By day, Beth Brennan works at a Youthreach centre in Cork and is a busy mom of two. But there’s another side to them. For the last year, they’ve taken on a dazzling drag persona: Hun McCool.

At 45 – “which is considered ancient for a drag performer,” notes McCool – drag is a relatively new venture for them. Performing, however, is not. “I’ve been involved in theatre for much longer but drag combines and magnifies my favourite elements of performing: costume, character and comedy. I also love how drag both challenges and emphasizes gender stereotypes, and is so inclusive and celebratory of everyone, no matter what age, race, size, gender or sexuality.”

The history of drag goes back centuries, from Shakespearean theatre to Vaudeville stages. These days, drag is a relatively mainstream art form, thanks in part to the popularity of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Trixie Mattel and Bob the Drag Queen are household names. Pop singer Chappell Roan considers herself a drag artist, incorporating drag-style makeup and costume into her concerts and music videos.

Smaller, local performers have benefitted from all this, too: “drag brunches” are popular events around the world, and they are no longer confined to Pride Month. Modern performers are constantly challenging and reshaping what drag can be, contrary to the idea that it’s nothing more than “cross-dressing.”

That said, McCool points out that drag is still a misunderstood art, in that some folks don’t realize how inclusive it actually is. “People ask: ‘Can you do drag if you’re a woman? Can you do drag if you’re straight? Can you do drag that isn’t sexualized?’” The answer too all those questions, McCool says, is “yes.” They believe that anyone interested in drag ought to try it. “Find a local drag house that has a newcomers’ night and just give it a go. It’s an amazing way to express yourself and have a while lot of fun!”

In fact, most of McCool’s performances have a comedic slant.

“A great reward is the laughter of the crowd and knowing I’m truly entertaining the audience…”

While influenced by American drag queens such as RuPaul, they are also inspired by performers from their home country of Ireland. McCool recently has recently shared the stage with Irish queens Candy Warhol and Mia Gold. “I was a fan of theirs long before I started performing myself.”

McCool incorporates Irish myth and legend into their own performances, noting that some of their most successful numbers include folktale retellings. “My very first act was an alternate-reality version of the tale of Fionn Mac Cumhaill and the Salmon of Knowledge,” they explain. Fionn Mac Cumhaill is sometimes anglicized as Finn McCool, which is Hun’s namesake. The Irish hero of lore was a warrior said to have created the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland. “Whereas Fionn tasted the salmon and became all-knowing, Hun was instead too dazzled by its beauty to eat it and sang a love song to it instead.”

Other acts include McCool’s take on Children of Lir: an Irish tale about four children who were transformed into swans at the hands of their wicked stepmother. “It ends up as a comedy number referencing a viral Irish TikTok video about a bat trapped in a Kerry family’s kitchen,” they explain. “I’ve also recently performed as Drag St. Patrick, banishing the snakes from Ireland, as the legends say he did.”

Irish identity is equally important to McCool when they are off the stage – particularly through the Irish language. “I grew up speaking English but always loved Irish (Gaeilge). I studied Irish to university level and my husband and I are raising our two children through Gaeilge. It’s absolutely not a dying language, as many believe. Thankfully Gaeilge is alive and well, and social media has very much helped in its resurgence among the younger generation.”

In addition, McCool is passionate about the LGBTQ+ community, having fundraised for the Gay Project in Cork. They note that organizations such as LINC (Lesbian and Bisexual women in Cork), Trans+ Pride and BeLonG To are active in the area as well.

“Now, more than ever, there is a need for more resources, support and protection for trans people, especially trans youth.”

@hunmccool