Meet the Queens of Cork, Ireland: Stars of "Dragging Up The Past"

The MTU Cork LGBT* Society’s much-anticipated Dragging Up The Past: Cork Drag Timeline documentary will premiere online Friday, February 12, nearly a year after it’s opening was originally postponed. Directed by a former Cork Institute of Technology student Robin Guiton, the film highlights the history of drag in Cork through interviews and archival footage. A virtual Q&A session following the premiere will feature the filmmakers, some of the stars from the movie, and a special appearance by Panti Bliss, the self-described Queen of Ireland.

Check out the trailer for Dragging Up Cork and meet the queens below.

The online launch of Dragging Up Cork and accompanying Q&A session are free. You can reserve your ticket for both at their EventBrite page.

Cork is known as Ireland’s rebellious second city, and it has developed into a welcoming and inclusive environment for the queer community and famed for its drag nightlife. Of course, no documentary of the area’s drag scene would be complete if it did not begin with Cork’s own Danny La Rue, who brought drag into British homes in the 1960s and ’70s via his numerous television appearances. Queen Elizabeth II recognized his contributions to the country when she awarded him with the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 2002.

“LGBT+ history has been something that was hidden in the shadows or completely erased in the past, so it’s important for projects like this and the fantastic Cork LGBT Archive to be supported,” Konrad Im, the documentary’s project coordinator, said in a statement. “We’re excited to finally release the documentary to the public, and proud to be in a position to record the history of drag in Cork for future generations.”

In the meantime, we’ve curated quotes from a few of our favorite Cork drag queens below.

Candy Warhol

Candy Warhol describes herself as a “former child actress and teen model turned drag queen” who was obsessed with drag as a child.

So what aesthetic is Candy sporting as an adult?

“Imagine if Glenda the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West had an eccentric cousin they don’t like to speak to? That would be me.”

Yikes.

Letycha Le’Synn

Letycha Le’Synn says she represents “the bigger queens of the industry.” She adores the aesthetic of Violet Chachki who “plays very much on the burlesque side of things.” Le’Synn’s also thankful that drag gives her an excuse to wear her sinfully delicious heels in public.

Wait. You need an excuse to wear heels in public?

Liam Bee and Dakota Mode

Liam Bee (left) says she tries to keep her aesthetic “outside the box” and that she’s currently sporting “Club Kid, kinda like Club Kid glam.” Dakota Mode says there are two types of drag queens: those who started on Pride, and those who started on Halloween. (Hint: she’s a Halloween drag queen)

Mia Gold

Mia Gold says describes herself as “very sexy, provocative, and very-ladylike-ish.” She also reveals she enjoyed wearing high heels at home as a child “even when mum wasn’t home.”

Miss Kitty Cartier and Fabula Di Beaumarchais

Fabula Di Beaumarchais (right) says her aesthetic is “old money Sunday well” although she seemed a bit unsure if that was an aesthetic at all. Miss Kitty Carlisle is more certain of her aesthetic, describing it as “glamour, sophistication, beauty, wit, charm, and, above all, modesty.” She did admit that viewing photographs of her first attempts at drag made her want to “put a paper bag on its head and pop it in the river with concrete slippers” because it “looked like a pig.”