No Inishowen Pride parade planned for 2025

The Inishowen Pride parade will not take place this year, it has been confirmed.

In 2022, Buncrana became the first town in Donegal to host a Pride parade, and the event drew thousands of participants and supporters to follow up parades in 2023 and 2024.

However, the small core group of people who organised Inishowen Pride said after last summer's event that it was time to pass on the baton, and they emphasise that there are plenty of options across the county and wider north west in Letterkenny and Derry, as well as Falcarragh in July.

Jen McCarron, speaking on behalf of the Inishowen Pride team, said it would be open to another group to take on the organising of another Inishowen event in future.

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“There is no reason another group cannot take over the planning and organising for Inishowen Pride in future if they wish,” she said. “From the response it received we believe it will always hold a special place in the heart of the community.”

The first Inishowen Pride, in June 2022, drew thousands of people to Buncrana for a colourful and joyous parade under clear blue skies. Many months of planning went into the inaugural event, and Ms McCarron recalled the excitement amongst the organising team as what started out as a wild idea became a reality.

“The energy and excitement was electric as we felt the positive energy and engagement coming from local groups, businesses and the broader community,” she recalled.

“After the huge success of the first year – and when we heard the feedback from our LGBTQ+ community members and their families at home and abroad – we were re-energized to plan the parades for the next few years. Each year built upon the years before and we added events like speakers and art shows, after party, and concerts.

“All of it required organisation and work but at the end of the day, the entire experience was rewarding and fun.”

Hosting a Pride parade in Buncrana was widely hailed as evidence of the Inishowen public's commitment to inclusion and equality, and Jen says the response was overwhelmingly positive and provided powerful solace to LGBTQ+ people who in times past had felt marginalised and ignored.

“We have had incredibly positive feedback from the LGBTI+ people at home and abroad,” she said. “The fact that the Donegal community came out in such huge numbers showing solidarity and support for LGBTI+ people was powerful. The wider public welcomed the opportunity to support, sponsor, host events, walk in the parade. It has been such a memorable experience.”

Ms McCarron and the existing Inishowen Pride organising group exit with their heads held high, and she has words of advice and encouragement for anyone considering 'taking up the baton' and organising a similar event in the peninsula in future.

“For the event to proceed again in future it would take a new team to be formed to work on planning permission, funding, logistics etc,” she said. “It requires an energetic volunteer team and significant investment of time over many months to organise, fundraise and create the energy and visibility (through social media and other media) to make the event a success.”

In the meantime, Jen and Inishowen Pride is encouraging people to attend nearby events this summer.

A Donegal Pride Collective group has been formed with the support of the Donegal Volunteer Service to facilitate collaboration between groups across the county, from Bundoran to Letterkenny, and Falcarragh to Buncrana, and will lauch a website in the coming months to provide information on forthcoming events.

“We feel that there are other fantastic events locally now so the Inishowen community have opportunities to support Pride at locations within travelling distance,” she said. “We encourage supporters to plan their journeys early this summer to Letterkenny Pride on 16 August, Brod na Gaeltachta in Falcarragh on 5 July and Foyle Pride in Derry on 23 August.”

The organisers of the Letterkenny Pride event paid a warm tribute to their Inishowen counterparts.

“Over the past four years, Inishowen Pride has had an immeasurable impact on the social fabric of not just Inishowen, but Donegal far and wide,” the group said. “Their first event in 2022 galvanised Pride movements across the county. We at Letterkenny Pride couldn't be more grateful for the blueprint they have provided.

“Setting up any Pride event takes bravery, ingenuity, dedication and passion. As the first Pride in Donegal, they are the hallmark and the North Star when it comes to harnessing courage, creativity and compassion to create something special for the community.

We are heartened and hopeful that, although there are currently no plans for 2025, Inishowen Pride will one day return.

Until then, our LGBTQ+ family and friends have many Prides to look forward to, supported and inspired by the torchbearing standard set by Inishowen.”