Cork is governed by federal Ireland law. Learn more
- Homosexuality
- ⚢✔ Legal
- Gay Marriage
- ⚭✔ Legal
- Censorship
- ✔ No censorship
- Changing Gender
- ✔ Legal, no restrictions
- Gender-Affirming Care
- ✖ Legal, but restricted for minors
- Non-Binary Gender Recognition
- ✖ Not legally recognized
- Hate Crime Protections
- ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
- Discrimination
- ✔ Illegal
- Employment Discrimination
- ✖ Sexual orientation only
- Housing Discrimination
- ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
- Adoption
- ✔ Legal
- Intersex Infant Surgery
- ✖ Not banned
- Military
- ✔ Legal
- Donating Blood
- ✔ Legal
- Conversion Therapy
- ✖ Not banned
- Age of Consent
- ✔ Equal
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Public Opinion
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Homosexual activity in Cork is legal.
Current status
Since Jun 24, 1993
Legal
Homosexuality was decriminalized in Ireland with the the passing of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act, 1993.
Illegal (up to life in prison as punishment)
The Offences Against the Persons Act, 1861 made “buggery” an offence punishable by penal servitude, it was enacted by the UK parliament prior to Irish independence. Under the section “Unnatural Offences”, the Act read: “Whosoever shall be convicted of the abominable crime of buggery, committed either with mankind or with any animal shall be liable … to be kept in penal servitude for life.”
Same-sex marriage in Cork is legal.
Current status
Since Nov 16, 2015
Censorship of LGBT issues in Cork is no censorship.
Current status
No censorship
In Ireland, there are no laws or policies restricting the discussion or promotion of LGBTQ+ topics, issues or organisations.
Right to change legal gender in Cork is legal, no restrictions.
Current status
Since Jul 15, 2015
Legal, no restrictions
For adults over 18, individuals can change their legal gender without surgery. However, for individuals between the age of 16-18, there is a "route to recognition"
Until Jul 15, 2015
Illegal
No legislation at present, but government has said it will legislate and there has been a landmark court prompting the government to seek legislation surrounding the issue. This legislation has yet to be carried out.
Gender-affirming care in Cork is legal, but restricted for minors.
Current status
Legal, but restricted for minors
The two ways transgender people can receive gender affirming care are through the public health system's National Gender Service (NGS) or through private care. You cannot receive care until you are 18 through the public system. The NGS was founded in 2016.
Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Cork is not legally recognized.
Current status
Not legally recognized
As per the Gender Recognition Act of 2015, residents of the Republic of Ireland can only change their legal gender marker to male or female. The Gender Recognition Act is written in binary terms of gender and there is no mention of non-binary identity in the act.
Hate crime protections in Cork is sexual orientation and gender identity.
Current status
Since Dec 31, 2024
Sexual orientation and gender identity
LGBT employment discrimination in Cork is sexual orientation only.
Current status
Since Oct 18, 1999
Sexual orientation only
Since 1999, employment discrimination has been added as an act for Ireland, sexual orientation was proposed and passed in 1999.
There are no explicit protections from discrimination on the basis of gender identity in employment but in practice, trans Irish people have been able to use the prohibition of gender-based discrimination to rule in their favour in cases of transphobia in employment.
There are no explicit protections from discrimination on the basis of gender identity in employment but in practice, trans Irish people have been able to use the prohibition of gender-based discrimination to rule in their favour in cases of transphobia in employment.
Same-sex adoption in Cork is legal.
Current status
Since May 23, 2015
Legal
As Same Sex Marriage is now fully legal, same sex couples can adopt children. One month before it became legal, same sex couples can also adopt children.
Intersex infant surgery in Cork is not banned.
Current status
Not banned
There are no laws banning intersex infant surgery in Ireland.
Serving openly in military in Cork is legal.
Current status
Since Jan 1, 2007
Legal
Section 1.5 of Ireland's Defence Forces's "Equality, Diversity, and Equal Status Policies" state that "the nine (9) grounds on which discrimination is prohibited are: Gender, marital status, family status, disability, sexual orientation, age, religion, race and membership of the Traveller community."
Blood donations by MSMs in Cork is legal.
Current status
Since Nov 28, 2022
Legal
New changes to blood donation screening questions mean men who have sex with men will no longer have to wait four months before giving blood, and now will receive the same criteria as heterosexual men.
Banned (less than 6-month deferral)
On March 28, 2022, the deferral period has been reduced to four months.
Banned (1-year deferral)
The Irish Government enforces a one-year deferral on men who have had sex with men from donating blood.
Until Jan 14, 2017
Banned (indefinite deferral)
The Irish Blood Transfusion Service enforces an indefinite ban on men who have sex with men from donating blood.
Conversion therapy in Cork is not banned.
Current status
Not banned
Conversion therapy is currently not banned in Ireland. However, in 2023, the government vowed to look into banning the practice.
Equal age of consent in Cork is equal.
Current status
Since Jun 24, 1993
Equal
The age of consent in Ireland is the same for heterosexual and homosexual sex and has never been unequal. Section 2 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 1993 states: "Subject to sections 3 and 5 of this Act, any rule of law by virtue of which buggery between persons is an offence is hereby abolished".
Legal Rights
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Alternative names: Corcaigh