Pride of the Déise 2024: 'Pride is more than a party' says Waterford chair
Pride committee, Amy, Collette, Benji, Woody, Cúan and Éadaoin
Speaking with the senior committee about this year’s programme, Pride committee members have been hard at work for months preparing for this year’s festival.
The upcoming 7-day event, set to take place from May 27 to June 2 in Waterford, includes over 30 diverse events.
Speaking on this year’s offerings, Amy O’Riordan Chairperson, Pride of the Deise Committee, said:
“In addition to the Pride celebration, we are focused on creating spaces where community, creativity, and culture thrive.
“Our festival highlights Queer history, celebrates the joy and diverse talents of our community, and promotes health and community safety initiatives."
"By embracing our past, nurturing our creativity, and prioritising the well-being of our community, we want Pride of the Déise to be not only a fantastic festival but a beacon of empowerment and unity for the community in Waterford.”
This is the largest iteration of the festival yet, and committee member Collette Rockett Dalgarno says this growth is reflective of increased demand in the city and county.
“We did a survey and found out people wanted more, so it’s really great to expand our repertoire and give people more than just a couple of days this year.
Committee Member Dylan O’Riordan adds; “It feels like a very big expansion. The first festival was online exclusively at the beginning. So from being online and having hybrid events, to being in person and being able to expand has been fantastic.”
To put together this year’s programme, a massive amount of work goes on behind the scenes.
Chair Amy O’Riordan said;
“We’ve had weekly meetings since February. Most of us work full time jobs and we’re all volunteers here too, so it’s hard work. A third of the programme is youth events that the youth committee organise themselves, so that takes some pressure off us, and we get a lot of help from the community in Waterford."
Speaking on the aims of this year’s event, committee members reflected on the importance of inclusivity and giving a voice to locals in the city and county.
“We could go on for hours listing all the things queer people go through in the world, and we can very negative about it, but the fact is we all continue getting on with our lives and now we get to celebrate our Pride and enjoy it. It’s a reminder that even though you might experience adversity in the world, you’re not by yourself.”
“I also think having Pride outside of Dublin is super important. Being able to do it at home in Waterford with your friends is a totally different experience, and it’s so nice for younger people especially to see that Pride can happen on these streets.
“In Waterford there’s quite a substantial queer community, but there’s not many designated queer spaces and I think we’re unusual in that, so our pride weekend is very important."
“The programme is to make queer people feel visible, because it’s so important to know that there is a community there and that you can reach out to or get involved.
“To have the community here in Waterford available to help people learn is so important, and it’s so lovely to be at home for Pride and have such great support.”
