Dessie Ellis, Sinn Féin TD from Dublin North West, shares his short plea for voters to support equality for a better society for us all. “We as a society will be richer in supporting the rights of gay and lesbian couples to marry”
William Halpin
William Halpin is a musician, and was formerly Head of the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama. He’s voting yes for two simple reasons, and looks forward to Ireland moving toward a new era of tolerance and equality. “Firstly, I believe everybody should have the same rights, and marriage equality allows for this regardless of a person’s sexuality. Secondly, I …
Niall Callan
Niall is a primary school teacher from Tallaght. He and his family can’t understand why the law treats his relationship differently to his brother’s relationship. Niall’s parents want to be able to welcome his partner into the family every bit as much as his future sister-in-law. “I’m no different from my brothers and sister. However, while my parents will be …
Katherine & Ann Louise
Katherine Zappone, from the US, and Ann Louise Gilligan, from Ireland, have been a couple since the early 1980s. They married in Canada over a decade ago, but their marriage is not recognised in the Republic. They feel that more than thirty years together is long enough to wait for their marriage to be recognised. The referendum is a ‘legacy …
Jillian van Turnhout
Jillian van Turnout (46), from Dublin, is a Senator and children’s rights activist. She wasn’t always convinced that equal marriage was the way forward. But with her vast and varied experience, she has changed her mind. She’ll be voting yes, and hopes that you will too. “Through my years of experience as a Children’s Rights activist I’ve seen that life …
Ewan Kelly
Ewan Kelly (32) is from Skerries in north Co Dublin. He has celebrated the marriages of family and friends alike, and the family values that his parents instilled in him have convinced him that equal marriage is the only reasonable vote. “My parents raised me to believe that marriage is a wonderful, healthy, dutiful thing, and that’s why I want to …
Dónal Mulligan
Dónal Mulligan, originally from Leitrim, is a co-founder of the VoteWithUs campaign. He talks about the many thousands of positive differences that a yes vote in Ireland’s equal marriage referendum will make in people’s lives. He believes that this vote is about equality for Irish citizens but that the change will mean much much more. “We started this campaign because …
Gary O’Sullivan
Gary O’Sullivan (23), from Sandymount in Dublin, has felt in the past that being gay was a bad thing. He believes that the introduction of equal marriage will have a beneficial effect on young gay people’s mental health, and simply be better for Irish society. “I thought being gay meant that I was worth less than ‘normal’ people. By voting …
Paul Murphy
Paul Murphy is an Anti-Austerity Alliance TD for Dublin South West and a member of the Socialist Party. He’s certain that voters won’t be tempted into voting against this referendum if they don’t like the current Government – people are more intelligent and more compassionate than that. “I think people know that the best way to strike a blow against …
Panti
Panti Bliss is Ireland’s best known drag queen. As an entertainer, activist, author and eloquent public speaker she is an inspirational figure for many. It couldn’t be simpler for her – it’s about equality. The same privileges, the same rights, the same responsibilities. Nothing more, nothing less. “At it’s simplest, the reason I’m voting for equal marriage is because I …