Crowds flock to Fitzgerald's Park to revel in Cork Pride Family Fun Day atmosphere

Fitzgerald's Park was alive with colour and sound on Saturday afternoon, with hundreds of people enjoying the Cork Pride Family Fun Day.

The day is always a highlight of Cork Pride, and even if the sun wasn’t putting in much of an effort, the smiles on people's faces would have warmed most hearts.

Families mingled on the grass, while there was a funfair on the lawn, with children of all ages enjoying the swings, the merries, and the bouncy castles. There was even a dog show.

With face painting, candy floss, burgers, pizzas and cones on offer, everyone seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the event, while crowds danced to the music supplied for the afternoon by Cork’s Red FM.

Celebration

Labour Party councillor Ciara O’Connor, deputising for the Lord Mayor, said the event was always well attended and good-humoured.

“It’s just a lovely celebration of Pride, and this year is really important as it’s the 10th anniversary of marriage equality. 

"I’m delighted and honoured to deputise for the Lord Mayor, because as an early-years educator myself, I’ve had loads of children of same-sex couples, and it’s just been really powerful these last 10 years to see their rights proressed,” she said.

“There’s still a long way to go, but it’s a great occasion to celebrate what we have in Cork, a city of welcomes for everyone.” 

Inclusive

Her party colleague and fellow councillor, John Maher, said it was great to be part of such an inclusive, family-friendly event.

“This is fantastic, this is the Cork that I live in, that I represent, that I love, that is home to my family,” he said.

“This is a credit to the organisers, who are all volunteers and have put in massive work, that not only celebrates Pride and inclusivity, it also brings a lot of tourism to the city, so there’s a double win here.” 

Mr Maher said there was a major dividend for the city businesses which benefit from Pride, which, he said, brings increased footfall to Cork on what would otherwise be a very quiet bank holiday weekend.

“It’s a fantastic weekend, and I’m looking forward to Sunday for the ultimate party, but this is a great start to it,” Mr Maher said.