UCC Marks Traveller Pride Week with Flag-Raising Ceremony

18 May 2026

University College Cork marked Traveller Pride Week 2026 with a flag-raising ceremony on the Quad on 18 May 2026, celebrating the identity, culture, history and contributions of the Irish Traveller community.

The Traveller Pride Flag was raised by Breda O'Donoghue, Director of Advocacy at the Traveller Visibility Group (Cork), and Professor Stephen Byrne, Deputy President and Registrar, in the presence of staff, students and community representatives. The ceremony also featured remarks from Séamus Ó Tuama, Director of ACE, and Dr Mary Cronin of UCC's School of Public Health.

The event formed part of the national Traveller Pride Week celebrations, which this year marked 17 years of recognising and celebrating Traveller heritage while promoting greater understanding, inclusion and visibility of Traveller culture across Irish society.

Flying the Traveller Pride Flag in the Quad reflected UCC's commitment to fostering an inclusive and welcoming campus community. The ceremony aligned with the University's Race Equality Action Plan (REAP) 2026-2028 and the objectives of the UCC Strategic Plan 2023-2028, reinforcing the importance of access, belonging, representation and partnership with Traveller communities.

The flag-raising ceremony provided an opportunity for the University community to recognise and celebrate Traveller culture, while reaffirming UCC's ongoing commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.