We've planted an Irish Heritage Tree dedicated to the month of Pride!
With the Irish Heritage Tree program, people from all over the world can plant a tree in Ireland dedicated to someone special or in celebration of a moment in life.
This month we're planting a tree in honor of Pride, plus in this article, we take a look at the history of Dublin's LBGTQ+ celebration in June.
A History of Dublin's Pride Festival
Dublin Pride celebrated its 40th anniversary this year, with tens of thousands of people flocking to the streets of Ireland's capital on the weekend of June 24.
Prior to the popularization of the term "Pride" in the 1980s, there were several events calling for LGBTQ rights in Dublin, most notably in 1970 when LGBTQ advocates held a picnic in Merrion Square to draw attention to the Stonewall Riots that took place in New York City in 1969.
Almost 1,000 people took part in Ireland's first large-scale LGBTQ protest march in March 1983 following the brutal homophobic murder of Declan Flynn in Fairview Park in Dublin, while Ireland's first Pride Parade took place later that year on June 25.
Organized by the National LGBT Federation, the parade saw 200 people march from Stephen's Green to O'Connell Street.
The tireless efforts of LGBTQ campaigners began to bear fruit in the 1990s when homosexuality was finally decriminalized in Ireland in 1993, while the introduction of the Employment Equality Act in 1998 prohibited discrimination in the workplace based on sexual orientation.
It took a further 12 years before the introduction of the Civil Partnership Act in 2010, Later, the marriage equality referendum in 2015 saw Ireland become the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage by popular vote, with an overwhelming majority of 62% of voters voting in favor.
Northern Ireland followed suit five years later by legalizing same-sex marriage in the region.
What is the Irish Heritage Tree?
Credit: Getty
Credit: Getty
The Irish Heritage Tree program commemorates the spirit of your loved one, blessed occasion, family name, or proud organization. Envision your tree as part of the pastures and woods of the breathtaking landscape of Ireland, surrounded by wildflowers, pathways, and rivers, near the sanctuaries of foxes, birds, and fish.
The program works in collaboration with the Tree Council of Ireland and when you plant a tree with us, you will also receive a certificate of dedication.
We're proud to say that our original forest in Co Tipperary is now complete and 3,500 native trees have been planted. Farmer Tim Daly and his team monitor our second location near Drimoleague, West Cork.
Click here for more information on the Irish Heritage Tree.
