The History of Limerick Pride

In 2011, the Limerick Pride Festival will mark its tenth year of recognising and
celebrating Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans-gendered and Queer identity in Limerick City. As the festival has grown, so too has the support from the civic authorities, the social butterflies and our regional LGBTQ community. We are deeply grateful for this support from everybody locally, nationally and internationally.

Beginning in 2001, the festival began humbly when community stalwarts Paddy
Doyle and Nicole Dunphy organised the first festival of celebration with their events in Cosmo and Yum Yum. Every year since, the festival has grown into what we have come to enjoy today.

Rainbow Support Services became involved in the festival organisation in 2002. This culminated in both the Pride festival and RSS participating among Limerick’s other cultural and sporting organisations in the 2003 St. Patrick’s Day Parade. By 2004, the festival continued upwards, closing off Cecil street and hosting the first street-party of the festival. The festival opened with a live-music set by Benoit, while an impromptu Pride marched up O’Connell Street with six individuals (1) and a pride flag.

2005 the festival continued on its journey of recognition and celebration organising alternative events from film nights to party nights. All of these led up to the establishment of the first women’s only night in 2006, something which the festival is very proud of and a tradition which the organising committee continues to keep within the calendar of events.

The festival began its now-annual Pride march in 2007 attracting crowds of several hundred people as we marched down O’Connell Street. This was the first year that Out In UL, the University of Limerick’s LGBT society took part who put together the first float of the festival. The festival also recognised the International Day Against Homophobia as an important date in its off-season calendar.

We continued to expand the festival in 2008 when it went mainstream thanks to the efforts of Richard Lynch. Limerick had lots to celebrate in 2008; We had our first Mardi Gras night; our first Variety show; and our first winner of the Alternative Miss Ireland competition in a number of years, Ms. Sheila Fitspatrick. Shelia along with her consort Madonna Lucia became our Grand Marshals for parade day and led us down O’Connell Street and back to Leamy House where we tea-danced with Myles Breen. The parade also included delegations from the leading trade unions and lgbt campaign – MarriagEquality. This was also the first year that the national 300ft Pride Flag was unfurled down O’Connell Street and carried by those who marched. Ru Paul was unable to attend, but send an empowering message of support to festival goers.

2009 was another special landmark year in the ten year’s of the festival. In
conjunction with Limerick City Council and the Limerick City Co-Ordination Office,
the bridges on the approach to the city raised the pride flag over the river Shannon. Our partnership with the City Council continued in 2009, when we moved the festival parade to begin at City Hall which continued to draw the crowds into the city. Again our friends in the trade union movement and the national lgbt campaigns partook in the parade. The national 300ft Pride Flag was again unfurled through the streets of Limerick adding colour and panash to the festival proceedings. Our series of firsts continued, with the first official peaceful protests being recorded at the 2009 pride parade. On a more solemn note, the first remembrance service took place recognising those who have gone before and their contributions to the lives we now live.

In 2010 the festival now in its’ ninth year, continued its’ firsts receiving letters of
support from Her Excellency President Mary McAleesse and Senator David Norris. The rain managed to drench a lot of things on Parade day, but it did not dampen people’s spirits as we all rallied together and marched our way around the streets of Limerick during a quiet September afternoon. Our Mardi Gras went off with a bang, with none other than Ms. Niamh Kavanagh gracing our stage for the evening.

2011 promises to be as fun-filled with a series of firsts. Will we be your first? Come along and find out. We may be the last Pride of the summer; but summer goes out with a bang in Limerick.

Note 1: Catherine Heslin, Lou Dennehy, Megan Fraiser, Garrison Saunders, Tony Rose, and Billie.