This is so much more about human rights than stigma; people who live with the normality of madness are second class citizens because of the present legal system in Ireland.  The mad community can be locked up without trial forced treated and forced medicated.  No branch of medicine should demand the protection of mental health acts in order to force treat its patients.  The common law is to protect both doctor and patient, we the mad community demand the protection of the common law just like any other citizen, none of this is rocket science.

This is about law not policy.

We hear so much about introducing policy re stigma, about adjusting the law but allowing abuse continue.

We the mad community demand equality, simple!

As women, gay and black communities had to fight for that right so will we! 

Hence, Mad Pride Ireland Family Fun Days. No protests, no leaflets, no information stands, simply fun for all the family.

We will engage with difference as a normality, celebrate that difference in a space that gives dignity to difference, by not addressing it at all, simply allowing it to be (just that different).  A space which allows us all to embrace each other in peace with love through laughter. We give you music, poetry, art, beauty yet we are stigmatized unto death. We need society to wake up to its responsibility towards us by taking pride in our responsibility towards ourselves, Mad Pride Ireland aims through family fun days to create that space. Statistically we are the most peaceful members of society yet we are the most feared, we must change that perception. We can do that through laughter, fun, through Mad Pride.
 

We believe that the best way to promote understanding of the issues surrounding mental health is to engage the community through active participation in a fun environment.

We do that by hosting family events that are inclusive, fun and suitable for children, teenagers, adults and families. These events do not bombard people with pamphlets extolling the virtues of one approach over another.

Rather they show the world that madness is an everyday occurrence that affects us all and can be dealt with openly, lovingly and without fear.
Have we opened the national debate on mental health?  We sure have. We are deadly serious in our intent, while so open in our content, we are good at what we do!!

We host events with diverse programmes that are tailored to suit the local community.

Every Mad Pride event has a good deal of silliness, ridiculousness, colour and fun as well as: 
Clown normality testing (clowns patrol the entrances - with rubber chicken normality detectors checking people for signs of normality. Those showing symptoms are not allowed in, as there is no such thing as normal everyone gets in).


Live music
Street theatre shows
Family games
Children’s activities
Food and craft market