TENS of thousands of people have taken to the streets of Ireland’s capital for this year’s Dublin Pride Parade.
The procession, billed as the biggest celebration of diversity and inclusion on the island of Ireland, set off from O’Connell Street at around 12.30pm on Saturday.
After making its way across Talbot Memorial Bridge, the parade concluded at Merrion Square, where revellers enjoyed live music and entertainment as part of a free, all-day festival.
Young people at a breakfast event at Dublin City Council organised by Belong To, Ireland’s national LGBTQ+ youth organisation (Image: Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland)Taking part in the parade, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he was delighted to be involved.
“There’s a wonderful, celebratory atmosphere across the city, wonderful harmony and engagement that’s good fun,” he added.
“I wish everyone a happy Pride Day.”
Taoiseach Micheál Martin with Lynne Treacy, Chair of Dublin Pride, pictured left, and Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee with Tánaiste Simon Harris, pictured right (Images: Leah Farrell / RollingNews.ie)The theme of this year’s Dublin Pride was ‘One Story: Many Voices’.
Writing ahead of the event, this year’s parade Grand Marshall, Philippa Ryder, said that ‘equality, non-discrimination and dignity are foundational and non-negotiable for all’.
“Challenges lie ahead for our community and society as a whole,” added the author and activist.
“A more volatile world brings opportunities for extremists to overturn long-held rights for minorities such as ours.
“Working together we can ensure the progress we have achieved over may years continues.”
Members of the HSE’s Reach Out Network at Dublin Pride (Image: Sasko Lazarov / Photocall Ireland)The festival concludes tonight with Tonie Walsh in conversation with Jay Toole, a survivor of the Stonewall Uprising in New York, which began on this day 57 years ago.
The riots followed a police raid on the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, with the protests becoming a landmark event in the struggle for gay rights in the US and around the world.
Tonight’s event gets underway at 6.30pm at Bartley’s, the site of the former Bartley Dunne’s pub, one of Dublin’s oldest unofficial gay bars.
Diana Kirck from Germany joined in with the Dublin Pride festivities (Image: Leah Farrell / RollingNews.ie)Everything from irishpost.com and the print edition is available on the Irish Post App — plus more! Download it for Android or Apple IOS devices today.