Northwest Pride started with a dream. 2006, in rural Leitrim, I wake up shouting ‘Pride in the Northwest!’ With brass necks, years of activism including Dublin Pride behind us and love for this wild countryside, myself and Izzy Kamikaze kick-started a Pride that ran for ten years and built community for people from Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan, Mayo, and Donegal, and a welcome for all.
That first year, volunteers were people we knew, or had just met. With no queer scene, word of mouth was the way to go. We planned a Parade (of course), pre- and post-events and a beach BBQ for Sunday (yes it rained and the tide came in, but it didn’t matter). Then with the idea of student accommodation to give people somewhere cheap and safe to stay with their community, the Pride Village was born.