Limerick Pride part of bid to host EuroPride in the Mid-West

LIMERICK Pride in association with the Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau, Shannon Chambers, and Quare Clare have confirmed they are submitting a bid to bring EuroPride to the Mid-West in 2028.

If successful, this would mark the first time that the pan-European international event has been held in Ireland. EuroPride attracts over 100,000 people from all over the world annually and is hosted by a different European city each year.

Eddie McGuinness, who is the festival director of the Outing LGBTQ+ matchmaking festival in the Mid-West: “Working with our partners in the Mid-West Region, we are hoping to bring LGBTQ+ tourists and activists from across the world to Limerick and Clare in 2028, which would also coincide with the 35th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Ireland.

“Limerick is well accustomed to hosting large-scale international events, and we are confident we can follow in the footsteps of Amsterdam, London, Lisbon, Copenhagen and Madrid in showcasing our vibrant LGTBQ+ community here in Ireland, as this would be the 1st time EuroPride would come to the island of Ireland,” he added.

Karen Ronan, general manager of the Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau also commented: “The Bureau is proud to support The Outing and their partner organisations in their bid to secure this prestigious event for the Mid-West which, should it be successful, would mark a landmark moment for the Pride movement in Ireland. Bringing the event to Limerick and Clare also would deliver a significant economic boost to the wider region and would follow on from the hosting of the World Rally Championship and the Ryder Cup.”