Mullingar Pride 'a resounding success' as hundreds take to the streets

Hundreds of people marched through the streets of Mullingar last Saturday to make this year’s Pride parade a “resounding success”, according to organisers.

Among those taking part in the parade, which was preceded by a Family Fun Day event in Blackhall, were Mullingar Fire Service, Mullingar4All, Haus of Kwen, BeLonG To, and other local businesses and groups.

Blackhall was also the setting of WERK! Fest, which featured performances from Eurovision stars Niamh Kavanagh and Linda Martin.

Deputy chair of the Mullingar Pride board, Eleanor Moloney, said it was a great day for all.

“It was a resounding success and a wonderful reflection of Mullingar as a town,” she said.

“There were lots of allies who showed up just to be there, take part, and celebrate with everyone.

“It was just so joyful, and it was wonderful to see so many young people take part.”

Ms Moloney said the events also acted as an advertisement for their support services.

“We had some parents asking us about our youth group on behalf of their kids,” she said.

“It was great for people to be able to see what we offer as a group of volunteers, what support is there to help them, because there wasn’t anything like that available back when we were in school.

“There wasn’t anywhere to go, a safe space where you can meet people with similar ideas and interests – people you can identify with.

“We want to provide that in a safe way for kids who are just like us.”

Ms Moloney said the day went off without issue for the most part.

“There was one single protestor, but a fabulous group of people positioned themselves in front of him, singing and waving flags until he was drowned out and disappeared,” she said.

“That right there was the spirit of pride. The protester was holding a sign that looked like the trans flag, but when you zoomed in on the writing, it wasn’t very nice.”

Ms Moloney said it was heartwarming to see the support towards Mullingar Pride.

“The day reminded me that pride is really a celebration of the way people are and how kind and welcoming people are,” she said.

“Sometimes in an online space it can seem that people are not welcoming; they can be drowned out by others who are aggressive and loud.

“But we forget that one person could have ten accounts on social media and that people in real life are very supportive.”