THE TREATY City is bidding to host an international festival which could see 100,000 people descend on Shannonside from all over the world for a colourful celebration of LGBTQ+ culture.
The Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau, Shannon Chamber, Quare Clare, and Limerick Pride have joined forces with the organisers of upcoming event ‘The Outing’ to submit a bid to bring EuroPride – a pan-European international event dedicated to LGBT pride – to the Mid West.
Bringing the event to the region would represent the first time that the international Pride event has been held in Ireland.
News of the bid comes in tandem with the announcement that The Outing, the world’s only LGBTQ+ matchmaking festival, will be held at The Inn at Dromoland annually for the next five years.
Eddie McGuinness, festival director of The Outing, said a successful EuroPride bid would “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”.
Karen Ronan, general manager of the Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau, said that bringing EuroPride to the Mid West would be “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.”
Now in its 11th year, The Outing is expected to attract more than 1,000 people from across Ireland and overseas to the County Clare venue this coming Valentine’s weekend from February 9 to 11.
Organised in conjunction with the Queer Arts Collective with support from Fáilte Ireland, Blacknight Solutions, Visit Clare, Limerick Pride, and Quare Clare, the award-winning festival is a fusion of music, comedy, ceilí bands, queer arts, and the best of Irish and international performers, drag artists, and DJs.
The Outing 2024 will take place at The Inn at Dromoland, Newmarket-On-Fergus, County Clare, from February 9 to 11. See theouting.ie for ticket and event details.
