Celebrate Pride in Ireland: An Insider’s Guide to the Festivities, History, and Activism

Rainbow over Dunlewy Lough and the Derryveagh Mountains. Dunlewy

Eddie McGuinness is a veteran organiser of the annual Pride celebrations of diversity in communities across Ireland, and a stalwart LGBTQ+ activist who has seen remarkable changes in the last three decades.  

“My first ever Pride was 1993, the year that homosexuality was decriminalised here,” he says, “and if you look at how far Ireland has come since then it’s absolutely amazing.” 

This year’s Pride celebrations are extra special, as Ireland marks a decade of Marriage Equality and Gender Recognition.  

“It’s not only ten years since I was able to get an upgrade from my civil partnership to full marriage – and that was the Irish people who gave us that voice – but also the same year, the Transgender Recognition Bill was signed into law, which allowed people to say who they are and what they are.” 

The Irish were the first people to ever say Yes to same-sex marriage by public vote. That resounding collective statement helped to spotlight and drive an already energetic and committed Pride movement across the island.  

“It put Pride on the map,” Eddie reflects. “It showed the celebration of how open we are, and [promoted] the understanding of the diversity. No matter where you are or who you are, you’re very much welcome here on the island of Ireland.”  

There is another reason to celebrate this year that is equally close to Irish hearts. “One thing that Ireland and our diaspora around the world are very, very good at is families. We always remember where we come from and who we are. This year, the Family Recognition Bill was signed into law, so [that’s] three celebrations rolled into one.” 

Celebrations over a number of months 

With so much to honour, it’s just as well that Pride is not just confined to June. 

“Pride runs May to September on the island of Ireland because all the smaller Prides celebrate at different times.” From Cork to Carlow, Wicklow to Omagh, Foyle to Donegal, there are over 30 separate Pride celebrations on the island of Ireland each summer.  

Some are small community gatherings with their own strong sense of place, like the Donegal Pride which gives the Irish language a special voice.  

“Last year Quare Clare had their second ever Pride parade march, in Ennis itself. We did it way back over 12 years ago in Lisdoonvarna when 10 of us walked along the little village,” says Eddie. “The smaller Prides are my passion. I love going to them because you get a chance to talk, and you get a chance to shine” – especially if you don 12-inch-high heels and a rainbow jacket, as Eddie is known to do.  

Going big in Dublin 

In contrast, on June 28th, Dublin Pride hosts the biggest people’s parade on the island of Ireland, with, as Eddie notes, “over 80,000 people on the streets celebrating and marching along”. That evening the beloved Mother Pride Block Party animates the grounds of the National Museum of Ireland in Collins Barracks with three stages, fairground rides, bars and food outlets, and homegrown and international acts like headliner DJ and producer The Blessed Madonna.  

In other cities around the island, the celebrations are also growing year on year, and each has its own reason to be proud. This year’s Belfast Pride Festival Belfast Pride Festival 2025 spans 10 days in late July. “I look back to the early ‘90s on my first marches in Belfast when we used to run quickly around City Hall and back again,” Eddie recalls, “whereas now thousands and thousands of people from all parts of the community come together to celebrate in Pride and as one unit, which is absolutely amazing.” 

2023, The Outing Festival, LGBTQ+ Matchmaking, Arts and Music Festival, Dromoland, Co Clare

All through the year 

Of course, if you’re not in Ireland over the summer months, there is still much to experience throughout the year.  

“As we always say, Pride is not just for one a month or one day of the year, it’s actually 365 days a year,” says Eddie.  

The community share their collective pride with annual events like Gaze LGBTQIA International Film Festival, the International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival and The Outing Festival on Valentine’s weekend. The Outing is the world’s first LGBTQ+ matchmaking festival, which Eddie founded in the home of matchmaking in Lisdoonvarna, County Clare, and now going into its 13th year.  

“And The Outing and the Queer Arts Collective celebrated again this year in the St Patrick’s Day parade with our rainbow pageant,” Eddie says, “with nearly a hundred members from the community here in Ireland and internationally who came and performed and celebrated on our national day. On St Patrick’s Day, we celebrate the diversity within all communities no matter where they come from and who they are.” 

Year-round visitors can explore Dublin’s Rainbow Mile, or delve into queer Irish history, arts and culture at various national institutions, from a  Rainbow Trail through the  National Museum of Ireland, a self-guided “Through A Lens” tour in the National Gallery of Ireland or the Irish Queer Archive in the National Library of Ireland, created by veteran activist Tonie Walsh who also leads regular Lavender Walk history tours throughout the year.   

Dublin also boasts iconic LGBTQ+ venues, bars and destinations. Ireland’s longest-opened gay bar, The George, began life as one little pub and now extends over several floors with nightly DJs, drag performers and queer artists, joined more recently by Panti Quarter on Capel Street and Street 66 on Parliament St. Belfast’s Gay Quarter off Donegal Street features bars and nightclubs like The Kremlin, Union Street Bar and Maverick Bar, while Cork city has a new LGBTQ+  bar, Wildes.  

2023, Dundalk Pride Festival, Dundalk, Co Louth

A Euro-Pride hopeful 

Eddie is particularly excited to be part of the organising committee that will “bring Euro-Pride to Limerick and Clare in 2028 – hopefully!”  

“We’re up against Manchester, and have been shortlisted to the two of us.” It’s the first time a small region is in the running. If successful, it would be the first time Euro-Pride has taken place on the island of Ireland.  

"Our whole message is pride in our community, and to give a voice to the small communities all the way around the island of Ireland – and Europe.” 

Eddie emphasises that while “we all know where the gay bars and the lesbian bars are, they’re all in the cities – the key element is to give a voice to the different aspects of our communities” in the small villages and towns and rural areas of Europe as well as the bigger cities.  

He also sees the Euro-Pride bid as an opportunity to use our Irish gift of the gab in powerful ways. “We want to use our diaspora worldwide to keep that voice out there and in a way give a voice to those who no longer have a voice.” 

After all, “we love to talk and we love to share our stories so why not tell the stories of the different communities? The LGBTQ+ community just happens to be one of many parts of our community.”