2022 Limerick Pride Parade will bring a sea of rainbow colours and music to the city on Saturday, July 9th. Picture: Cian Reinhardt
2022 Limerick Pride Parade will take place on Saturday, July 9th
By I Love Limerick correspondent Ava O’Donoghue
The annual Limerick Pride Parade 2022 will bring a sea of rainbow colours and music to the city on Saturday, July 9th.
This is the first year that the Limerick Pride parade has been set to go ahead physically since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. For the last two years, the festival has taken place virtually.
The Pride committee is delighted to announce this year’s Grand Marshall is historian and author Sharon Slater. Sharon has been researching Limerick’s for the past twenty years. She is the author of multiple publications, most recently 100 Women of Limerick. She has received the National Heritage Hero Award and a Mayoral Reception for her promotion of Limerick’s history. She is currently the Historian-in-Residence at Ormston House.
Sharon commented on this year’s Pride theme saying, “So many great changes in society have come from the marginalised rising up. The LGBTQ+ community expressed their identity through art and culture long before it was socially acceptable to do so.
When asked to be the Grand Marshal I was overwhelmed with emotions. As a gay woman and researcher of history I have seen the many failures in the past towards members of the LGBTQ+ community. It was only a few short years ago when my wife and I could legally marry in this country, which we did in 2016, we have seen so much progress but still have a way to go for equality. It is an honour to stand tall as the Grand Marshall this year as in doing so I might help others who are still not ready to step out of the closet.”
The Parade route has changed this year due to construction works on O’Connell Street.
Participants will gather at Pery Square at 12.20 pm for floats and 12.50 pm for groups. The Parade will leave strictly at 2 pm, making its way across Mallow Street to Henry Street, past Arthurs Quay Park and ending at the Hunt Museum for the annual Pridefest event.
The Pridefest Party will begin directly after the Parade finishes at the Hunt Museum. Pridefest will take place in a lavish marquee in the museum gardens from 3 pm to 6 pm. The event is a free family-friendly event with a bouncy castle for children, a cone van, a café, and a bar on site. There will be live music and plenty of entertainment including an annual Tea Dance with well-known Limerick actor, director, and playwright Myles Breen.
There is something for everyone culminating in the annual Pride Parade and Pridefest. Everyone is welcome to join in on celebrating LGBTQ culture in Limerick and show Limerick for the truly open and accepting city that she is. The theme this year is ‘Pride is Culture’ to shed light on the joy and resilience of artists and cultural creators within the LGBTQIA+ community.
Limerick Pride LGBTQ Festival 2022 will be taking place starting from Monday, July 4 until Sunday, July 10 with the Parade on Saturday, July 9 and will feature a multitude of events from workshops, support meetings and discussions to evenings of music and club nights, to cater to the Pride needs of everyone. Lisa Daly, Chairperson Pride added, “All events for 2022 reflect the breadth and depth of our LGBTQIA+ community. From the iconic nature of our Pride March to our newer events, we’ve created events with our entire community in mind.”
For more stories on Limerick Pride 2022 go HERE
For a full rundown of Limerick Pride 2022 events go HERE