Thursday, 2 June 2022
With the start of Pride month also comes the exciting announcement of Donegal's first-ever pride parade, 'Inishowen Pride' taking place this June Bank Holiday weekend in the seaside town of Buncrana.
The historic family-friendly event is being organised by Inishowen Pride and will be the first of its kind staged in Donegal.
The idea for an event started after an overwhelming number of businesses flew pride flags for pride month in 2021 with the positive reaction to the displays being a catalyst on forming the voluntary community group, 'Inishowen Pride', led by local figures in the community.
The event provides Donegal to showcase the county as a warm, welcoming and inclusive place for all.
So far, Inishowen Pride has seen support come from many well-known personalities across the county including Everton captain Seamus Coleman, actor and TV Presenter Sean O Baoill, BAFTA awarded Clannad and Donegal Person of The Year Noel Cunningham. Their messages of support can be seen across the 'InishowenPride' Instagram page.
Speaking on the festivities, spokesperson for Inishowen Pride, Jen McCarron says:
"The whole community is invited to get involved, show their support and join us for what will be an exciting, fun and uplifting day. The event presents an opportunity to recognize the progress that has been made to treat all community members equally and ensure that everyone feels like they belong."
"With the horrific attacks that took place in Sligo, Dublin and Dundalk over the past few months, our hearts go out to the victims and their loved ones. This is an important time for the wider community to show support. Our young people should no longer have to question their value in the same way LGBTQ+ people did in the past. Celebrations like this are a sign of hope for everyone but are especially important for the LGBTQ+ young people in our community.”
Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council, Jack Murray, added his support to the event:
“I fully support and welcome this initiative and am very proud that plans are in place for the first PRIDE parade to take place in Buncrana. I have no doubt that it will be a big success with such a great team driving this forward. Inishowen is a forward-thinking, welcoming and diverse place, and while it is timely, events like this are not before its time!”.
Inishowen Pride recently posted on their Instagram Page further details on the event. Groups and individuals participating in the parade will meet at Scoil Mhuire at 2pm where local entertainer Mickey Doherty will be kicking off festivities.
Parade participants will march towards the Market Square in Buncrana, with the event being hosted by Noel Cunningham, followed by live music from We Love Sax.
Check out the parade route and further details below.
Any further questions on the event can be directed to inishowenpride@gmail.com.
