Navan Pride 2024 is a week-long festival of events celebrating diversity and emphasising solidarity with our LGBTQ+ family, friends and neighbours in Navan town. Our mission is to raise awareness of LGBTQ+ issues and increase visibility of this community. We aim to bring together like-minded people supporting individuals being themselves and freely expressing who they are, without fear or negative comment.
A small Navan Pride gathering, adorned resplendently with rainbow flags, was first held in the summer of 2022 in front of Navan Shopping Centre on Kennedy Plaza. The Samba Band performed and members of the public were invited to sing and join in the celebration. Navan Mayor Cllr Eddie Fennessy was involved in the organisation of this and was in attendance.
From this small event sprang the idea to go bigger and plan a festival of events in the summer of 2023. The Navan Pride Festival 2023 was held on the week starting Monday, June 26th and culminating on July 1st. The Solstice Arts Centre, The Central and Henry Loughran’s pub (Lockie’s) were all involved in celebrating with us and hosted events that week. Meath County Council displayed Pride flags at various strategic locations around the town, in support of our event.
The current Navan Pride committee was elected in February of 2024, and Rebekah Brennan and Paddy Lawlor were elected as co-chairpersons. Since our first meeting, interest has grown and both LGBTQ+ people and supporters, friends and family have joined with us to form a strong team that will work hard to ensure the inaugural Navan Pride Festival will be a celebration to remember and one that can be repeated for years to come.
Please join us for the week of July 8th to 13th to celebrate and embrace the LGBTQ+ friends, family and neighbours of Navan town.