Athy Pride celebration at Clancy's

Clancy’s Bar in Athy held the town’s fourth annual Pride event on Saturday night (31 August).

“This event is getting bigger and bigger, and we’re literally running out of space,” said host Emma Brien.

“This was our fourth year, and it’s now growing into something massive for a town the size of Athy."

Emma added: “We had a couple of drag acts down from Dublin for the night, and they said this was the latest Pride event of the year, as most of them are held in June.

“There were trans, bi, and lots of straight people in attendance, there were well over a hundred people, and it was literally standing room only,” she said.

“We’re already planning for next year, and we’re aiming for 21 June, 2025.

“It’s a very unusual event, and you’d seldom see it in a town of this size, but we were delighted to hold it in Clancy’s, and we’re the only Pride event in Kildare.

Emma also wanted praise to go to her co-organisers Julie Buckley and her wife Eleana Snoody.

“We had a great social media campaign, and it was great craic in the build-up.

“You have to give people something different, and begobs, this was different!

“That’s part of what we’re about in Clancy’s, not everybody has the balls for this.

“It’s very sad that people mightn’t feel comfortable to come into a place, but not in my place!

“It’s cool to be gay these days,” chuckled Emma.