'No sense' to move gay pride march out of city centre

Gay Pride Parade

Ryan Nugent

PROPOSALS to move the Dublin Gay Pride Festival outside the city centre do not make much sense, according to its chairman.

Dublin City Council officials and Pride organisers are in talks about different locations after this year's march - the biggest ever - attracted an estimated 60,000 people to the city centre.

Phoenix Park or the Irish Museum of Modern Art in Kilmainham are being touted as possible alternatives for the traditional march from the Garden of Remembrance to Merrion Square.

Festival chairman Jason Flynn said he is hesitant about moving from the centre, saying next year's event could see fewer participants.

The Pride festival took place on June 27, just over a month after marriage equality was voted into the constitution.

political

"It's possible that we may have reached our peak, because essentially we're a political movement that fights for equal rights and you could argue that as of this year we've gained that," said Mr Flynn.

"So much of it revolves around businesses that are particularly supportive of the LGBTQ community, the George pub being one of them, so to a certain extent it wouldn't really make sense to have a festival that's away from the city centre.

"We do a survey every year and get constant feedback, so we won't be making any decision in a bubble - we will be consulting our interest groups, we will be consulting Dublin City Council and we will be consulting the gardai."