Continuing to keep the country rainbow coloured, this month sees Cork and Galway throw their own annual Pride celebrations from July 29 to August 5. With the theme of #ThisIsMe, the county will host a range of events catering to the LGBT+ community.

Head to Youghal with bucket and spade in hand for Pride By The Sea, a beach-bound bash for the whole family. There’ll be live music, a mouth watering BBQ, and, best of all, a sandcastle competition.

There’ll be an informative Pride Wellbeing Evening, talking all things mental, physical and sexual which affect the community’s health. Rapid HIV testing will be available on site and there’ll be a Laughing Yoga Class to release stresses gathered during the day.

LittleShoes Productions will stage the hard hitting and necessary The Laramie Project – Twenty Years Later. Originally created in response to the homophobic murder of young gay man Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming, this play is a rallying call for the community to stand together in the face of homophobia.

Celebrations will culminate with the official Cork Pride Parade on August 5, a spectacular festivity winding through the streets of the city. And when the Parade ends, the party starts - the Official Pride After-party, hosted by Paul Ryder, will be crammed with tons of live music, DJs and drag queens, on hand to keep revelers dancing into the night.

From August 13 to 19, West is best, as Galway LGBTs show how it’s done with their own Pride extravaganza. While the full line-up is yet to be released, Mother is making her first visit to the City of the Tribes on Friday, August 17, with DJs Phil and Ruth pumping out electropop tunes for the queer masses. It’s at the Roisín Dubh from 11pm, tickets on the door.

August 18 is parade day, and as always with Galway, it’ll be in glorious rainbow technicolour, followed by a big auld party, Pride stylee at Club Gass at the Roisín Dubh. Doors open from 3pm with Kiki st. Clair on the decks, while Dizzy Dyinforit, Davina Davine, Paul Ryder, Pixie Woo and Dylatrix will be showing up a storm from 9pm, with DJ’s doing their thang til late.

Keep an eye out for updates on all Ireland’s Pride celebrations at www.gcn.ie