Founded in 2017 in Cork City by leading Irish drag artist Candy Warhol, Mockie Ah! was created in response to the city’s lack of dedicated queer spaces. What began as an underground cabaret attracting audiences of just 50 quickly evolved into Cork’s largest and most dynamic queer event, now regularly drawing crowds of 400+.
Since its inception, Mockie Ah! has grown into a powerhouse of performance — producing sell-out cabarets, weekly drag brunches, Pride celebrations, large-scale theatre productions, and appearances at major music festivals and on national television. The collective has been formally recognised by Cork City Council for its significant contribution to arts and culture in the region.
Beyond Cork, Mockie Ah!’s profile has continued to rise. In 2019, they travelled to Amsterdam to perform at Superball - a celebration of drag across Europe, to a crowd of 2000 at Amsterdam's Paradiso. That same year, Mockie Ah! was featured on a Virgin Media Pride special, followed by the critically acclaimed RTÉ documentary Kin Of Kweens, which spotlighted five members of the collective and led to further promotion on RTÉ Radio. Mockie Ah! has also hosted and performed at many national Pride events including Dublin, Limerick and Kerry.
In 2020 the group collaborated with GCN Magazine on hosting several live digital events that showcased drag acts from across the globe including several Rupaul's Drag Race and Dragula stars. Emerging from the pandemic, the group headlined two sold-out open-air concerts in Fitzgerald’s Park, marking a major moment for live queer performance in the city.
In 2021, Mockie Ah! appeared on The Travel Show BBC One's The Travel Show , where they were highlighted as one of Ireland’s top tourist attractions — further cementing their reputation internationally.
Expansion continued in 2022 with the launch of monthly sold-out shows in Limerick, drawing audiences of 250+. That same year, the collective embarked on their first nationwide tours alongside stars of RuPaul's Drag Race UK. In 2023 they launched a monthly club-night Please! at The Pavilion.
September 2024 marked a major theatrical milestone with the premiere of their first original production, Camp Culture, at The Everyman as part of Culture Night. The sold-out performance welcomed 650 attendees and received praise from national press. This was followed by a sold-out two-night run of The Rocky Horror Picture Show in October 2024 — now established as an annual weekend event. That same year, Mockie Ah! hosted Irish Eurovision finalist Bambie Thug’s homecoming as part of Cork Pride celebrations at The Pavilion.
In 2025, Irish icon Siobhán McSweeney (Derry Girls, The Traitors) co-hosted the collective’s Cork Pride show at The Pavilion, while their Drag Brunch evolved from a seasonal offering into a weekly sold-out residency at Clancy’s Cork. Their NYE show was co-hosted by Blu Hydrangea (Dancing with the Stars, Rupaul's Drag Race).
In 2026 Mockie Ah! announced a new Drag Brunch residency at 101 Limerick and looking ahead, this year will see Mockie Ah! expand into a queer-led event and talent agency, developing a growing roster of acts and productions while continuing to present regular shows, brunches and theatre events.
Mockie Ah! has welcomed an impressive lineup of headline guests including Siobhán McSweeney, Bambie Thug, I'm Grand Mam, Lolly, The Cheeky Girls, N-Trance and Booty Luv as well as Rupaul's Drag Race alumni Blu Hydrangea, Tia Kofi, Crystal, Charity Kase, Le Fil, Darlene Mitchell, Charra Tea, Bestiah and Just May.
Today, Mockie Ah! stands at the forefront of Ireland’s drag and queer performance scene — platforming emerging talent, championing community, and redefining what regional queer nightlife and arts can achieve.