Clonmel Pride is preparing to celebrate its fifth anniversary, with the festival set to take place from June 13 to 16, 2024. Sporting the theme ‘We are more, together!’, the vibrant celebration will feature diverse events to foster inclusivity, promote LGBTQ+ rights, and build a stronger, more unified community.
Chairperson Gérard Sweetman emphasises that while Pride celebrates past achievements, it also serves as a protest against ongoing discrimination and violence faced by the LGBTQ+ community. The festival’s events aim to create safe spaces and promote inclusivity, mental health support, and positive societal change.
The festivities kick off on Thursday, June 13, with Dance into Pride, a dancercise class supported by Sporting Pride Ireland. From 7pm to 8pm at Kickham Barracks, participants of all ages can join this free, fun-filled event without the need to prebook.
Friday begins with a screening of the documentary Invisible Women at TUS Clonmel from 7pm to 9pm. This powerful film follows the lives of two remarkable women, including Irish LGBTQ+ activist Luchia Fitzgerald.
The screening will be followed by a Q&A session with a distinguished panel, including historian, journalist, activist and the Grand Marshal of Clonmel Pride 2024, Tonie Walsh. Later, at 9pm, the pre-Pride social event, 50 Years of LGBTQ Liberation On Screen, will be hosted at The Secret Garden, providing a reflective look at LGBTQ+ history.
Saturday starts with a Pride Breakfast from 10:30am to 12pm at Clonmel Library, setting a warm tone for the day’s events.
The Pride Parade will gather at 12pm at Gordon Street Car Park, with the march beginning at 1pm. Led by Tonie Walsh, the parade will culminate at Kickham Barracks Plaza for Pride at the Plaza from 1:30pm to 4:30pm.
Speaking about his involvement as Grand Marshal, Tonie said: “Although Dublin born, my Clonmel childhood moulded me. As a closeted gay teenager in the 1970s, I felt no choice but to run away from the place. It’s with great poignancy and huge honour I now find myself, 46 years later, Grand Marshal of Clonmel Pride parade”.
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This family-friendly event will feature live entertainment, drag performances, food trucks, and a quiet zone provided by Neuro Pride Ireland. The day concludes with Pride After Dark at O’Keeffe’s from 8pm to midnight, showcasing top drag artists and performers.
The festival wraps up with a relaxed Picnic in the Park from 12pm to 2pm at the Green on Kickham Street. This free event invites everyone to bring snacks and blankets for a sunny afternoon of songs, games, and socialising.
Clonmel Pride invites everyone to participate in the festival, whether by joining the parade, attending events, or showing support through decorations and social media.
The festival promises to be an extraordinary celebration of love, advocacy, and community. Mark your calendars for June 13 to 16 and join in the festivities to support and uplift the LGBTQ+ community. For more information, updates and a full schedule of events connect with Clonmel Pride on social media.
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