Pride at Christ Church Cathedral
Christ Church Cathedral is delighted to welcome all to our Annual Pride Service on Thursday 25 June at 6:00pm.
Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin’s premier Cathedral in the Church of Ireland and the Anglican Communion, welcomes the community for its annual Pride Service, taking place Thursday, 25 June 2026, at 6:00pm.
The Very Rev Dermot Dunne, Dean of Christ Church Cathedral, will preside and preach at this year’s service. A reception and celebration will immediately follow, honouring charitable partners BelongTo Youth Services and Outhouse.
This year’s service carries special significance. Dean Dermot Dunne, who has led Christ Church Cathedral with distinction for nearly twenty years, will retire in September 2026. The Pride Service is among his final official acts as Dean — and it is, by his own account, one of the most meaningful. “Christ Church has always been a place of radical welcome,” says Dean Dunne. “To stand in this ancient Cathedral and proclaim that every person — without exception — is a beloved child of God is not a departure from our tradition. It is the very heart of it. I am deeply honoured to share this celebration with our LGBTQ+ community as we draw ever closer together to the love and acceptance of our Divine Creator.”
The annual Pride Service was first celebrated at Christ Church Cathedral in 2021 and has grown each year into one of Dublin’s most anticipated Pride month gatherings. Previous preachers at the Annual Pride Service have included luminaries such as Dr Mary McAleese, former President of Ireland. The Cathedral organises the service as an expression of its commitment to inclusion, welcome, and witness. All are welcome.
The Very Revd Dermot Patrick Martin Dunne has served as the 35th Dean of Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, since 2008. He leads one of Ireland’s most historic ecclesiastical foundations — a Cathedral at the heart of Dublin’s spiritual and civic life since the 11th century, now approaching its millennium in 2028.
A native of Mallow, County Cork, Dean Dunne trained for ordination at St Patrick’s College Maynooth, was ordained in 1983–84, and holds qualifications in Philosophy and Theology, a BA from Dublin City University, and an MA in Applied Christian Spirituality. He also graduated as a psychotherapist from the Chiron Centre, London. His ministry has spanned parishes in Cork and London, hospital chaplaincy, and senior roles in the Diocese of Ferns — including Precentor and Archdeacon — before his appointment as Dean in 2008.
At Christ Church, Dean Dunne champions liturgical excellence, ecumenical engagement, and community outreach. The Cathedral has appointed ecumenical canons from partner traditions, and Dean Dunne has represented it at international gatherings, including a keynote address at a major cultural festival in India. He is a committed advocate for social justice, with particular attention to homelessness and marginalised communities.
Outhouse
Outhouse is Ireland’s LGBTQ+ community and resource centre, providing a welcoming space for community, support, and connection.
Since 2003, Belong To – LGBTQ+ Youth Ireland has grown from a youth project into a unique national services and advocacy organisation with and for LGBTQ+ children and young people.