The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) has confirmed that they will be officially represented at the 2019 Dublin Pride Festival and Parade this June.

This is the first time in Pride’s 36-year history that the amateur sporting organisation, one of the strongest proponents of Irish cultural heritage, will be involved.

GAA President John Horan has stated:

“Last February I used my address to GAA Congress to highlight the need for us to show solidarity and respect for members of the LGBTQ+ community who make a contribution to our Association.

“The opportunity to take part in the Dublin Pride Festival and Parade is a follow on from that and I am delighted that we will do so.”

“The challenge (…) at all times is to be relevant and to try our best to positively reflect society.”

The association has made great strides towards LGBT+ inclusion in recent years, confirming that they would be employing a full-time diversity and inclusion officer in 2019, as well as speaking out against homophobia in the sporting world.

Speaking on The Late Late Show, inter-country referee David Gough, the first openly-gay top-level GAA match official highlighted the progress the association has made in regards to diversity:

“As a result of our discussions, Eddie McGuinness (Associate Festival Director ) extended an invitation to the GAA and for the first time in the 36-year history of Pride, the GAA has accepted an invitation to walk in the Pride Parade.”

“Since 2015 up to now, they have done a huge amount to change their attitudes towards inclusivity and LGBT+ rights.”

“That has been brought on by the sitting President, John Horan — who is an extremely open, honest, accessible, wonderful man. He is a secondary school principal, so he would have had to deal with these issues himself.”

“At his first annual address to GAA congress this year he paid particular attention to LGBT+ members within the association and in his speech he asked for greater awareness and greater support for those members.”