2024 Limerick Pride flag raised at Limerick City and County Council HQ in honour of Pride. PIctured are Jim Lawless, Mayor Gerard Mitchell, Lisa Daly, Festival Director Limerick Pride and Richard Lynch. Picture: Olena Oleksienko/ilovelimerick
The Limerick LGBTQIA+ Pride Committee celebrates the support of Limerick City and County Council as Mayor Gerald Mitchell raises 2024 Pride flag at City Hall
The Limerick LGBTQIA+ Pride Committee is celebrating the support of Limerick City and County Council as Mayor Gerald Mitchell raised the 2024 Pride flag at City Hall.
This year’s Limerick Pride Festival takes place from July 8 to 14 under the theme of “I Am What I Am”, celebrating the solidarity and inclusivity within the community.
Speaking at the flag-raising ceremony, Mayor Gerard Mitchell noted although this was one of his last duties and said, “It’s very important to honour the diversity and culture here today and I’m delighted to be here to be part of raising the flag for Limerick Pride.”
Lisa Daly, Festival Director of Limerick Pride, explained the incredible effort made by the committee in bringing the week-long festival to Limerick, she said, “I’d like people to acknowledge the hard work that goes on, not just from the committee members, but the whole community to pull together to make the festival happen, that’s what really matters.”
This year marks a special milestone as the Limerick Pride flag includes the intersex symbol for the first time, Lisa said, “This is the first time it will include intersex and the first time it’ll ever be flown over Limerick.”
The theme, “I Am What I Am” resonates deeply with the community, Daly explained, “Our theme this year for Pride is ‘I Am What I Am’ and it’s inclusive, we want everyone to come out and show solidarity this year for the parade on July 13.”
She said, “With the way our whole community represents everything, it’s obviously a song that every gay knows and the amount of questions that people are getting about ‘what are you’ and all that, simply put, ‘I am what I am’. I am human, end of.
“We’re all someone’s brother, sister, daughter and that’s the end of it. Love is love. There’s nothing else that can really be said.”
Lisa explained, that Mayor Mitchell has been a strong advocate for inclusivity during his term, sharing a personal anecdote, “Myself and Ger met at my first ever Pride launch, Ger stepped in, in replacement as the Deputy Mayor at the time, and it was the first time we ever met.
“When he got elected Mayor, he asked, ‘was that girl still involved with Limerick Pride?’ And he attended Limerick Pride last year, and we hung out for the whole day, and that’s not something that happens, so I’ll always respect that out of Ger.”
As the flag was raised, there was a round of applause, with Richard Lynch from I Love Limerick noting, “This is our Limerick Pride flag, and this year it’s a special flag. It incorporates intersex, LGBTQIA into our flag.”
Limerick Pride 2024 promises a vibrant celebration with events kicking off on July 8th and culminating in the parade on Saturday, July 13th, where thousands will show their support for the community.
For more information, visit LimerickPride.ie and use the hashtag #LimerickPride2024.
Read more Limerick Pride news here
Picture: Olena Oleksienko/ilovelimerick