Sa bhliain 1634 rinne parlaimint cóilíneach na hÉireann dlí úr i gcoinne na sodamachta – an chéad agus an t-aon dlí mar sin a rinneadh anseo in Éirinn, riamh. Roimhe sin bhí Éire Gaelach i bhfad níos báúla ó thaobh an homaighnéasaigh de. 

Sa chaint dhátheangach seo (le sleamhnáin) beidh Brian ag plé stair an homaighnéasaigh agus an t-aiteacht in Éire Gaelach ó thús na haimsire stairiúla, ag tosnú le Naomh Pádraig agus teacht na Críostaíochta síos go dtí deireadh na ré gaelaí ag tús an seachtú haois déag. Beidh scéaltaí fá choinne rudaí mar sin á lua ag Brian ó na sean-lámhscríbhínní: na dlíthe breithiúna, na téacsanna cráifeacha – mar shampla beathaí na naoimh agus dlíthe na heaglaise, agus dántaí na bhfilí Gaelacha ina measc.

In 1634 the colonial Irish parliament passed a law against sodomy. It was the first and only such law (criminalising homosexuality and queer behaviour) ever enacted in Ireland. Gaelic Ireland had been a lot more relaxed about such matters. In this illustrated, bilingual talk Brian will be looking at the history of homosexuality and queerness in Ireland from the beginning of the historic period with the arrival of St Patrick and Christianity down to the end of Gaelic Ireland at the beginning of the 17th century.  Brian will refer to stories in the ancient manuscripts about such matters in a variety of old texts such as the Brehon Laws, religious writing  – for example the saints’ Lives and church laws, and the homoerotic poetry of the Gaelic bards.