Dublin Pride is in its thirtieth year and prouder than ever! Starting later this month, there are a host of events – thirty one to be exact – to keep you entertained and informed, right through to the 30th June. To jump ahead rather, if you can’t make it to the entire festival, make sure you are in Dublin for the Pride Parade, this year bigger and grander than ever. It starts on the final Saturday, 29th June and starts at the Garden of Remembrance, then moves off down O’Connell Street, round Trinity and ends at the Pride Village in Merrion Square. Dublin Pride Parade is the second largest parade in Ireland and that’s saying something, because the Irish love a good parade! This is a great day out for the whole family - the parade is a colourful celebration of equality and diversity, a lesson everyone should learn. This year the organisers are proud to announce that the Grand Marshall is Anna Grodzka, who is currently the only transgendered MP in the world.

Keep an eye on the festival website to make sure you don’t miss anything – some of the events are art installations and so will be available all through the festival, but other events are one-offs and all of them not to be missed, so plan your festival programme and with care. In the evenings the various parties are in different venues, but it is fair to say that if you go to the George, the Outhouse, or the Pantibar you are almost certain to catch a party in action!

There are also got loads of outdoor events as well. The family day in Fairview Park on 23rd June (Sunday) is always a blast, with games, sideshows and the dog show which is always so popular. Again, check the website to make sure you don’t miss the one you want – registration is free but some have limited space, so you may need to book in advance.

Of course, the organisers have not forgotten the prime purpose of the event. Dublin Pride began thirty years ago because of the murder of Declan Flynn in 1983. The murder itself was bad enough, but the judgements on the killers – suspended sentences for manslaughter – and the subsequent rejoicing when they were released prompted the first Dublin Pride March and they’ve been going strong ever since. To celebrate Declan’s life, the festival is brought to a close with a service of love and remembrance at 6 pm on Sunday 30th June, when a new memorial bridge will be named.

As well as being a whole lot of fun and packed with extravagant participants, Dublin Pride 2013 will actually be marking three very significant milestones. As well as being 30 years since the first Dublin Pride, the festival will also see the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Irish Gay movement and the 20th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Ireland. For a conservative, Catholic county, these are certainly important moment in the country’s past.

Now, did we just say that the memorial bridge opening was to bring the festival to a close? It does, in a way, but the real curtain will be brought down by the mayhem that is Shirley’s Comedown ‘til Sundown Post Pride Bingo, from 9 pm at the George. See you there!

To catch the last half of the festival check out Hotel Direct for Dublin hotel deals and if you are flying try Easy Jet for cheap flights.