Published: Friday, 20th August, 2010 4:19pm

Thousands attend first Mad Pride Day in Tullamore

Valene Greer, 14, from Tullamore, performing at Mad Pride Day.

Mad Pride Family Fun Day Tullamore saw close to 3,500 people enjoy the fun, music, and glorious sun at the Lloyd Town Park, Tullamore on Sunday August 15.

This was the second such event held in the Midlands, the first in Tullamore, and organisers say it was a massive success and are looking forward to returning to the venue next year.

Founder of Mad Pride Ireland and organiser of the Family Fun Day events John Mc Carthy said: "We love putting on our events in new places and when the HSE asked us to come to Tullamore we were delighted, the Lloyd own Park is such a wonderful venue.

We had 1,500 people in Portlaoise last year, so to more than double that today was amazing this means we now have had close to 40,000 people attend our events in three years which shows that the simplicity of our message and our approach is having an impact on people."

He went on to say: "We have already been invited back by the HSE and Tullamore Town Council for next summer so that is great, and we would like to thank both for all their help and assistance in getting the event off the ground.

With no speeches and no leaflets we simply ask those attending to smile at a stranger and shake a hand before they leave, Mad Pride Ireland believes in its message of 'Celebrate Difference, Stop Loneliness' and the success of our events today shows that the public and the establishment do as well. Stigma will only be defeated through community and love."

The Tullamore event saw the addition of a 'Busking Competition' to the programme of events with local acts asked to turn up and perform. Young Valene Greer, 14, from Tullamore took the €150 prize money and was delighted to have the chance to perform to the crowds from the main stage.

The focus of Mad Pride Family Fun Days is to engage the community through fun and laughter and thereby break down stigma and increase awareness and understanding of the normality of madness. Visitors at this fully free event will be entertained by musical acts, street performers, clowns and food stalls. Since the first event in 2008 close to 40,000 people have enjoyed the free Fun Days in Cork, Portlaoise, Killarney, Mbula Uganda and now Tullamore.

For more information on Mad Pride Ireland and the Mad Pride Family Fun Days log on to www.madprideireland.ie