Olympic champion Kellie Harrington joins Dublin Pride celebrations as festivities fill the streets of the capital

OLYMPIC gold medalist Kellie Harrington and his wife Mandy Loughlin joined thousands of people on the streets of Dublin to celebrate this year’s Pride.

It was the first year since 2019 that the annual festival could parade through the streets of the capital and Tokyo hero Harrington made sure she was there to join in the festivities.

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Harrington married longtime partner Loughlin in April and has shared many videos of her parading proudly through the streets of her hometown.

The couple met at a boxing club in Bray and have been together for thirteen years.

Harrington has previously said she’s grateful that the media coverage and public reaction to her same-sex relationship has all been positive.

The 32-year-old said: “Times change, people change and everyone is open and letting people be whoever they want to be.”

“It’s amazing. Whether it’s sexuality, sport, career, we’re all open and I think our little nation is fantastic for that.”

The Portland Row native added: “Before it was all about being ‘the only gay in the village’…now it’s turned around and you’re wondering if you’re the only straight person in the village! “

Despite this, Harrington said her sexuality had nothing to do with what she had achieved as a boxer.

She said: “I’m going to be very honest, I don’t consider myself part of any community, I’m just me, Mandy is just Mandy and we’re just in a relationship.”

“I don’t use labels or anything, we’re just there.”

“My sexuality has nothing to do with this medal and what I have achieved.”

This is not the first time that Harrington has taken part in a parade through the streets of Dublin.

In March, she was Grand Marshal of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade alongside Paralympic Champion Ellen Keane.

Harrington said of the honour: ‘I just think it’s crazy that I’m the grand marshal of our national parade. It’s just breathtaking. It really is the stuff of dreams.”