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The LBGT+ community is South Armagh and beyond, now has a regular venue where they and their friends can meet up. It follows the official opening of Cafe Amach based at An Tobar Wellness Centre and Social Farm in Silverbridge. A social enterprise, An Tobar aims to inspire people to connect with each other, share their stories and grow communities together.
Cafe Amach opened on Friday night, 25 March, a move welcomed by the many visitors from as far away as Portadown and by local political representatives on the night. Cafe Amach will be open every Friday from 6pm-9pm for young people aged 12-17 beginning Friday 1 April. An adult (over 18) night is also taking place this Saturday 2 April from 6pm-10pm
Hannah Agnew who is coordinating the project spoke of her vision of a South Armagh where young LGBT+ people can thrive and where the most important things is a sense of community.
Welcoming people and explaining the idea behind the Cafe Agnew said " I myself moved away to England at 18. I was hell bent on getting away - as if that was the only way I could be myself and meet others like me. Now there is nothing wrong with moving away from home… when its out of excitement…opportunity…or exploration but many young LGBTQ+ people, especially those in rural communities like ours are moving out of fear and necessity!"
She continued "We do not want a South Armagh that young LGBTQ+ people feel the need to run away from, we do not want a South Armagh that merely tolerates the lgbtq+ community, we envision a south armagh that LGBTQ+ young people can thrive in! A sense of community and connection to each other is one of the cornerstones of south armagh culture. We want to enable and empower our young LGBTQ+ people to participate fully in the community as well as build their own and ultimately, we want South Armagh to be the best place in Northern Ireland to grow up LGBTQ+ and our sincere hope is for Cafe Amach and this wonderful evening - to be the first step on that journey"
Speaking about the initiative local Slieve Gullion Councillor Pete Byrne said "In the 6 years I have served as a Councillor, being asked to speak at the launch of Café Amach last night is up there as one of the best moments. Thanks to Hannah Agnew and all at An Tobar for the incredible work they put in to bring their vision of an LGBTQI+ space in South Armagh to life. Our rural area has suffered from lack of services for our LGBTQI+ community in the past so it’s a very proud moment to have a safe and inclusive space open in the heart of South Armagh.
"Café Amach not only creates an environment for our young people to be themselves, it increases visibility of our community throughout our rural area which improves awareness and creates more allies. It’s important that everyone in the community supports future events in the café so we can help LGBTQI+ young people to feel confident to be able to use the space in their own area.
"Too many young LGBTQI+ people feel they have to leave here in order to be themselves. As a community we can change that and show that you can be your true self here at home. South Armagh is a beautiful area with incredible people… Hannah and her team at An Tobar have shown that again last night."
Other local political representatives in attendance included Conor Murphy MLA; Cllr Barra Ó Muirí and Cllr Declan Murphy.
