Declan Flynn
| Declan Flynn | |
|---|---|
| Died | September 9, 1982 (aged 30–31) |
| Nationality | Irish |
Declan Flynn was an Irish gay man attacked and killed in Fairview Park in Dublin on 9 September 1982. His murder is seen as the catalyst for the Gay Pride movement in Ireland. His death came about as a result of a series of beatings meted out to gay men in Dublin who used Fairview Park as a meeting place at the time.
Declan Flynn was a Aer Rianta worker in Dublin who lived on Swords Road, Whitehall, Dublin. Flynn was known to young gay activists, though not very well. Flynn had helped out on occasion at the Hirshfield Centre in the nascent Temple Bar, a resource centre for the gay community, but was spotted there infrequently and was not particularly active within the capital's emerging gay rights movement. Flynn's family, who lived near the park on the Swords Road, did not know that he was gay. Nor did they know he frequented places where other young gay men went to find romantic company. Indeed, Declan Flynn's father, Christopher Flynn, said his son was not gay.
A series of homophobic beatings was carried out in Fairview Park during the summer of 1982. Fairview Park was a popular gay cruising area at that time. On the night of 9 September 1982, Flynn had gone with a friend to Belton's Pub in Donnycarney, a short distance from his home. When he left the pub around 11:45 that night, he spoke for a while with his friend and then walked home along Collins' Avenue to Swords Road, before making his way through Fairview Park. Along the way Flynn called to the Fairview Grill where he met with a male friend who gave him a peck on his cheek as they were parting. His body was found badly beaten about the head in Fairview Park on the morning of 10 September 1982 and was taken to Blanchardstown Hospital. Initial reports were that he had died as a result of head injuries. Gardaí initially worked on the theory that he died after being robbed as he carried no identification nor money At the inquest, the coroner heard that North Strand Depot Fire Station received a call at 1:45 am on 10 September to go to Fairview Park. They arrived at 1:48 am and found Flynn, his body still warm but there was no sign of life or a pulse. He was brought to Blanchardstown Hospital, being the only hospital on call on the north side of the city. The pathologist said that it would have made no difference if Flynn had been brought to another hospital. He went on to say that if the blood which had built up in Flynn's respiratory system had been removed quickly he might have lived, but this would have had to be done on the spot.
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