for the Co-Op... May it, and all of the Community Activism we continue to engage in, bear fruit as humanity reaches for higher levels of awareness and consciousness.” MÁIRE DORGAN Feminist/Community Activist & founding member of Cork Anti Poverty Resource Network
I wish everyone the very best and I know it will be a fantastic occasion. The Co-Op has been an important hub for so many things, including, early on, the opposition to inserting the 8th amendment into the constitution. Warmest wishes and congratulations to Arthur, in particular. He has been central to it all. A determined, brave, wonderful, campaigner.” SANDRA MCAVOY
The Quay Co-Op has been me and my family’s regular since I was a young child, and it was always one of my favourite places to come and eat. The staff has been amazing to me through the years and it was always so lovely to see them so often! The restaurant was my first job straight out of school and it was so easy for me to fit in there. I’ve worked everywhere from the kitchen to the front of house and I’ve enjoyed every minute, it’s been such a supportive environment for me. At the moment I’m working in the kitchen. I’m delighted to be there and hope to be working there for a long while! ” ROWAN ELLIOT
of the Quay Co-op, Co-Founder, Arthur Leahy said: “Our original vision at the Quay Co-op was for it to be a place for those who felt on the fringe of society to be valued and welcomed. In many ways that vision has come to fruition over the years, however with every inch
It’s wonderful to be celebrating 40 years. Congratulations to all at the Co-op. It is, and has been, such an important part of the fabric of life in Cork and a really significant part of my life here.” MARY MANGAN
of progress, a whole new raft of challenges seem to emerge. We would love nothing more therefore than to welcome a whole new raft of young campaigners to join us at the Quay Co-op to keep the fight alive.” #CorkPride2022
www.corkpride.com
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