Summer is upon us and soon I will be able to put my shorts on while cycling to work, scary stuff I know.  Summer means several things to me, work winds down, we get a few days of sun between the rain showers and of course Pride is here again.  My favourite time of year!  Not only do we take to the streets for the parade but many events are held around the country to raise awareness of important LGBTQ issues.  Those of us living in Dublin could be mistaken and think that Dublin Pride is the only one in Ireland but nothing could be further from the truth.  I have had the privilege of attending many Pride’s around the country over the years and each and every one has been memorable.  So I thought I would round up a few dates for you to put in your diaries for the coming months.

Cork Pride May 30th – June 7th

Cork Pride kicks off our list.  This years marks the 8th annual gay pride festival in the people’s republic of Cork, and what a great festival it promises to be.  The parade will be held on Saturday June 5th at 3pm.  There are so many events at this years festival that I don’t know where to start.  The kind organisers have split the events into two categories to make it a little easier, commercial and community.  They include everything from a women’s only night to cinema nights to a games night at Loafers with Pool, Darts and Wii Games.

Dublin Pride 18th – 27th June

Dublin Pride takes place at the end of June and aims to promote diversity, inclusiveness, visibility and respect.  As always there will be events running throughout the week including Dyke night, the Geili, Pride night and nights aimed at every type of LGBTQ you could think of.  The parade will take place on Saturday June 26th and will take it’s usual route to the Civic Offices.  Last year saw over 5,000 people take part in the parade, let’s make 2010 even bigger.

Belfast Pride 24th – 31st July

Belfast Pride is the largest pride festival on the island with over 10,000 attending last year.  This year sees their 20th Anniversary Dinner and Awards Ceremony which will be held in the Hilton Hotel.  Many more events are held throughout the week with the main event being the parade which will have massive numbers watching all along the route.  It starts at 2pm on July 31st and is always a great day.

North West Pride 5th – 9th August

This years North West Pride event will be the fifth of it’s kind.  Taking place from Thursday August 5th and continuing till Monday the 9th, North West Pride has become a regular event in the Pride calendar.  It’s so wonderful to see this event continuing and growing each year.  The parade is held in Sligo Town and has a wonderful attendance of people wanting to fly the flag.

Galway Community Pride 19th – 22nd August

Glaway Pride was one of the first Pride’s I went to and I had such a great time that I have gone back several times.  The scene in Galway has changed a lot over the last 10 years but their pride events are always full of community spirit.  Amach!LGBT are looking for volunteers at present, so if you are interested have a look at their website and send them a mail.

Limerick Pride 5th – 12th September

Limerick Pride will host many events including the launch of the new Limerick LGBTQ History Archive Project.  The parade will commence on Saturday the 11th and will be followed by a block party at the Trinity Rooms which will include live music, drag acts and a bouncy castle, what more could you ask for?

Other organisations around the country have some wonderful Pride events also, they may not have a parade but that does not mean that events are not well worth a look.  One such group is in the South East and I have it on good authority that many various pride events will be held around the likes of Kilkenny.  If you know of a Pride event, please include it by commenting below.

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