Children’s reading event at Kingdom Pride week in Tralee disrupted by protesters

A disruption to a children’s reading event as part of Kingdom Pride week in Co Kerry left staff at the county library shaken and upset.

Around 20 adults and their children were attending a story-telling event in Tralee’s main library at Moyderwell at 12.30pm when a group of five protestors entered the event room apparently intent on disrupting the storytelling.

Shouting by the protesters left adults as well as children attending frightened, according to a source.

Library staff were also targeted in the protest by three women and two men.

Gardai in Tralee were called to remove the protesters and restore order.

According to a statement his afternoon from Kerry County Council “a family story-time event was taking place as part of Kingdom Pride week”.

“The event was disrupted by a number of protestors who were invited to leave the library.”

One line of enquiry is if the disruption is linked to other such incidents, particularly in Cork targeting library staff over children and young people’s reading material on LBGTQ+ matters.

The Pride event was specifically targeted, sources say. Kingdom Pride week is taking place all this week and has events primarily in Listowel, Killarney and Tralee.

The Tralee storytelling event was entitled Prince and Knight, and was set to be staged by drag kings performing as Miggledy Bubbles and Butch Chastity.

After Gardaí arrived, the event went ahead as scheduled.

In a statement this evening, the Garda Press Office said: ”Gardaí attended the scene of a public order incident that occurred in a library in Tralee, Co. Kerry this afternoon, Thursday 13th July 2023 shortly before 1pm.

“Gardaí are conducting enquiries into all the circumstances surrounding this matter. No arrests have been made at this time and enquiries are ongoing.”

Kingdom Pride had not issued a statement by time of publication.