Justice for Ireland’s Criminalised Gay Men?

It’s more than 30 years since homosexuality was decriminalised in Ireland, yet almost 1,000 men still carry convictions for simply loving who they loved. On today's podcast, Ciara Doherty speaks to Kieran Rose, co-founder of the LGBT Restorative Justice Campaign, about the decades of surveillance, public shaming, and imprisonment men faced under “gross indecency” laws. They explore the human cost of criminalisation, the forgotten cases like John Roche, and the long shadow of stigma that followed men well into later life. With legislation now being prepared to formally disregard these convictions, Kieran explains what meaningful justice could look like and why this is more than just a symbolic gesture. It’s a reminder that equality is hard-won, fragile, and worth fighting for—past, present, and future. Email your thoughts to [email protected].