Limerick holds the first NeuroPride Ireland winter picnic at The People’s Park

NeuroPride Ireland winter picnic – around 30 members of the neurodivergent community gathered in the People’s Park with organisers and friends

The NeuroPride Ireland winter picnic was an accessible, welcoming event and a much needed sense of community

Around 30 members of the neurodivergent community gathered in the People’s Park on the afternoon Saturday, January 31st for Limerick’s first NeuroPride Ireland picnic. Attendees brought snacks, toys, games, and musical instruments and kept warm in the January chill with flasks of coffee and hot chocolate.

The day was cold and misty but attendees braved the chill and kept the warmth going in the Limerick bandstand with blankets, hand warmers, a battery-operated stove display and a playful atmosphere. One attendee brought poi spinners and a variety of stim toys and colouring books were made available.

Attendees could stand, sit on the ground or on cushions, or sit on camping chairs, honouring the natural variety of ways neurodivergent people like to be positioned when socialising or taking in information. The picnic was hosted outside to ensure both wheelchair access and auditory neutrality.

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This was Neuropride Ireland’s second Limerick event, after local Paula Hynes hosted an event in 2022.

Gillian Kearns, Neuropride organiser, made the journey from outside Limerick. They said, “Once again it was such a joy to meet and connect with members of the Neurodivergent community from Limerick and further afield. To see people chatting, smiling and enjoying each other’s company really warmed up a chilly January day for our NeuroPride Ireland winter picnic.”

Claire Ambrose, a local psychotherapist working with neuro-affirming therapy practice Violet Psychology, attended with two other local Violet Psychology therapists to help facilitate the event. Partway through the picnic, Claire held a short eco-therapy workshop, which explored the ways mental health practice can be made more accessible for some neurotypes through the use of tangible experiences, like in nature. Participants in the eco-therapy workshop foraged natural items from the People’s Park and created a mandala on the bandstand floor. “Even the word ‘mindfulness’ can cause someone with ADHD to say, ‘nope!'” Claire said. “But when we look to nature, and recognise we are a part of it, it can be easier to experience and access the benefits.”

Claire later added about the event, “It was such an honour to be a part of the Neuropride Ireland winter picnic. I think it’s important for neurodivergent people to have spaces that are accessible, welcoming, and provide a much needed sense of community. There is huge strength in diversity and it should be celebrated. Today felt like a real celebration of that.”

A significant amount of volunteer interagency work was done locally to raise awareness about the picnic, with social media and word of mouth support from I Love Limerick, Mammies for Trans Rights, Limerick Anti-Racist Network, Trans Pride Limerick, ROSA Limerick, Trans Limerick Community, Women’s Collective Limerick, Limerick Pride, and many others.

NeuroPride Ireland is a grassroots volunteer-led organisation founded in 2021 by and for members of the neurodivergent community. To learn more about NeuroPride Ireland and to find out about future events across Ireland and online, visit HERE or follow @NeuroPrideIreland on Instagram.