Oliver Clare, from Louth, says that the referendum boils down to fairness. Members of the LGBT community are having families, and ought to be fully protected as citizens of Ireland. “I would find it impossible to go to the polling booth, look my friends in the eye and say that ‘I voted against you having the same rights and opportunities …
Averil Power
Averil Power is a Fianna Fáil Senator based in Dublin North East. She talks about what marriage means to her, and why she is upset that people close to her cannot celebrate their relationships, or be protected by the state, in the same way as she can. “It really upsets me that I have gay and lesbian friends who have …
Stephen Donnelly
Stephen Donnelly is an Independent TD for Wicklow and East Carlow. He talks about his friends who had to leave Ireland in the past because of intolerance – his view is that it’s imperative in a modern society that all men and women are treated equally. To him, this is a very small thing we can do but it will …
Eamon Ryan
Eamon Ryan (51), from Dublin, is the leader of the Green Party. He thinks that this vote is really about giving everyone the chance to have the family that they deserve, and to have that family protected in law. “If two people are in love, and want to show that or express that in a union recognised by the state, …
Eoin & Michelle
Eoin Durkan (34) from Skerries in Co. Dublin, and Michelle Cunningham (32) from Maynooth in Co. Kildare, are a couple living in Dublin. Michelle talks about the complications of any relationship, and how much more complicated those things can be for gay couples when they are prevented from marrying. Eoin talks about how a good friend of his had to …
Sonia Harris
Sonia Harris, who lives and works in Dublin, thinks that marriage is about finding the person you love and committing to them – and that the same right to do this should extend to loving same-sex couples. ‘I hope all of my friends eventually get to meet the people that they love, and get to commit to them by marrying …