Clare history will be made on September 23, 2022, when the Banner County will host its first-ever Pride festival.
After a false start last year, when a Pride festival organised by Quare Clare had to be cancelled due to uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, this year’s festivities promise to be even more epic.
Commencing on Culture Night, the festival kicks off with a queer poetry book launch and reading, Queering the Green, at Mna ag Gaire in Ennis, highlighting the literary talents of leading queer Irish poets, Liz Quirke, Simon Costello and Sarah Clancy. The event itself is named for the landmark Queering the Green poetry collection, showcasing even more poetic talents from the Irish LGBTQ+ community.
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The following day will see a spectacular Pride party for queer youth in the westerly county, creating a space for young LGBTQ+ people to celebrate their identities and diversity. The LGBTQI+ Youth Pride event takes place in the Oakwood Hotel, Shannon, and will include dance workshops, drag bingo, spot prizes and nibbles.
And finally, the first ever Clare Pride festival weekend will be capped by a night to remember; one enormous party (strictly for over-18s only) with drag kings, queens and DJs at the colourful helm in the same Oakwood Hotel. Tickets for the finale extravaganza are a mere €8, with an option to go for the slightly pricier €13 ‘Solidarity Ticket’ for a good cause. The extra €5 is a donation towards the running costs of the youth Pride event and providing free tickets to those who may otherwise not be able to attend the party.
“This is going to be a fantastic weekend for Clare’s LGBTQ+ community and for people who we hope will travel from around Ireland to be with us this weekend,” said Quare Clare Pride organising committee member, Chris Koble. “We want our community to be visible and vibrant in Clare and Quare Clare Pride weekend is certainly going to do that.”
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