Just because June is over doesn’t mean Pride is, and four Irish counties are set to host celebrations this coming weekend. GCN has gathered all of the need-to-know info for the festivities, so if you’re interested in attending, keep on reading!
1. Carlow Pride
On Sunday, July 10, Carlow town will host the county’s biggest community event of 2022 in the form of Carlow Pride. Kicking off at 2:30PM, participants will assemble at Carlow College for an official town photograph before embarking on the Rainbow Road parade towards Carlow Town Park. Here, marchers are invited to join in the Rainbow Picnic and can either bring their own packed lunch, or feast at one of the many food trucks offering a wide range of cuisine.
Providing entertainment for the day will be the wonderful Dolly Parton Tribute with Kirsty Coard, alongside Drag superstars Robyn Diamonds and Onya Becks. Also set to make an appearance is Mona Tone, Angela Ferkel, Sinn and Scarlet McNugget, with additional music coming from enCÓRe Choir and Jake Doyle.
The Official Dicey Reilly’s After Party will get underway at 7PM featuring the gorgeous Lavender and DJ Onya Becks.
2. Limerick Pride
Limerick Pride is a week-long celebration having commenced on July 4. The first events took place on Monday and there will be an array of exciting happenings populating the week until Sunday, July 10.
Some of the highlights include The Irish Names Quilt exhibition in Limerick City Gallery of Art, a Pride self-defence workshop, LGBTQ+ quiz, the Limerick Pride youth party, Saturday’s Pride Parade and a recovery ‘Dragged to Brunch’ event with the queens of Mockie Ah on Sunday.
Limerick Pride’s Chairperson, Lisa Daly, spoke about the importance of making the Pride line-up inclusive for all, saying: “Events for 2022 reflect the breadth and depth of our LGBTQIA+ community. From the iconic nature of our Pride March to our newer events, we’ve created events with our entire community in mind.”
GOSHH will also have a large presence throughout the week hosting youth events such as a sexual health workshop and drop in café, and other services such as free rapid HIV, syphilis and hepatitis C testing, among other things.
3. Meath Pride
As one of the more family-oriented Irish Pride events, Meath Pride will be running T in the Park at Duleek Court House on July 9. The event will be family-friendly with activities including music, face painting, and colouring, while information about LGBTQ+ issues will also be provided for parents and guardians. Keeping the crowds entertained will be the Mornington Vocal Acamedy.
You can donate to Meath Pride’s GoFundMe to help supply all this plus some refreshments throughout the day.
4. Wexford Pride
https://twitter.com/PrideWexford/status/1543913639672938496
Following the success of the Pride Picnic in the Park, Wexford Pride organisers have announced further events for this upcoming weekend. On Friday, July 8, Wexford Pride in partnership with The Presentation Arts Centre in Enniscorthy is hosting an online panel discussion surrounding the experiences of LGBTQ+ artists in Ireland.
Pride on the Quay, a weekly LGBTQ+ social meet-up, will take place on Sunday, July 10 at 2PM with Wexford Pride inviting all to “Join us for a cuppa in a safe space to connect with other LGBTQIA+ folks in the local area.” Sunday will also be the last day to see the Pride Art Show which opened on June 13.
As well as all of this, the organisation will be launching its brand new LGBTQ+ community support group on July 11 which is being facilitated in partnership with Be Pierced at the IFA Centre in Enniscorthy. Meetings will run fortnightly starting on Monday at 7PM, and any member of the queer community is welcome.
BONUS: Tipperary
While Tipperary Pride technically doesn’t take place until the end of July, Youth Work Ireland Tipperary (YWIT) is celebrating this weekend by launching a ‘Pride Space’ on Friday, July 8, in its Main Street office. The space will provide information on the fight for LGBTQ+ rights from the ‘70s right up to the present day, and will also host an art installation called ‘The Closet’.
YWIT is also hoping to host a Pride Picnic on Saturday, July 9, from 2 – 5PM. They are inviting interested parties to bring homemade food and baked goods for the community to share, and are also looking for local artists to come and display their work. Musicians and poets are also being encouraged to come along and take part in an open mic, before the crowd participates altogether in a community choir sing-along of Cyndi Lauper’s ‘True Colours’.
There are plenty of other fantastic events taking place throughout the month, with a comprehensive list of Pride Festivals across the country available to see here.
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